Another 14-game Saturday awaits. Let's spotlight seven games that stand out above the rest as you're canvassing MLS Season Pass on Apple TV options.
Also, check out Matt Doyle's weekend set-up piece if you want to get smart on Matchday 7's ins and outs.
Key watch info
As some schedule listing remindersā¦
- Apple TV - FreeĀ = games are free to watch; all you need is an Apple ID.
- Apple TV - MLS Season PassĀ = anĀ MLS Season Pass subscriptionĀ is required.
Studio shows
If you want to keep track of everythingā¦
- Tune into theĀ MLS 360Ā whip-around show for live look-ins and analysis of all the key moments from every match.
- We've also gotĀ MLS CountdownĀ as a lead-in andĀ MLS Wrap-UpĀ at the end of the night.
Select games are still viewable via national TV partners in USA and Canada, but gone are regional and local broadcasts. Instead, MLS Season Pass bringsĀ no blackouts (any device/any location) and multiple commentary options: English, Spanish, French (Canadian teams) and a clubās home radio broadcast.
- WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
FC Cincinnati are first in the Eastern Conference, but head coach Pat Noonan isnāt happy with how theyāre playing. Thatās remarkable progress for a club that, from 2019-21, finished last in the league and struggled (and we really mean struggled) defensively.
This game could be a statement of Cincyās growth under Noonan and GM Chris Albright, who both came over from the Union to start this ascension in 2022. The club might be without defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo, though, as heās been limited in training with a hamstring injury. The Nigerian DP is so, so important to the clubās growth.
On the Philly side, theyāre heading on the road in between a Concacaf Champions League series where theyāre in a 1-0 aggregate lead over Liga MX side Atlas. DĆ”nielĀ Gazdagās late penalty kick was the difference in Tuesdayās first leg, and theyāll head down to Mexico on Wednesday to try and book a semifinal ticket in the continental competition.
Philadelphia, runners-up in the 2022 MLS Cup and Supportersā Shield races, are also looking to emerge from some uncharacteristic down form in the league. Theyāre just 2W-3L-1D, below what many ā internally and externally ā feel they could accomplish with a top roster. Can they rebound in what amounts to a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinal (which Philly won 1-0)?
- WATCH: Apple TV - Free, FOX | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
The DĆ©nis Bouanga show just keeps on rolling. The Gabon international forward produced a stunning two-goal, one-assist performance in the second half of LAFCās CCL game midweek, where they took a 3-0 aggregate advantage at Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
While the defending MLS Cup and Supportersā Shield champions have an eye on Tuesdayās second leg, head coach Steve Cherundolo is still favored at home. And theyāve got depth to call upon for squad rotation, with forward Stipe Biuk, midfielder JosĆ© Cifuentes and center back Giorgio Chiellini all strong candidates to enter the XI.
Austin, coming off a bye, may have some revenge on their minds after LAFC bounced them in last yearās Western Conference Final. But more pressingly, a positive result could boost the Verde & Blackās season after some early-season struggles.
Head coach Josh Wolff has called for Austinās attackers to give support to SebastiĆ”n Driussi. Theyāve also got center back troubles that need solving, plus general vibes issues after a historic CCL exit to Haiti's AC Violette in mid-March. Letās see how they're all navigated.
- WATCH: Apple TV - Free | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Amid a four-game losing streak, Miami have been shut out three times. That makes the impending 2023 debut for Leo Campana (following a calf injury) so essential, though head coach Phil Neville hasnāt confirmed whether the Ecuador international will start or come off the bench.
Does that mean Campana and Josef MartĆnez start together, as was designed when both strikers were signed during the offseason? The Herons need that partnership to take off, almost as much as theyāre still searching for a midfield solution after Gregoreās long-term foot injury.
For Dallas, weāll keep it simple: Their ceiling in 2023 is driven by the production (or lack thereof) from forwards Paul Arriola, Alan Velasco and JesĆŗs Ferreira. Theyāre on 5g/3a combined early in the season, which certainly isn't poor. But that trio has another level or two to reach as form sharpens.
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Saturday, 7:30 pm ET
Atlantaās best moments in 2023 have come when Thiago Almada is orchestrating the attack and has willing runners in front of him to pick out. The issue this weekend? Yankee Stadium has a smaller pitch and the game can grow increasingly condensed, complicating things tactically.
Thatās not to suggest the Argentine World Cup winner canāt tackle those challenges ā heās in fantastic form, generating buzz about a potential league-record outbound transfer (possibly as soon as this summer) and being a Landon Donovan MLS MVP frontrunner. But this is a different nut for Almada to crack, and so much of Atlantaās fortunes are tied to their 21-year-old playmaker pulling the strings.
For NYCFC, the most compelling part is probably what happened off the field this week: U22 Initiative winger Thiago Andrade was loaned back to Brazil. That was an intriguing move not for its on-field impact ā their attack will be just fine ā but because of the flexibility it creates re: roster-building.
Thereās buzz around NYCFC going for a high-impact striker, and theyāve got some U22 Initiative flexibility to do exactly that. This squad, as Calen Carr noted on Thursdayās Extratime episode, is being built somewhat on the fly. Santiago RodrĆguez, James Sands and Richy Ledezma have all come in the last five weeks or so. Whoās next?
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
From a national lens, this oneās all about longtime Mexican internationals meeting at Shell Energy Stadium. LA Galaxy striker Chicharito is poised to make his 2023 debut (likely off the bench) after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him, while Houston Dynamo FC midfielder HĆ©ctor Herrera has looked like his elite Concacaf-level self after a sub-par first half-season in the league.
Who will win this battle between stars who represented El Tri dozens of times together?
The MLS deep-dive lens puts LAās faltering offense squarely in the crosshairs. Head coach Greg Vanney could switch to a two-striker formation from the jump, especially as their wingers struggle to make an impact. The Galaxy have the personnel for it, but Vanneyās long preferred the 4-3-3 formation heās seemingly constructed their roster around.
On the Dynamo side, questions linger about whatās up with DP striker SebastiĆ”n Ferreira. Theyāre scoring one goal per game, but the Paraguayan international is stuck on the bench after being their leading scorer in 2022 (13g/3a). Ferreira wasnāt a Ben Olsen signing, and there may be nothing to it, but itās definitely a situation to monitor.
LA are also seeking their first win of 2023, one of three Western Conference clubs in that mold entering Matchday 7.
WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass | Saturday, 8:30 pm ET
When Toronto FC last visited Nashville SC, on Aug. 7 of last year, the Reds earned a memorable 4-3 win that included Lorenzo Insigneās first MLS goal, a penalty kick from Federico Bernardeschi and a Jonathan Osorio brace. Talk of their late-season climb up the table, which never quite panned out, surged.
Fast forward eight months and Insigne remains sidelined by a hamstring injury and Toronto have grown increasingly dependent on Bernardeschi in his absence. They have a new-look defense, yes, but the clubās fortunes still greatly center around the Italians.
Nashville SCās story, in many ways, also remains a single-minded one in the final third: Hany Mukhtarās production controls their ceiling. The good news is the reigning MLS MVP and Golden Boot presented by Audi winner had 1g/1a in last weekendās 2-0 win at Orlando City SC, a true donāt-forget-about-me performance from arguably the leagueās most dominant attacking player.
Less important but still interesting: Nashville can stack their first winning streak of the year. Theyāve had seesaw-like results this year, yet still are within striking distance of the Eastern Conferenceās top tier.
WATCH: Apple TV - Free | Saturday, 10:30 pm ET
Letās start with the Sounders, who have a champagne problem in attack. What we mean there is how head coach Brian Schmetzer configures his forwards with Jordan Morris and LĆ©o ChĆŗ both on a heater, while strikers RaĆŗl RuidĆaz and HĆ©ber wait on the bench for their chances. Then again, this is the hallmark of a trophy-potential team.
Seattle also have JoĆ£o Paulo back to his old self after missing most of the 2022 campaign to an ACL injury. The Brazilian veteran is arguably the top defensive midfielder in the league, elevating everyone around him.
For St. Louis, this is a massive opportunity to rebound from last weekendās 1-0 loss to Minnesota United FC ā a result that snapped their record-breaking start to life in MLS (5W-0L-0D). The Loons dared the expansion side to break them down, and the hosts couldnāt find the finishing touch at CITYPARK.
But letās not forget that St. Louis are top of the league on 15 points, and the winner of this match will take (or keep) the way-early Supportersā Shield lead. Head coach Bradley Carnellās team will like their chances, having scored a combined nine goals in their first three road games.