Matchday 11 is upon us, highlighted by several enticing regional clashes.
Let's look ahead to key games on deck this weekend.
- WHEN: Saturday, 7:15 pm ETÂ
- WATCH: Apple TV, FS1
The Florida Derby is set to be played in Miami proper for the first time as Inter Miami CF seek a first victory at their new state-of-the-art soccer-specific Nu Stadium.
Argentine icon Lionel Messi, the fixture's highest-scoring player (eight goals), will look to extend the Herons' 11-match unbeaten streak across all competitions while leveling the club's all-time record against their Florida rivals (7W-8L-4D).
Boosting their confidence in doing so, Miami's other Designated Players have also found form over their last four matches. In that span, blockbuster offseason acquisition Germán Berterame netted three times and Rodrigo De Paul contributed 1g/3a, including a stunning game-winner in a 2-0 win at Real Salt Lake.
At the opposite end of the Eastern Conference table, Orlando are finding their feet after a tumultuous start to the season which saw longtime head coach Oscar Pareja depart the club.
They're beginning to stabilize under interim manager MartÃn Perelman, earning an impressive 4-1 victory over Charlotte FC before falling in a tightly-contested 3-2 loss at D.C. United last week.
Notably, DP MartÃn Ojeda doubled his season goal tally with a quality brace against Charlotte while the Lions look to kickstart 2025 MLS All-Star Marco PaÅ¡alić (2g/1a).
- WHEN: Saturday, 9:30 pm ETÂ
- WATCH: Apple TV
SoCal rivals meet when San Diego FC host high-flying LAFC at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday.
The Chrome-and-Azul enter Saturday's matchup on a five-match losing streak, looking to correct the mistakes which have led to four red cards in their last six games.
Led by 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year Anders Dreyer (5g/4a), SDFC hope to maintain their perfect record against their northern neighbors after winning both matches against LAFC in their inaugural season last year.
Meanwhile, the Black & Gold will search for their first win against SDFC amidst a testing Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal matchup against back-to-back LIGA MX champions Toluca.
While their CCC focus may lead to the rotation of South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min (0g/7a) or others on Saturday, Gabonese international Denis Bouanga (4g/4a) is likely to be the star of the show for LAFC due to being suspended for Wednesday's 2-1 Leg 1 win over Toluca.
- WHEN: Sunday, 5:30 pm ET
- WATCH: Apple TV
St. Louis CITY SC (14th place) aim to close the gap on Austin FC (13th place) when they visit Q2 Stadium for Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire.
With both sides currently outside of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture, each will be looking to climb the Western Conference table with three points.
For Austin, a win could mean cracking those playoff positions after snapping their seven-match winless streak with a 2-0 Copa Tejas win over rivals Houston Dynamo FC, led by 1g/1a from club-record signing Myrto Uzuni.
The Verde & Black forward is set to receive reinforcements soon with USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez, homegrown Owen Wolff and midfielder Dani Pereira all nearing returns from injury.
St. Louis CITY's star man Marcel Hartel also recorded 1g/1a in his last match, a narrow 3-2 loss to league-leading San Jose, bringing his season total to 3g/1a.
St. Louis will need Hartel, along with German goalkeeper Roman Bürki, to step up in Austin if they are to earn their first road win under head coach Yoann Damet.
