🔮 Major League Soccer weekend preview | OneFootball

MLS is back with another jam-packed weekend of action around the league, and there is plenty to discuss before the first ball is kicked.

Let's jump into some of the biggest talking points heading into the weekend.

Fixture of the weekend

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There are plenty of games of note on Saturday, including a showdown of unbeaten teams in Cleveland, but you can't help but focus on LAFC's trip to the Pacific Northwest to square off with the Portland Timbers.

This fixture is the highest-scoring in MLS history, so you can bet there will be fireworks. But for the first time in a long time, it is the Timbers who potentially come into the game as slight favorites.

Phil Neville's side are winners of three of their last four games in MLS, while LAFC have started sluggishly.

With the news that Steve Cherundolo will step down as LAFC boss at the end of the season, the SoCal outfit could have a point to prove for the remainder of the season — and a win at Providence Park under the lights would be a great place to start.

Player to watch

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Columbus Crew made a statement of intent when they splashed the cash on former Philadelphia Union attacker Dániel Gazdag in recent weeks, and the Hungarian could be set to make his first start against Inter Miami this weekend in Cleveland.

Gazdag played 35 minutes in St. Louis after coming off the bench for his club debut last weekend, but Crew fans will be primed and ready to see how he fits in from the start.

Two questions ahead of the weekend's matches

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Can Atlanta United finally get on track?

It is no secret that Atlanta United are performing well below expectations after a major spending spree on attacking talent in the winter transfer window.

The Five Stripes have just two MLS wins in the 2025 campaign and sit a lowly 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Creating balance between attack and defense has been an almighty challenge for new head coach Ronny Deila, but they have a big chance to make a statement against Philadelphia on Saturday.

Was a win in Dallas a flash in the pan for Seattle?

The Sounders finally broke out of their slump with a gutsy win in Dallas last weekend, but they will have to build on that result to make up for the four-game winless streak that proceeded it.

Brian Schmetzer's side have dominated plenty of games this season, but a lack of cutting-edge in front of goal has seen results that don't match the performances.

With a return back to the Emerald City on Saturday in a showdown with Nashville, the Sounders have the perfect platform to turn a standalone victory into the start of a streak.

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