What to look out for during MLS Rivalry Week

We already covered the simmering tension between Montréal and Toronto, but what about the other local clashes? Here's what to expect from some of the big ones:

New York Red Bulls at New York City FC (Saturday): All is not well in the Big Apple. The Red Bulls fired their coach and suspended Belgian forward Dante Vanzeir for using a racial slur during their match against San Jose.

New York City FC, which finished second last season, is fifth in the Eastern Conference with one of the worst goal-difference stats in the top half of the table. 

The energy in New York is pretty muted for this matchup, but the data point to a revival for the last-place Red Bills over an NYCFC comeback.

Austin FC at FC Dallas (Saturday): Austin and Dallas already fight about everything, from football to barbecue to what's the real cultural hub in Texas. So why not fight about soccer, too?

This is one of the youngest rivalries in MLS, but don't be fooled. The tension runs deep here, with the newcomers in Austin, which began play in MLS in 2021, always aiming to show up the old guard of Dallas. But with Austin languishing outside the playoff spots in the Western Conference, this should be Dallas' night.

Forward Jesus Ferreira has five goals for Dallas, putting him level with stars Christian Benteke and Thiago Almada in the MLS Golden Boot standings.

Portland Timbers at Vancouver Whitecaps (Saturday): The Cascadia rivalry is a three-parter, with Portland, Vancouver and Seattle all competing to see who's the best in the Pacific Northwest. But with Seattle on the road in Houston, we get to focus on this one.

Vancouver leads Portland by two points in the standings as these teams fight for the final automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference. The winner could have a massive say in who gets it at the end of the season. Vancouver has the edge with just nine goals conceded this season. Portland, meanwhile, has leaked a whopping 18.

LA Galaxy at San Jose Earthquakes (Sunday): Four hundred miles separate these two California cities, but with 28 years of competitive history between them, the LA-San Jose rivalry still sizzles. 

LA has the all-time edge in this old-school MLS matchup, but San Jose—which trails first-place Seattle by two points—is the surprise of the 2023 season and should take this one with ease. Striker Cristian Espinoza is the top scorer in the league (eight goals), as many as LA has in 10 games.