3 things to watch in MLS: Week 13
The Chicago Fire have already kicked things off this round with a 2-1 win over FC Dallas, but there's a full weekend of MLS action to look forward to, with plenty of rivalry tilts on offer. Here's what's on tap for Week 13 of the 2017 season:
Trillium Cup concludes
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew - BMO Field (Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET)
It's hard to believe, but Toronto and Columbus have already met twice this season, and will clash one final time at BMO Field on Friday night to settle this year's edition of the Trillium Cup. Sure, it's a made-up rivalry, and yes, the cup itself is way too big for what it celebrates, but it's silverware all the same.
The red-hot Reds host Columbus for the first time this season, as both teams exchanged 2-1 victories in two separate fixtures in Ohio. The Crew drew first blood on April 15 as Ola Kamara and Justin Meram turned around a Jozy Altidore opener, and Toronto returned the favor favour on May 10 when Tosaint Ricketts scored a late brace to cancel out Federico Higuain's penalty.
Greg Vanney will hope Ricketts remains in hot form as Sebastian Giovinco is expected to miss out with injury, while Altidore is suspended due to yellow card accumulation. The Reds haven't lost in their last seven league fixtures.
Cascadia Cup continues
Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers - CenturyLink Field (Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET)
Seattle hosts Portland on Saturday in a bitter rivalry match with Cascadia Cup connotations. Here's how the three-team tournament stands before Week 13:
| Team | Points | W-L-D |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | 3 | 1-0-0 |
| Vancouver | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| Seattle | 0 | 0-1-0 |
Seattle will be looking to keep pace with its Pacific northwest adversaries and nothing less than a win will do for Brian Schmetzer's side, which has but three wins to its name thus far this season. Meanwhile, the Timbers have a clear objective to steer forward on a path that's starting to shift ominously toward disaster; Portland has not won in its last four attempts, losing 4-1 last week.
Battle for El Capitan
FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo - Toyota Stadium (Sunday, 10:00 p.m. ET)
We know there's a California Clasico to look forward to this week, and if you're feeling up to it, you should definitely check out the giant-killing San Jose Earthquakes taking on the struggling LA Galaxy for west-coast supremacy.
But Dallas hosts Houston on Sunday and these two out-of-form Texas rivals should be raring to go as they contend for possession of this derby's prize - an 18th-century mountain howitzer cannon that goes by the name "El Capitan."
Both teams are coming off back-to-back losses against lower-standing teams, and as such, both Oscar Pareja of Dallas and Wilmer Cabrera of Houston will be expecting a solid turnaround performance as they attempt to right their respective ships.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)