Matchday 14: Everything to know for this weekend’s biggest matches | MLSSoccer.com

The penultimate matchday before the 2026 FIFA World Cup pause has arrived.

From a rivalry in Walmart Saturday Showdown to a Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire doubleheader, here’s what awaits during Matchday 14 this weekend.

New York City FC have dominated the Hudson River Derby as of late, winning the last three meetings across all competitions.

They’ll like their chances this weekend, too, after rattling off back-to-back wins. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese continues to push for a starting role at the World Cup, and forward Nicolás Fernández Mercau is in the Golden Boot presented by Audi hunt with 9g/3a.

But the Red Bulls also have momentum, winning two consecutive games behind Julian Hall‘s scorching form. The 18-year-old striker has 9g/2a and is the reigning Player of the Matchday, thriving alongside fellow homegrown Adri Mehmeti.

These arch-rivals are level on 18 points, adding to the stakes at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Seattle are enjoying a nine-game unbeaten streak and stand among the early-season trophy contenders, led by many familiar names.

Albert Rusnák and Jesús Ferreira have both tallied a team-high seven goal contributions, and USMNT midfielder Cristian Roldan is making a push for a 2026 World Cup roster spot.

The Sounders’ defense has allowed a joint-league-low eight goals, too. That’s a testament to goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, as well as All-Star hopefuls like Jackson Ragen, Nouhou and Alex Roldan.

The Galaxy have proven less consistent this year, and hope to mount a winning streak heading into the World Cup break.

Lionel Messi has been in fantastic form in recent weeks, tallying 4g/5a across Inter Miami‘s last three matches. The same goes for fellow Argentine superstar Rodrigo De Paul, who has 1g/4a during that span. 

Those performances powered a successful road swing, in which Miami rolled to a 4-2 win at Toronto FC and a 5-3 victory at FC Cincinnati. As such, the defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champions now boast a league-high 31 goals scored.

Now, the Herons hope all that momentum can fuel their first win at Nu Stadium. They’ve gone winless in four previous tries (0W-1L-3D), having opened the venue in early April.

Portland won’t make it easy, especially with the club unbeaten in three of their past four matches (2W-1L-1D). After a slow start, they’re now just two points off the Western Conference pace for an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot.

Timbers striker Kevin Kelsy has found his groove and reached 5g/3a on the season. Kristoffer Velde is their other main threat with 4g/3a, and David Da Costa is back pulling the strings in midfield.

This weekend’s Sunday Night Soccer doubleheader concludes with two teams that feasibly could meet in MLS Cup on Dec. 18.

Nashville are Eastern Conference leaders, finding another level since Cristian Espinoza joined this winter to complete the club’s Designated Player trio. He stars alongside Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, the latter of whom is recovering from a back injury.

Nashville’s defense hasn’t missed a beat, either, since Walker Zimmerman departed in free agency for Toronto FC. Their eight goals against are joint-lowest in MLS, and Brian Schwake is excelling as the club’s starting goalkeeper.

LAFC bring plenty of star power, most notably via Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min. Bouanga is chasing a fourth straight season of 20 goals or more, and Son is set to captain South Korea at this summer’s World Cup.

But the Black & Gold are slumping lately, losing back-to-back MLS games since exiting the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals (a stage Nashville also reached). Head coach Marc Dos Santos is searching for answers.