Martinez vs. Vela: Most prolific strikers in MLS hook up on ESPN Friday

MLS MEDIA RESOURCES: WEEK 21 NEWS & NOTES

News and notes and statistical trends from around Major League Soccer

MARTÍNEZ VS. VELA: MOST PROLIFIC STRIKERS IN MLS HOOK UP ON ESPN FRIDAY

They might be part of Major League Soccer for just a few years, but Josef Martínez of Atlanta United and Carlos Vela of the Los Angeles Football Club have already left an indelible mark on the league’s record books. The pair will face off in a historic matchup of the league’s most prolific strikers Friday evening, when Atlanta United travel to face LAFC at Banc of California Stadium (11 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN Deportes / TSN).
Last year, Martínez put his name atop the MLS annals, scoring a single-season record 31 goals in pacing his club to an eventual MLS Cup championship. But Vela is making a charge this year, already having put together one of the best seasons ever seen in league history.
With his two goals against the LA Galaxy last Friday evening at Dignity Health Sports Park, Vela reached 21 goals for the 2019 season – in just 20 games.
That’s the fastest any player in MLS history has reached the 20-goal mark, Vela’s achievement this year outpacing Stern John, who scored 20 in his first 21 games in 1998 for the Columbus Crew.
The third-fastest to 20 goals came last year, when Martínez hit the 20-goal mark in 22 matches – on his way to the all-time single-season record of 31 goals in a season. Of the six highest single-season goals totals in league history, five have reached the 20-goal mark by the 23rd game of the season.
FASTEST TO 20 GOALS, SINGLE SEASON

Combined with his 12 assists already this year, Vela became the fourth player in MLS history to reach at least 20 goals and 10 assists in a single season – the third year in a row that’s occurred, with all four happening over the last five seasons.
20 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, SINGLE SEASON

After netting a pair of goals in Atlanta United’s 5-0 win vs. the Houston Dynamo at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last Thursday evening, Martínez set the MLS record for the most goals in the first three league seasons by any player. Now with 66 goals since his arrival in MLS, Martínez is three goals ahead of the total set by David Villa in his first three seasons in the league from 2015-17.
MOST GOALS, FIRST THREE SEASONS IN MLS

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau
Martínez is also now just two goals away from the most goals over any three-season span in MLS annals, the 68 goals scored by Bradley Wright-Phillips from 2014-16.
MOST GOALS, ANY THREE-SEASON SPAN

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau
The two-goal game by Martínez was also the 17th multiple-goal game of his MLS career, which also includes the MLS record six hat tricks. The 17 multi-goal games are now tied for eighth-most in league history – and among the 11 players who have hit for that many multiple-goal games or more, the only one with less than 100 appearances in league play.
MOST MULTI-GOAL GAMES (MLS CAREER)

No player in MLS history has averaged more than a goal per game over the course of a full season. But two-thirds of the way through the 2019 campaign, Vela is on track to do just that, averaging better than one goal through his 21 appearances.
Among players with more than 15 goals in a season, Stern John currently holds the best mark, scoring 26 goals in 27 matches in 1998. Josef Martínez came close too, with 19 goals in 20 games in 2017.
GOALS PER GAME (SINGLE SEASON, MLS)

Minimum 15 goals scored
Over the length of their MLS careers, Martínez currently leads all players in both goals per game, as well as goals per 90 minutes played. In both cases, he is trailed by Zlatan Ibrahimović of the LA Galaxy.
But Vela is also moving up both charts, after reaching the 35-goal mark for his MLS career last weekend, now currently fourth-best in both categories.
GOALS PER GAME (MLS CAREER)

Minimum 35 goals scored
GOALS PER 90 MINUTES (MLS CAREER)

Minimum 35 goals scored

EARTHQUAKES LET SHOTS FLY IN ATTEMPTS AT GOAL RECORDS

The San Jose Earthquakes have made a dramatic charge up the Western Conference standings in recent weeks, fueled by a pulsating attack that has led to five wins in their past six matches.
That irresistible charge has been on full view over the past two weeks, when the Earthquakes set an MLS record for the most attempts at goal over a two-game stretch, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Quakes unleashed 32 shots toward the opposition goal in both the 3-1 win at the LA Galaxy on July 12, and the 3-1 win at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 20. The 64 total shots at goal were by far the most over a two-game stretch in MLS history, surpassing the 58 shots taken by New York City FC last September in matches vs. New England and D.C. United.
MOST SHOTS (TEAM), 2-GAME STRETCH

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau
Of the 64 shots attempted by the Earthquakes, 27 have been on target. That equals the fourth-most of any team over a two-game stretch in MLS history, and the most over two games of any team in nearly two decades. The record was set by D.C. United, with 30 attempts on target in successive games in April 1997.
MOST SHOTS ON GOAL (TEAM), 2-GAME STRETCH

Credit: Elias Sports Bureau

MLS WEEK 21 – LOOK AHEAD

NEW YORK CITY FC vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Friday, July 26, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #262)
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
7:30 p.m. ET (YES; FS-KC)
REFEREE: David Gantar. AR1 (bench): Philippe Briere; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Rubiel Vazquez; VAR: Jon Freemon; AVAR: Jozef Batko
MLS Career: 82 games; FC/gm: 24.3; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 31; pens: 17
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: NYCFC 2 wins, 4 goals … Sporting 2 wins, 4 goals … Ties 0
AT YANKEE STADIUM: NYCFC 1 win, 1 goal … Sporting 1 win, 1 goal … Ties 0

• NYCFC put an end to a brief two-game losing skid, coming back for a 2-1 win against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. Héber scored for a second consecutive game, his eighth goal of the season.
  
• Sporting had their two-game winning run put to an end, falling 2-0 to FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams met once a season ago, and NYCFC took a 2-0 win on March 4 at Children’s Mercy Park in the season opener for both clubs.
  
• Over their four meetings all-time, the home team has won twice, and the away team twice. Sporting won the first two meetings between the clubs, once at each ground, in 2015 in Kansas City and in 2016 at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC took the last meeting in the Bronx, a 1-0 win there on Sept. 6, 2017.
  

NYCFC:
Maximiliano Moralez
collected an assist for a second consecutive game, now with 13 assists for the season, leading the MLS assist standings. …
Alexandru Mitrita
collected his fifth goal of the season, his last coming on June 5.
SPORTING:
Roger Espinoza
made his first appearance since April 14, coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute. It was his first appearance as a substitute in an MLS game since Oct. 24, 2009, snapping a string of 188 consecutive appearances as a starter, the second-longest in Sporting club history (among field players).
LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB vs. ATLANTA UNITED
Friday, July 26, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #271)
Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.
7 p.m. PT (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Kyle Atkins; 4th: Sergii Demianchuk; VAR: Tim Ford; AVAR: Cameron Blanchard
MLS Career: 134 games; FC/gm: 25.4; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 36; pens: 40
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: LAFC 0 wins, 0 goals … ATLUTD 1 win, 5 goals … Ties 0
AT BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM: First meeting.

• LAFC had their three-game winning run put to a halt, falling 3-2 to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Park on Friday evening.
  
• Carlos Vela scored both LAFC goals, now atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with 21 goals. He becomes the fourth player in MLS history to record at least 20 goals and 10 assists in the same season.
  
• Atlanta United won for a second consecutive match, both by shutout, defeating D.C. United 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• Pity Martínez scored his third goal of the season and set up his sixth assist of the year, that coming on Josef Martínez’s 16th goal of the campaign – both goals coming after the 89th minute.
  
• The teams met once in LAFC’s inaugural season. Miguel Almíron scored two goals and set up a third as Atlanta United steamed to a 5-0 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 7.
  

LAFC:
Eduard Atuesta
recorded his eighth assist of the season, his second in as many appearances, his fourth over his last six matches (dating back to May 16).
ATLUTD:
Pity Martínez
scored a goal and recorded an assist in the same game for the first time in his MLS career. …
Julian Gressel
collected his sixth assist of the season; he has a goal and three assists over the last two games. …
Darlington Nagbe
collected his second assist of the season; he has a goal and an assist in the last two games. …
Brad Guzan
was credited with three saves in recording his 10th shutout of the season, leading MLS this season. It was a second consecutive shutout, now 199 minutes since ATLUTD’s last goal conceded.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs. ORLANDO CITY SC
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #263)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
7 p.m. ET (NBCS-Bos; YouTube TV [ORL] / My65)
REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Robert Sibiga; VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.; AVAR: Thomas Supple
MLS Career: 117 games; FC/gm: 24.4; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 17; pens: 46
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Revolution 3 wins, 20 goals … Orlando City 2 wins, 18 goals … Ties 4
AT NEW ENGLAND: Revolution 3 wins, 11 goals … Orlando City 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 1

• The Revolution extended their undefeated streak to 10 games, defeating FC Cincinnati 2-0 at Nippert Stadium on Sunday evening. The 10-game streak is the second-longest in the club’s 24-year history, after a 12-game run over the end of 2004 and start of 2005.
  
• Carles Gil scored for a third consecutive game, and also collected an assist, now with a goal and/or an assist in four consecutive games, with three goals and three assists over that span. Gil has three goals and six assists over his last seven appearances.
  
• Orlando City SC saw their three-game undefeated run put to a halt, falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Exploria Stadium on Sunday evening.
  
• The teams met twice a season ago. The Revolution took a 2-0 win in the second meeting, Oct. 13 at Gillette Stadium, breaking the deadlock after the clubs had evenly split their first eight meetings (2 wins each, with 4 draws). The first meeting was a 3-3 result in Orlando.
  
• The away team has never won in the all-time series, in eight meetings. The Revolution have won three of the four meetings at Gillette Stadium, including each of the past two years. Orlando City had won their previous two home matches vs. New England, before last year’s draw.
  

REVOLUTION:
Gustavo Bou
collected an assist in his second MLS game after scoring on his Revolution debut. …
Cristian Penilla
collected his sixth assist of the season, his third in his last two games, and his fourth over the last four games, since June 29. …
Antonio Mlinar Delamea
collected his second goal of the season, both coming over the last four games; he has three goals in three seasons in his MLS career.
OCSC:
Orlando City saw a five-game undefeated streak over all competitions come to an end, which includes advancement to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.
NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #264)
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
7:30 p.m. ET (MSG; FS-OH)
REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Kathryn Nesbitt; AR2 (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Michael Radchuk; VAR: Jon Freemon; AVAR: Jozef Batko
MLS Career: 87 games; FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 17; pens: 33
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Red Bulls 30 wins, 101 goals … Crew SC 28 wins, 88 goals … Ties 12
AT RED BULLS: Red Bulls 18 wins, 54 goals … Crew SC 11 wins, 39 goals … Ties 5

• The Red Bulls snapped a four-game road run without a victory, defeating Orlando City SC by the game’s only goal at Exploria Stadium on Sunday evening. Brian White netted the lone tally, his seventh of the season.
  
• Crew SC defeated the Montréal Impact 2-1 at Mapfre Stadium on Saturday evening, putting an end to their 10-game stretch without a triumph. Josh Williams scored his second goal of the season to give Crew SC the lead, then David Accam netted the game-winner early in the second half, his first goal for Crew SC since arriving via trade from Philadelphia.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Andreas Ivan gave the Red Bulls a sixth-minute lead, but Gaston Sauro leveled just before halftime for Crew SC, leaving the teams in a 1-1 draw in the season opener for both clubs on March 2 at Mapfre Stadium.
  
• Crew SC have a four-game undefeated streak in the series in league play, winning the last meeting at Red Bull Arena, a 3-2 victory last July 28. The Red Bulls have not won in Columbus since March 28, 2015, a span of five games; Crew SC have won two of those, with three draws.
  
• The teams also met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals a year ago. Crew SC won the first leg 1-0 at home, but the Red Bulls took the second leg 3-0 at Red Bull Arena, winning the series 3-1 on aggregate.
  

RED BULLS:
Luis Robles
was credited with four saves in recording his fifth shutout of the season, the last coming June 1, the second of back-to-back clean sheets. …
Kaku
collected his fourth assist of the season, his last coming on June 1.
CREW SC:
Wil Trapp
collected his second assist of the season, his first coming May 25. …
Pedro Santos
recorded his third assist of the season, the first two coming in back-to-back matches March 9-16. …
Hector Jimenez
recorded his third assist of the year.
TORONTO FC vs. FC CINCINNATI
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #265)
BMO Field, Toronto, Ont.
8 p.m. ET (TSN; WSTR – Star 64)
REFEREE: Marcos DeOliveira. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Jason White; 4th: David Barrie; VAR: Hilario Grajeda; AVAR: Craig Lowry
MLS Career: 24 games; FC/gm: 25.3; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 3; pens: 7
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: First meeting.

• Toronto FC had their two-game winning run put to an end, falling 3-1 to the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field on Saturday evening.
  
• FC Cincinnati suffered a 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution at Nippert Stadium on Sunday evening.
  
• The teams are meeting for the first time in their histories, the first of two league meetings this season. They will meet again on Sept. 7 at Nippert Stadium.
  

TFC:
Jozy Altidore
scored his eighth goal of the season, his third consecutive game with a goal, all since returning from Concacaf Gold Cup duty with the USA. Altidore earlier this season scored in four consecutive games, netting five goals over that span from March 17-April 13.
FCC:
FC Cincinnati equaled their MLS single-game high with seven shots on goal in the New England match, the total also coming March 17 vs. POR (W 3-0) and July 6 vs. HOU (W 3-2). …
Fanendo Adi
made his first start since June 6, while
Darren Mattocks
came on as a substitute after missing the last six matches while on Jamaica national team duty for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
MONTREAL IMPACT vs. PHILADELPHIA UNION
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #266)
Stade Saputo, Montréal, Qué.
8 p.m. ET (TVA Sports; PHL 17)
REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Cory Richardson; 4th: Luis Guardia; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; AVAR: Gianni Facchini
MLS Career: 248 games; FC/gm: 23.1; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 41; pens: 78
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Impact 8 wins, 34 goals … Union 5 wins, 25 goals … Ties 6
AT MONTREAL: Impact 6 wins, 18 goals … Union 2 wins, 10 goals … Ties 1

• The Impact fell 2-1 to Columbus Crew SC at Mapfre Stadium. Zakaria Diallo netted his third goal of the season, his second in the last four matches.
  
• The Union snapped a brief two-game winless slide, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-0 at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. Marco Fabian scored his fourth goal of the season, his second in the last four games.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cory Burke, Haris Medunjanin and Alejandro Bedoya all netted goals as the Union claimed a 3-0 win on April 30 at Talen Energy Stadium.
  
• The Union claimed the last meeting at Stade Saputo, a 2-0 win last May 12; the Impact have won six of the nine meetings all-time at Stade Saputo. The win in the first meeting this year ended a four-game Impact undefeated streak at Talen Energy Stadium. It was the Union’s first home win in the series since 2014.
  

IMPACT:
Saphir Taïder
recorded his fourth assist of the season, his third over the last five games, since June 26. Taïder has four goals and three assists over his last nine matches, dating back to May 24.
UNION:
Anthony Fontana
scored his first goal of the season, the second of his MLS career, the first coming in his league and Union debut March 3, 2018. …
Haris Medunjanin
collected his sixth assist of the season, his second over the last four matches. …
Kai Wagner
recorded his fifth assist of the season, the last coming May 25. …
Andre Blake
was credited with three saves in recording his third shutout of the season, his first since May 18.
CHICAGO FIRE vs. D.C. UNITED
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #267)
SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.
7 p.m. CT (ESPN+; FloSports)
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Jeff Hosking; AR2 (opposite): Apolinar Mariscal; 4th: Silviu Petrescu; VAR: Alejandro Mariscal; AVAR: Kevin Klinger
MLS Career: 343 games; FC/gm: 24.7; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 81; pens: 93
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Fire 20 wins, 89 goals … D.C. United 23 wins, 92 goals … Ties 17
AT CHICAGO: Fire 11 wins, 46 goals … D.C. United 7 wins, 33 goals … Ties 11

• The Fire went down to a 2-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• D.C. United had a two-game undefeated run come to an end, falling 2-0 to Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ulises Segura scored twice for D.C. United canceling out a two-goal Fire lead after the opening quarter-hour, but Chicago’s Francisco Calvo netted in stoppage time to leave the teams in a 3-3 draw May 29 at Audi Field.
  

FIRE:
The Fire lost in the first round of Leagues Cup on Tuesday evening, dropping a 2-0 decision to Cruz Azul of Liga MX at SeatGeek Stadium.
UNITED:
Bill Hamid
saw a penalty kick from Josef Martínez in the 72nd minute go over the crossbar. Hamid has not been scored upon in any of the three penalty kicks he has faced this season (saving one), the only goalkeeper to not concede a goal from three or more penalty kicks faced this season. Martínez did not score from a penalty kick for just the second time in his MLS career (from 14 total attempts).
HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #268)
BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas
7 p.m. CT (KUBE 57; JOEtv / YouTube TV [SEA])
REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Gjovalin Bori; 4th: Matt Franz; VAR: Jorge Gonzalez; AVAR: Jonathan Johnson
MLS Career: 53 games; FC/gm: 27.2; Y/gm: 4.2; R: 7; pens: 19
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Dynamo 4 wins, 19 goals … Sounders FC 9 wins, 27 goals … Ties 6
AT HOUSTON: Dynamo 4 wins, 16 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 11 goals … Ties 4

• The Dynamo put an end to a three-game slide in impressive fashion, rolling to a 3-1 win against Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday evening. Mauro Manotas netted his eighth goal of the season, also setting one up with his fifth assist of the year.
  
• Sounders FC saw their 13-game undefeated streak at CenturyLink Field come to an end, falling 2-1 to the Portland Timbers on Sunday evening. The streak was one game shy of the club record, set March 16-Sept. 29, 2013.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Cristian Roldan scored the game’s only goal after five minutes, leading Sounders FC to the win May 11 at CenturyLink Field, their fourth in a row in the series.
  
• Sounders FC won the last meeting between the teams at BBVA Stadium, a 3-2 win there last Oct. 21, their first ever in Houston in league play. In the first eight meetings there, the Dynamo won four, with four draws.
  
• Sounders FC have never lost to the Dynamo in Seattle. In 10 league meetings all-time, Seattle has won eight, with two draws, outscoring Houston 16-3. Sounders FC also won a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match at home vs. Houston; the teams played to a scoreless draw in Seattle in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs.
  

DYNAMO:
Tomás Martínez
scored his fourth goal of the season, his second in the last five games. …
Tommy McNamara
netted his second goal of the season, his first coming May 18. McNamara also recorded an assist, his first of the season, the fourth time in his MLS career he had a goal and an assist in the same game. …
Memo Rodríguez
collected his third assist of the season, his last on May 18. …
Adam Lundkvist
recorded his third assist, the last coming on May 15.
SOUNDERS FC:
Raúl Ruidíaz
scored his eighth goal of the season, a second consecutive game with a goal following his return from Peru national team duty for Copa América. It was his fourth consecutive appearance with a goal, dating back to June 1, his fifth in his last six outings.
FC DALLAS vs. REAL SALT LAKE
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #269)
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
7 p.m. CT (FCDTV; KMYU-12)
REFEREE: Ramy Touchan. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Kevin Broadley; VAR: Drew Fischer; AVAR: Jeff Muschik
MLS Career: 15 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 0; pens: 2
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: FC Dallas 20 wins, 60 goals … Real 12 wins, 46 goals … Ties 7
AT DALLAS: FC Dallas 13 wins, 34 goals … Real 1 win, 13 goals … Ties 13

• FC Dallas won for a second time in three games, getting goals from Dominique Badji and Jesús Ferreira for a 2-0 win against Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park.
  
• Real Salt Lake gained a fifth result from their past six matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Marcelo Silva netted his second goal of the year for the RSL tally.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Paxton Pomykal netted a pair of goals and Michael Barrios set up the other two as FC Dallas took a 4-2 win on March 30 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
  
• The teams last met at Toyota Stadium on March 3 of last year, playing to a 1-1 draw. RSL is 1-13-3 at FC Dallas all-time in league games between the clubs, FCD undefeated in the last five meetings there. FC Dallas has also won a home game in the MLS Cup Playoffs (in 2010) and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal (in 2011). The lone RSL win in Frisco came on July 13, 2013, a 3-0 victory.
  

FCD:
Michael Barrios
collected an assist, his eighth of the season, his last coming in back-to-back games June 22-26.
REAL:
Jefferson Savarino
collected his third assist of the season, his second in as many games; he has two goals and two assists over the last two matches.
MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #270)
Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.
7 p.m. CT (TSN; FS-North)
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Jose Da Silva; 4th: Lukasz Szpala; VAR: Malik Badawi; AVAR: Peter Balciunas
MLS Career: 127 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 26; pens: 30
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: MNUFC 2 wins, 8 goals … Whitecaps FC 2 wins, 11 goals … Ties 1
AT MINNESOTA: MNUFC 1 win, 3 goals … Whitecaps FC 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 1

• Minnesota United had their winning run put to an end but still extended their MLS club record undefeated streak to five games, reaching a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening. Darwin Quintero netted his seventh goal of the season.
  
• Whitecaps FC fell 3-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes at BC Place on Saturday evening for their fifth consecutive loss.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Darwin Quintero scored one goal then set up two others as Minnesota United FC claimed a 3-2 win the season opener for both teams, March 2 at BC Place.
  
• The teams split their season series a year ago, each winning on their home ground. MNUFC won 1-0 on May 5 at TCF Bank Stadium, their first win ever against Vancouver. Whitecaps FC then won 4-2 on July 28 at BC Place, their second win in two home meetings vs. Minnesota United.
  

MNUFC:
Mason Toye
recorded his third assist of the season, all coming over the last five games. Toye has a goal and/or assist in each of his last five appearances, with three goals and three assists in that span. …
Jan Gregus
recorded his eighth assist of the season, now tied for the third-most in a single season in MNUFC’s MLS history.
WHITECAPS FC:
Doneil Henry
scored his third goal of the season for the Vancouver tally, his last coming April 27.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 21, MLS Game #272)
Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
7 p.m. PT (Telemundo KSTS 48; Altitude)
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. AR1 (bench): Felisha Mariscal; AR2 (opposite): Michael Barwegen; 4th: Joseph Dickerson; VAR: Ricardo Salazar; AVAR: Michael Kampmeinert
MLS Career: 283 games; FC/gm: 25.3; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 100; pens: 110
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Earthquakes 29 wins (1 shootout), 90 goals … Rapids 21 wins (2 shootout), 78 goals … Ties 16
AT SAN JOSE: Earthquakes 16 wins (1 shootout), 51 goals … Rapids 8 wins (1 shootout), 35 goals … Ties 8

• The Quakes won their third game in a row – the last two on the road – posting a 3-1 victory against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday evening. Vako Qazaishvili scored for a second consecutive game, now with six goals on the year, while Chris Wondolowski netted his ninth goal of the campaign.
  
• The Rapids suffered a 2-1 defeat by New York City FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. The lone Colorado goal came from Sebastian Anderson – at 16 years, 346 days, the youngest player to score a goal in the Rapids’ 24-year club history.
  
• The teams met twice a year ago. Bismark Adjei-Boateng netted the game-winner in second-half stoppage time, giving the Rapids a 2-1 win on Aug. 11 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; they then reached a goalless draw Oct. 21 at Avaya Stadium.
  
• The Rapids are undefeated in the past seven meetings with the Quakes in Commerce City, Colo., the last San Jose win there coming in 2013. The Rapids have won three times, with four draws. The Rapids win at home on Oct. 13, 2016, ended a 14-game overall winless streak in the series.
  
• The Quakes are undefeated in the four meetings all-time at Avaya Stadium, winning the first three by 1-0 scorelines before last year’s draw. San Jose has not conceded a home goal to Colorado since a 1-1 draw on May 18, 2013, a span of 604 scoreless minutes for the Rapids in the Bay Area.
  

QUAKES:
Chris Wondolowski
also added an assist, his first of the season, the 13th time in his MLS career he’s had at least one goal and one assist in the same game. …
Vako Qazaishvili
has five goals and two assists over his last six games, dating back to June 26. …
Magnus Eriksson
scored his fourth goal of the season, his last coming on June 8. …
Cristian Espinoza
recorded his ninth assist of the season, his second in the last three games.
RAPIDS:
Jonathan Lewis
collected his second assist of the season, his first with the Rapids since arriving via trade from New York City FC. Lewis has a goal and an assist in the last two games; he has a goal and/or an assist in each of his last four appearances (three goals, one assist), dating back to May 25.
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs. LA GALAXY
Saturday, July 27, 2019 (Week 20, MLS Game #273)
Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN / ESPN Deportes)
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga; AR2 (opposite): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; 4th: Tim Ford; VAR: Edvin Jurisevic; AVAR: Chris Elliott
MLS Career: 152 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 34; pens: 67
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: Timbers 6 wins, 30 goals … Galaxy 9 wins, 37 goals … Ties 6
AT PORTLAND: Galaxy 4 wins, 17 goals … Timbers 2 wins, 13 goals … Ties 3

• The Timbers extended their undefeated streak to five matches, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 at CenturyLink Field on Sunday evening. Brian Fernandez scored both Timbers goals, now with eight goals in his nine matches since his arrival in MLS.
  
• Zlatan Ibrahimović netted a hat trick – his second in MLS, and both coming against the Los Angeles Football Club – as the Galaxy took the first installment of El Tráfico in a 3-2 win at Dignity Health Sports Park on Friday evening. Ibrahimović is now tied for second place in the MLS Golden Boot standings with 16 goals.
  
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ibrahimović scored a pair of goals, both from penalty kicks, as the Galaxy took a 2-1 win on March 31 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
  
• The Timbers have won once in the past five home games in the series, a 3-1 win on Aug. 6, 2017, their first vs. the Galaxy in Portland since 2013. The last meeting at Providence Park finished in a 1-1 draw, last June 2. The Timbers have won just twice all-time in Carson, last in a 1-0 victory on March 12, 2017.
  

TIMBERS:
Diego Valeri
recorded his 11th assist of the season, his first since a three-assist night June 22. The 11 assists are now tied for his fourth-most in a season; his single-season career-high is 14, set in 2014. … Sebastian Blanco collected his eighth assist of the season, his first since June 30.
GALAXY:
Julian Araújo
collected his first career MLS, making his ninth appearance since his signing. …
Fabio Alvarez
recorded his second assist of the season, his first coming June 22. …
Diego Polenta
was credited with his fourth assist, the first three coming in back-to-back game April 28-May 4. … The Galaxy advanced to the semifinals of Leagues Cup on Tuesday evening, defeating Club Tijuana in a penalty shootout after the teams played to a 2-2 draw over 90 minutes.
Emmanuel Boateng
scored the Galaxy opener in the first half, then
Dave Romney
netted the equalizer early in the second frame.
Matt Lampson
saved three Tijuana attempts in the shootout.