Can Inter Miami CF Get Revenge vs. Atlanta United: MLS Matchday 4 Games to Watch | OneFootball

The first three weeks of the 2025 MLS season have brought some standout moments from superstars and shocking results, and Matchday 4 should be no different.

While some weeks lack star-fueled battles or clashes in club identity, the fourth weekend of the season has it all, with two of the cutting-edge clubs clashing on Sunday in Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United, as well as other battles of similar roster builds looking to find success against each other.

With 12 games set for Saturday and another three on Sunday, Sports Illustrated highlights the must-watch MLS matches this weekend.

1. Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami CF (Sunday, 7:00 pm ET)

Miguel Almiron is just one of the key pieces Atlanta United didn't have when they beat Inter Miami CF in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

A battle of the south, a clashing of superstars and 2024 MLS Cup Playoff rivals meet again. There is so much to like about Inter Miami facing Atlanta United this weekend.

Lionel Messi returned midweek for Inter Miami after missing three straight games, scoring as they advanced in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Jamaica’s Cavalier FC, and now looks set to return to the starting lineup against Atlanta. Meanwhile, head coach Javier Mascherano’s side has seen consistently strong play from Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Tadeo Allende, and Luis Suarez.

Allende has already been one of the brightest additions to MLS in 2025. In just 154 minutes, he has scored two outstanding goals and has been an influential addition to a dominant Miami attack.

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A challenge this week for Miami, though, will be between the sticks, with goalkeeper Drake Callender remaining sidelined with an injury and backup keeper Oscar Ustari unavailable after picking up a red card in a win over Charlotte FC. Rios Novo will likely start, but he has not played a full 90 in the regular season since 2022, when he was with Atlanta.

Meanwhile, it’s a proving game for Atlanta, who are looking to re-establish themselves as the eminent big soccer club in the South. After spending upwards of $32 million to bring in striker Emmanuel Latte Lath and midfielder Miguel Almiron, the team can show why it can still be content with Miami, Charlotte, and other burgeoning clubs in the South.

It won’t be easy for Atlanta, though. They’ve not looked settled with the new players, and Latte Lath has struggled to finish and may not even be available after entering concussion protocol in last week’s match. Yet, if they are successful, look for them to cash in on the left side, where Pedro Amador and Saba Lobjanidze found success against Miami in the Playoffs last season.

Big money, big crowds, and even bigger superstars. This one’s going to be fun.

2. St. Louis CITY SC vs. Seattle Sounders (Saturday, 8:30 pm ET)

St. Louis CITY SC defender Henry Kessler has played a key role in their three-match clean-sheet streak to start 2025. / Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

St. Louis CITY SC finally figured out how to score last week in a 3–0 win over the LA Galaxy, grabbing their first goals under new head coach Olof Mellberg while posting a third straight clean sheet.

This weekend, they face Seattle Sounders FC, another challenging opponent who could be broken down similarly, especially given the newfound form of Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel and the continued poise of depth striker Simon Becher.

If St. Louis are to find their first win over the Sounders, it will come from their defensive identity, as they seek to shut down Jordan Morris, who has been in fine form for the Rave Green to start 2025, recently becoming the Sounders’ all-time leading goalscorer.

That defensive block has paid off so far, with CITY the only club not to concede this season, ranking second in least shots against with nine, and third in total clearances with 37, led by defender Henry Kessler, who has also helped produce some attacking opportunities.

They might be getting the Sounders at the perfect time, too. The club is coming off a disappointing midweek trip to Mexico, where they were eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup against Cruz Azul.

It may mean some further rotation for head coach Brian Schmetzer’s squad, a factor that would only play in St. Louis’ favor, given Seattle has struggled for a consistent lineup and outlook in each match this season and will be without left wingback Paul Arriola, who is likely out injured indefinitely.

If St. Louis keeps a clean sheet, they’d become the third club to start a season with four straight in MLS, joining the 2012 Vancouver Whitecaps FC and 2007 New York Red Bulls.

3. Charlotte FC vs. FC Cincinnati (Saturday, 7:30 pm ET)

Wilfried Zaha will look to bounce back after a frustrating performance against Inter Miami CF on Matchday 3. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Two of the league’s most ambitious teams battle this weekend as Wilfried Zaha and Kévin Denkey go head-to-head for the first time.

Denkey– who joined FC Cincinnati for $16.2 million in the offseason– is still looking to hit consistent form, despite looking strong in his previous performances and scoring from the penalty spot in last week’s 2–0 over Toronto FC. Meanwhile, Zaha looks to get on the scoresheet after a troubling performance against Inter Miami on Matchday 3.

Zaha could make a massive impact on this match. After showing out with a goal and an assist on his debut against Atlanta United, the Miami match saw him hacked to the ground and held away from the goal, despite completing the most dribbles of any player and putting himself in strong attacking positions.

While Cincinnati have a solid defensive base, they don’t quite have the same edge as Miami. This factor could allow Zaha to exploit a less pacey Alvas Powell at right back, similar to how he broke down Atlanta’s Luis Abram – especially as Charlotte also throws a pacey, tall presence at the center backs in striker Patrick Agyemang.

Outside of this weekend’s matchup, it was also a big week for Charlotte, signing defender Souleyman Doumbia on loan from Belgian side Standard Liège, as well as, reportedly, rising Croatian forward Leo Bartolovic, who will join their second team. All the while, Agyemang was called up to the U.S. men’s national team for Concacaf Nations League.

Over the last several years, Cincinnati have proven their stature as one of the best MLS clubs with a methodic build and key superstars, a similar project to what Charlotte is trying to achieve, making their clash all the more enticing.

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