MLS Week 22 Preview: Rematch in Portland, LA Galaxy host Red Bulls

Week 22 of the 2016 season kicked off with a Wednesday night fixture between Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake, a tilt that TFC won 1-0 courtesy of Tosaint Ricketts' first league goal ahead of a weekend filled with matches across MLS.

Here are three other matchups worth watching in Week 22:

New-look Philly heads to D.C.

The Philadelphia Union head to the nation's capital with a significantly bolstered squad after adding both Alejandro Bedoya and Charlie Davies to their ranks midweek and trading Sebastien Le Toux to the Colorado Rapids.

Since the departure of Vincent Nogueira, the Union's midfield has struggled to string together the kind of positive results it found earlier in the season, but Bedoya brings Jim Curtin's side another player to build around. Davies and C.J. Sapong could form a fearsome duo up top as well.

While Bedoya and Davies aren't locks to play against D.C. United, Curtin didn't rule out the prospect either. In any case, the Union will feel buoyed by the sudden influx of big-name signings, and will be motivated to succeed.

Rematch! Portland hosts Sporting KC

The Portland Timbers square off against Sporting Kansas City again this weekend after the two teams met at Children's Mercy Park last Sunday, and while the opposition will be familiar, the atmosphere at Providence Park will be quite different.

Perhaps the raucous support from the Timbers faithful will be enough to turn around a 1-0 loss against Sporting KC this time around. Head coach Caleb Porter certainly couldn't ask for a quicker chance at redemption for his side.

While the crowd at Providence Park may be firmly behind the Timbers, Sporting KC has history on its side, as Peter Vermes' team has taken points in four of its five visits to Portland, including three wins.

Coastal clash: LA Galaxy vs. NY Red Bulls

It's a battle of west side vs. east side on Sunday as the LA Galaxy take on the New York Red Bulls at the StubHub Center, a matchup that is contested just once during each regular season.

This particular clash is one that often elicits moments of drama, with the Galaxy routing the Red Bulls 4-0 in 2014 and Tim Cahill scoring a 91st minute winner for New York in 2013.

These two teams played to a 1-1 draw last season, but a single point won't do this year, as the league heavyweights both look to escape their respective conferences' third-place spots with a win.