There is so much at stake here.  Charlotte FC can see the single season winning streak record right in front of their faces.  They’ve got a shot to take down Messi and Inter Miami for their ninth straight win.  The result would tie the 2018 Seattle Sounders for the longest win streak in MLS history.  We mentioned Messi and Co, and we all know what happens when they come to town.  Bank of America Stadium will be packed to the absolute brim Saturday night, and the fans will be in for a good one.  Inter Miami will be without Luis Suarez, as perviously mentioned, and will walk into a sold out stadium to try and spoil history.  On top of that, Miami’s chances at topping the East come the end of the season are running out.  Yes, they have four games in hand still but as we’ve said before, those points still on the table are only nice if you take them.  That starts Saturday for Inter Miami.  A busy few weeks lie ahead for last year’s Supporter’s Shield Champs, but you’d never bet against them to turn up the heat when it comes down to crunch time.  Miami generates more expected goals per 90 minutes (xG/90) than almost anyone else in the league, and Charlotte has given up the fourth most expected goals (xG) in the Eastern Conference.  Charlotte hasn’t been the most convincing during this streak, but all that matters is the streak is alive.  They’ll have to live once more by a bend don’t break style, but they’ve shown it’s well within their wheelhouse.

FC Cincinnati finish their three game home stand on Saturday looking to stop the bleeding from back to back losses.  Both teams have been reeling as of late, and this one could send one in the right direction and have the other looking for answers.  FCC have lost three of their last four, with the lone victory coming away in Portland.  Losses to Charlotte, NYCFC, and Philadelphia aren’t shocking by any means, but a team with the aspirations that Cincy has will expect it to be far better.  These are teams that FCC could very well see come playoff time, and three 1-0 losses aren’t showering fans with confidence.  Evander has looked more uninterested as of late, and the team has looked lethargic in the final third.  It doesn’t get any easier this weekend, as Nashville has one of the tightest defenses in the league.  Joe Willis has backstopped a unit that is tied for second in the league with nine shutouts and fifth in goals against.  Nashville has transformed their style this season, and could cause Cincy some real trouble on Saturday.  They, too, have lost three of four, but a 5-1 drubbing of Orlando City a few weeks ago makes that slightly more stomach-able.  Nashville are tied for the third highest goal differential in the league, which is a real testament that they’ve been consistent at both ends of the field.  I wouldn’t expect fireworks here, but this will be one of the more tactical matchups of the week, and it certainly has the makings of a playoff preview in the East.

We could very well be looking at a preview of the Eastern Conference wild card matchup on Saturday night in Chicago.  Chicago took hold of the final spot in the East last week with a win against New England, and with one game in hand on the New York Red Bulls, they can extend their lead and go one step closer to the playoffs.  Ironically, NYCFC is one spot above Chicago for the eight seed, leading by two points with a game in hand.  That game in hand gets a lot more interesting with a Chicago victory on Saturday.  Neither team has a favorable schedule down the stretch either.  In fact, every single one of NYCFC’s remaining games are against teams above them in the Supporter’s Shield standings except for one— a late September Hudson River Derby at the Red Bulls.  That seems pretty soon, but it’s also five games from now.  That’s because the Pigeons will have midweek games in both of the next two weeks.  Luckily for them, they’ll be at home until that game, but Columbus, Charlotte, and Inter Miami before heading into the rivalry game will be a grueling 10 day stretch.  It’s crucial they get a positive result on Saturday to give them as much space as possible over Chicago.  Chicago’s next four games are nothing to scoff at either.  Away games to end the month in Minneapolis and Miami sandwich a date with the Crew in equally as grueling a stretch.  Both teams are desperate for points here, because the next time they look up, there could be quite the gap between them and this weekends opponents.  Both of these teams are organized and tactical, but also have shown inconsistency throughout the season.  It’s a tense matchup but I’d expect a low scoring grudge match that goes down to the final whistle.

Philadelphia will travel across the continent to play the Whitecaps on Saturday night in Vancouver.  It’s a 1 vs 7 matchup in the Supporter’s Shield standings, but don’t count out Vancouver from making a run at the whole thing.  They’re eight points back of Philadelphia, but two games in hand give them every chance to make it really, really close down the stretch.  Vancouver expects the international break gave Thomas Müller another couple of weeks to mesh with his new teammates and hope that will turn into on field success.  Ranko Veselinovic is still expected to be out, which will leave a hole in the back line that undoubtable will need to be filled.  Philadelphia scores at one of the best clips in the league, so that will be no small task.  Philadelphia, on the other hand, can see the Supporter’s Shield at the end of the tunnel.  An achievement nobody saw coming on Matchday 1 is a real possibility now for the Union.  In order for that to happen, games like this have to be wins.  10 points separate Philly from eighth place Orlando in the league wide table, and with five games to go far stranger things have happened.  The margin for error when you’re going for the regular season title is so slim and these are the games that make all the difference.  Andre Blake is expected to miss this one with a hamstring injury, and he’ll be a big loss.  A stout Philly defense will really have to stand up if they want to win this one.  For what it's worth, I think they’ll get it done, but Vancouver have had a tendency of showing up in these big matchups and looking the part.  A Concacaf Champions Cup run to the final, big wins at Minnesota and LAFC, and a blowout win against Seattle show that Vancouver has the juice.  The only question now is if they can find a way to squeeze enough of it to make the late season push for the top spot.

In an absolutely LOADED slate on Saturday, they might have saved the best for last.  Minnesota United head to San Diego for an MLS After Dark matchup, and those who stay up on the east coast will be watching the top two teams in the Western Conference.  San Diego is looking to take another step towards history, as they not only have the Western Conference title in their sights but the Supporter’s Shield is very much attainable as well.  San Diego have been the single most impressive team this season and I’m not really sure it’s close.  Only thing left for them to do is close out in a way that proves they won’t end up like St Louis City when they won the West in 2023 (Hint: SKC blew them out in the first round).  San Diego is beatable, however.  It takes a disciplined press and a very sharp night in the attacking box, but teams can absolutely make it a tough night for the expansion side.  Minnesota will look to do exactly that.  They’re good in transition and organized in the press, but someone will have to carry the weight up front now after the sale of Tani Oluwaseyi.  It’s pretty easy to predict how this one will go.  I’m not one to make guarantees, but it’s a near certainty that San Diego controls the possession and tempo in this one.  One team really likes to have the ball and one team feeds on scoring in transition.  Minnesota will be more than happy to sit back and absorb pressure, and they should.  The Loons are third in the league when it comes to goals against and top 10 in regards to xGA.  There will be times on Saturday when it’ll feel like a training session for San Diego.  I expect them to have so much of the ball, but if there’s a team in the West whose style is almost the perfect antidote for San Diego’s game plan, it’s Minnesota.  The last time these two squared up, San Diego used 66% of the possession and won the game 4-2.  Despite how that sounds, Minnesota went into halftime with a 2-1 lead and had equally as many shots on target as San Diego.  I think this one has the potential for fireworks, and late ones at that.  63% of the 32 goals the Loons have conceded this year have come in the final 30 minutes and almost a quarter of San Diego’s goals have been scored after the 80th minute.