MLS is back this weekend after the All-Star festivities and it is certainly back with a bang.
The stars of the league have now returned to their clubs after the mini-break, and the business end of the 2025 season truly gets going as we enter the dog days of summer.
Here are five games you simply must watch this weekend.
Inter Miami vs Cincinnati
Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference come to grips with each other in South Florida when Inter Miami faces visiting Cincinnati.
One of the biggest questions coming into the evening will be whether or not star man Lionel Messi will feature after bowing out of MLS All-Star Weekend as he faces the possibility of a one-game suspension.
Should he feature, it will be another chapter in what some have billed a budding rivalry between him and Evander, who led Cincy to a resounding 3-0 win over the Herons when they squared off last week.
With Cincy atop the East and Inter Miami one of the form sides of late and owning three matches in hand on those above them, this is the match of the weekend.
LAFC vs Portland Timbers
If there was ever an advert for the entertaining side of MLS, this fixture probably tops the playbill, with LAFC relying on their recent four-match undefeated run during a left coast showdown against the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.
Phil Neville’s outfit have struggled of late and are hoping to get back on track against a Black and Gold outfit who sit just two points ahead of them in the Western Conference while boasting two matches in hand over those around them.
Sitting just six points outside the top two, Steve Cherundolo’s troops will be hopeful of seeing their recent gap-closing run continue, and if history is anything to go by, there will be goals in this one.
The last five meetings between the pair have featured a combined 22 goals, 11 of which have come in the most recent two clashes. Strap in for this one.
San Diego vs Nashville
Both San Diego FC and Nashville are two of the biggest stories of the 2025 season, and for all the right reasons.
As the newest MLS franchise, SDFC have taken the league by storm in their inaugural campaign out of Snapdragon Stadium and come into the weekend topping the Western Conference, with new league star Anders Dreyer leading the way.
B.J. Callaghan continues to show that he may be the best manager in the US pool on the back of guiding the Boys in Gold to an unexpected seat at the head of the Eastern table, with Nashville second and just a point behind Cincinnati as the race at the top remains red hot.
Sam Surridge has once again been key in their efforts as well, with the English sniper level with Messi at the top of the goals pile (18) and pushing hard for a Golden Boot in just his second full season stateside.
This could be a preview of a possible MLS Cup Final meeting.
Columbus vs Orlando City
Separated by six points in the East and looking primed for an appearance in the post-season should the train remain on the tracks, but Columbus and Orlando City come into the weekend with two different realities of late.
The Crew rebounded from a heavy defeat against Nashville by dispatching D.C. United last time out and remain in the conversation near the top of the pile in the East, while the Lions, who won last time out, can only boast a single win in their last five outings in MLS.
It could be a question of which Orlando shows up when they travel to Lower.com Field, as only two clubs in the East (Inter Miami and the Chicago Fire) can boast a better goal return than Óscar Pareja’s side (43), but recent inconsistency in front of goal would be far more costly against a Crew outfit that remain one of the elite names in the East.
Chicago Fire vs New York Red Bulls
Often sporting rivals across a broad plain, playoff fortunes are at the front of the queue when Chicago host the NY Red Bulls in the Windy City, with the final spot in the top nine on the line for clubs in two cities who regularly rival one another.
With just one win in their last five attempts, the Red Bulls may find it hard going against the Fire, who have given a very good account of themselves against difficult opposition in recent weeks, with a win over Charlotte and narrow-margin defeats against Cincinnati and San Diego.
Both sides will be hoping their leading men can make the difference, with NYRB’s Emil Forsberg and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting being one of the best attacking duos anywhere in the league, and the Fire’s Hugo Cuypers still among the Golden Boot conversation with 13 goals.
This one could go either way come the full-time whistle.
📸 Sean M. Haffey – 2025 Getty Images
