Matchday 35: What to know, how to watch on MLS Season Pass

With just four matchdays to go before the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, we're officially entering crunch time of the season.

It's a full slate for Matchday 35, with a cross-conference showdown between the last two Supporters' Shield winners and multiple intense rivalries, including St. Louis CITY SC vs. Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers, highlighting the action.

All Matchday 35 games are available on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.

FC Cincinnati vs. LAFC

• WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
• WHEN: Saturday, 7:30 pm ET

FC Cincinnati, the current Supporters' Shield holders, host 2022 winners LAFC in a battle between East and West heavyweights with serious postseason implications.

The Orange & Blue are fighting for the No. 2 seed in the East and appear to have put their late-summer struggles behind them by going undefeated in their last four games. Captain and talisman Luciano Acosta scored a stunning goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Nashville SC, as did fellow MLS All-Star Luca Orellano.

LAFC, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-1 victory in this week's US Open Cup final, winning their first trophy since 2022. That could be the impetus they need to get their league campaign back on track. Winless in five MLS matches, the Black & Gold's last league result was a 3-1 defeat at FC Dallas, jeopardizing a top-four finish in the West. Will Denis Bouanga, Olivier Giroud and the rest of their star-studded lineup step up at TQL Stadium?

St. Louis CITY SC vs. Sporting Kansas City

• WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass
• WHEN: Saturday, 8:30 pm ET

St. Louis will be fighting for their playoff lives, needing a win to avoid elimination and keep their slim postseason hopes intact. They're coming off a 2-1 victory at the San Jose Earthquakes on goals from Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel, two summer signings who've helped spark a recent turnaround in which CITY have gone 2W-1L-2D since the Leagues Cup break.

For Sporting, it's all about playing spoiler. Already out of postseason contention, Kansas City would love nothing more than to crush their rival's playoff dreams for a second straight year, having ousted St. Louis in Round One of the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Saturday's derby will also decide the season series, after both sides played to a pair of draws in their first two matchups of the year.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers

• WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass; TSN, RDS 2
• WHEN: Saturday, 10:30 pm ET

Vancouver host Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers at BC Place, looking to build on their midweek Canadian Championship title victory against Toronto FC.

Vanni Sartini's side is jockeying for a top-four finish in the West, despite going winless in their last two league outings. The good news is striker Brian White has returned from injury, scoring in his first two games back, as he and attacking partner Ryan Gauld build rapport with new DP signing Stuart Armstrong.

The Timbers are also looking to improve their playoff positioning, with the hopes of avoiding a Wild Card spot and a possible Round One showdown against the top-seeded LA Galaxy. That said, Portland are less than a week removed from routing LA, 4-2 at home, before salvaging a wild 3-3 draw at Real Salt Lake.

Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Evander, the spark behind the joint-highest-scoring offense in the West (63 goals), is suspended for Saturday's match. However, the other two members of Portland's historic attacking trio – Jonathan Rodríguez and Felipe Mora – will be available for head coach Phil Neville.