Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas match could break Homegrown record

• Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas match could break Homegrown Player record
• Pozuelo could make MLS debut Friday when TFC hosts NYCFC on TSN
• Martínez, Zardes among MLS stars to help respective national teams to victory
• Canada clinches Gold Cup spot with five MLS starters at the helm
• Week 5 Notes

Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas match could break Homegrown Player record
Records for the number of academy products to play in an MLS match could fall on Saturday when Real Salt Lake hosts FC Dallas at Rio Tinto Stadium (9 p.m. ET / ESPN+). The last time the clubs faced each other, each tied an MLS record with five academy products in the starting lineup, combined setting a new MLS record with 10 academy products starting the match, with an 11
^th
later coming off the bench.
Real Salt Lake currently leads all MLS clubs with 1,306 academy product minutes in the 2019 regular season, and on Saturday broke a league record with six academy products in the starting XI. FC Dallas, meanwhile, ranks second in the league with 1092 academy product minutes, and is coming off a victory in which five Homegrown players started the match.
Among the standouts, 19-year-old midfielder
Paxton Pomykal
has emerged as a key offensive force for FC Dallas, playing a full 90 minutes in the club’s previous three matches. Equally as important is 20-year-old defender
Reggie Cannon
who has previously featured with the U.S. Men’s National Team and 23-year-old goalkeeper
Jesse González
who is currently in the USMNT camp.
RSL meanwhile will see the return of 23-year-old forward/midfielder and reigning MLS Rookie of the Year
Corey Baird
, who is currently with the USMNT. Defensively, a pair of 21-year-olds in
Brooks Lennon
and
Aaron Herrera
have played every minute of the season for RSL.
Pozuelo could make MLS debut Friday when TFC hosts NYCFC on TSN
Toronto FC’s newest signing
Alejandro Pozuelo
could potentially make his MLS debut when the Reds host New York City FC on MLS Friday Night on TSN (8 p.m. ET / TSN 4/5). The 27-year-old Spanish midfielder, who starred at KRC Genk in Belgium, was
greeted by TFC supporters at Pearson International Airport
on Friday, took in a

on Sunday, then trained with the club for the first time Monday.
Pozuelo brings some added buzz toward a Toronto side that is looking to return to the club’s 2017 MLS Cup-winning form and is off to a good start in 2019 with a 2-0-0 record – one of two perfect teams remaining in league play (the other being 3-0-0 Seattle Sounders FC). His possible debut will highlight MLS Friday Night on TSN – the first of 10 consecutive MLS Fridays on the network.
Martínez, Zardes among MLS stars to help respective national teams to victory
MLS players starred for their respective national teams this past week during the March FIFA international break as players across the globe shined in both friendlies and qualifiers.
Josef Martínez
helped Venezuela defeat Argentina 3-1 with a penalty kick goal, besting Atlanta United teammate
Pity Martínez
, who started alongside Lionel Messi for La Albiceleste. Elsewhere in South America,
Nicolás Loderio
(Seattle Sounders FC) started and recorded an assist in both Uruguay’s 4-0 win against Thailand to win the China Cup, preceded by Uruguay’s 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
The United States saw 10 MLS players and six MLS academy products take the field in a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, which itself played three current MLS standouts.
Gyasi Zardes
(Columbus Crew SC) scored the game’s only goal to help the Americans, who next face Chile on Tuesday at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston (7:55 p.m. ET, ESPN2 / UniMas / UDN).
In Europe,
Albert Rusnák
(Real Salt Lake) recorded a goal and an assist in Slovakia’s 2-0 win over Hungry in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play. Also in Euro qualifying play,
Gustav Svensson
(Seattle Sounders FC) appeared in Sweden’s 2-1 victory, besting
Alexandru Mitriță
(New York City FC) who started for Romania.
Justin Meram
(Columbus Crew SC), meanwhile, scored an emotional 76th minute tally to help Iraq defeat Syria 1-0 in front of the home crowd. Rounding out the opening week action of international play,
Hwang In-Beom
(Vancouver Whitecaps FC) played 70 minutes in South Korea’s 1-0 friendly victory over Bolivia.
Canada clinches Gold Cup spot with five MLS starters at the helm
A dominant 4-1 victory against French Guiana on Sunday helped Canada qualify for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup this summer, thanks to a large contingent of MLS players at the helm.

from Sunday’s win at BC Place in Vancouver ply their trade in MLS: midfielders
Mark-Anthony Kaye
(Los Angeles Football Club),
Jonathan Osorio
(Toronto FC) and
Samuel Piette
(Montreal Impact), and defenders
Zachary Brault-Guillard
(Montreal Impact) and
Derek Cornelius
(Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Canada is the only nation outside of the U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico to capture the Concacaf Gold Cup (winning in 2000), and now the Great White North joins the 2019 edition’s field of 16 teams.
The Gold Cup draw takes place on April 10, group play starts on June 15, and the final will be held on July 7 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Host countries include the defending Gold Cup-winning United States (2017 champions), Costa Rica and a yet-to-be-named Caribbean nation.
MLS Regular Season: Week 5 Notes
Friday, March 29
Toronto FC vs. New York City FC, 8 p.m. ET (TSN 4/5)

• Toronto made it two wins from two starts in league play in its last match, a 3-2 victory against the New England Revolution at BMO Field on March 17. Ayo Akinola became the fifth-youngest player in TFC history to net a goal (also adding an assist), while Jozy Altidore netted his first goal of the season.
  
• NYCFC reached a draw for the third time in three league matches to open the season in their last contest, a 2-2 result with the Los Angeles Football Club at Yankee Stadium on March 17. Alexander Ring scored his second goal of the season, while Alexandru Mitrita scored his first MLS goal.
  
• The teams met twice a season ago, and NYCFC won both, the first time either team has won the season series. NYCFC won 2-1 on June 24 at Yankee Stadium; they have won two of the five regular-season meetings in the Bronx, with three draws. NYCFC then won 3-2 on Aug. 12 at BMO Field, their second win in Toronto (also in 2015).
  
• TFC has won just once in nine regular-season meetings with NYCFC, that a 4-0 win at BMO Field in 2017. NYCFC had won two of the first six meetings all-time, with four draws.
  
• The teams did also meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016 – and Toronto FC won 7-0 on aggregate, winning 2-0 at BMO Field, then 5-0 at Yankee Stadium.
  

Saturday, March 30
Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls, 1 p.m. ET (TSN 5)

• The Fire suffered their second loss in three matches in their last league game, falling 4-2 to Seattle Sounders FC at SeatGeek Stadium on March 16. CJ Sapong collected his first assist of the season; he has a goal or an assist in each of the Fire’s three games, with two goals and one assist.
  
• The Red Bulls suffered their first league loss of the season, falling 1-0 to Orlando City SC at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.
  
• The teams met twice a year ago, each winning on the other’s home ground. The Fire took a 2-1 win on April 21 at Red Bull Arena, then the Red Bulls claimed a 1-0 win on Aug. 11 in Bridgeview.
  
• The Fire win in the first meeting ended a six-game undefeated streak for the Red Bulls in the series. It also ended a three-game winning streak in the series for the Red Bulls in Harrison.
  
• The Red Bulls have come away with a result on their past four trips to Bridgeview (two wins, two draws). When the Red Bulls started the streak with a win on Oct. 25, 2015, at Toyota Park, it was their first win ever in Bridgeview. The Red Bulls’ last away win against Chicago had come on May 14, 2005, a 3-0 win at Soldier Field; in between, the Fire were unbeaten in 14 home games in the league series (9-0-5).
  

New England Revolution vs. Minnesota United FC, 2 p.m. ET

• The Revolution fell to their third consecutive defeat, a 2-0 loss to FC Cincinnati at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  
• MNUFC went down to defeat for the first time in 2019 following two wins to open the campaign last time out, dropping a 3-2 decision to the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on March 16.
  
• MNUFC won the lone meeting between the teams last year, a 2-1 victory on July 18 at TCF Bank Stadium, the first matchup in Minnesota.
  
• The Revolution won the lone meeting in Minnesota United’s expansion campaign, a 5-2 win on March 25, 2017, at Gillette Stadium.
  

Sporting Kansas City vs. Montreal Impact, 3 p.m. ET (TVA Sports, TSN 5, CTV)

• Sporting gained a result for a second successive match last time out, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on March 17. Johnny Russell scored the lone SKC goal directly from a free kick – the first by a Sporting player since 2015 (when Benny Feilhaber scored vs. FC Dallas).
  
• The Impact won for a second time in three matches, defeating Orlando City SC 3-2 at Orlando City Stadium on March 16. Ignacio Piatti netted a pair of goals, now with three for the season, giving him 100 combined goals and assists for his MLS league career (66 goals, 34 assists).
  
• The Impact won the lone meeting between the teams last season, a 2-0 win on June 30 at Stade Saputo. The victory ended a six-game undefeated streak for Sporting in the series, the Impact winning vs. KC for the first time since 2013.
  
• The last SKC win in the series came on July 18, 2015, a 2-1 triumph at Children’s Mercy Park, which came at the end of a four-game winning streak vs. Montréal. The teams played to back-to-back draws in 2016 and 2017.
  

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles Football Club, 3:30 p.m. ET (Univision, Twitter)

• The Quakes lost for the third time in three outings in their last league match, falling 4-1 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on March 16. Cristian Espinoza scored his first MLS goal in the contest.
  
• LAFC remained undefeated on the season, winning for a third time in four matches, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday evening. Diego Rossi scored his second goal of the season, while Walker Zimmerman scored the match-winner in the 94th minute – LAFC’s second game-winner in stoppage time this season.
  
• LAFC won both meetings between the teams in their expansion campaign, taking a 4-3 win on June 9 at Avaya Stadium, then a 3-0 victory on Sept. 22 at Banc of California Stadium.
  

FC Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET

• FC Cincinnati won for a second consecutive match, extending their undefeated streak to three games, defeating the New England Revolution 2-0 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Kekuta Manneh scored his first FCC goal and also added an assist, on Kenny Saief’s first MLS goal.
  
• The Union won for the first time this season, defeating Columbus Crew SC 3-0 at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening. David Accam scored a pair of goals, his first multiple-goal game since moving to Philadelphia.
  
• The teams are meeting for the first time in FC Cincinnati’s inaugural MLS season.
  

Columbus Crew SC vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET

• Crew SC went down to defeat for the first time this season, falling 3-0 to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday evening.
  
• ATLUTD reached a draw for a second consecutive match in their last outing, a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 17. Ezequiel Barco netted his first goal of the season.
  
• Atlanta United have won all four league meetings between the clubs, over their two years in the league. ATLUTD won both meetings a year ago, a 2-0 win on June 13 at Mapfre Stadium, and a 3-1 triumph Aug. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  
• The teams met twice in league play in Atlanta United’s inaugural season, the games coming two weeks apart, and the expansion side won both, taking a 3-1 win on June 17 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, and a 2-0 victory July 1 at Mapfre Stadium.
  
• The teams met in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2017, Crew SC advancing via a dramatic penalty kick shootout after the teams played to a scoreless draw over 120 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  

Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas, 9 p.m. ET

• Real Salt Lake suffered a second consecutive defeat, falling 2-1 to the Los Angeles Football Club at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday evening. RSL started six Homegrown Players in the match, the most to start in an MLS match in league history.
  
• FC Dallas won for a second time in three matches, defeating the Colorado Rapids 2-1 at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Michael Barrios scored his second goal of the season as FCD started five Homegrown Players, tying the MLS record (until it was passed by Real Salt Lake later in the evening).
  
• Real Salt Lake won the last meeting between the teams, a 2-0 victory last July 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, snapping a four-game winless streak in the series.
  
• The teams also met last March 3 at Toyota Stadium, playing to a 1-1 draw. RSL is 1-13-3 at FC Dallas all-time in league games between the clubs. FCD is 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.
  

Colorado Rapids vs. Houston Dynamo, 9 p.m. ET

• The Rapids remained winless on the season, suffering a second loss in four outings, falling 2-1 to FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
  
• The Dynamo remained undefeated for the season with a second consecutive win in their last match, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-2 at BBVA Compass Stadium on March 16. Memo Rodríguez scored a pair of goals, while Alberth Elis played a part in all three goals (one goal, two assists).
  
• The teams met twice a season ago, the Dynamo claiming a 2-0 win on June 9 at BBVA Compass Stadium, and also reaching a goalless draw July 14 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
  
• The Dynamo win was their first in the series since 2015, ending a four-game Rapids undefeated streak in the series, and just their second vs. Colorado since 2009, the Rapids going 8-1-6 in the series since a 1-0 Dynamo win at Robertson Stadium on April 19 of that year.
  
• The Dynamo haven’t won at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since 2008, the Rapids now undefeated in their last eight home meetings with Houston (5-0-3). The Dynamo win in the first meeting last year ended a two-game Rapids winning streak at BBVA Compass Stadium.
  

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 10 p.m. ET (TSN 1)

• Whitecaps FC suffered their third loss in three outings in their last match, falling 3-2 to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. Fredy Montero scored his first goal in his return to the club.
  
• Sounders FC won their third game on the trot, rolling to a 4-2 win against the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium on March 16. Jordan Morris and Raúl Ruídiaz each scored their league-leading third goals of the season while Nicolas Lodeiro scored his first to go with a league-leading three assists; Sounders FC have started a season 3-0-0 for the first time since their inaugural MLS season of 2009.
  
• Sounders FC won both meetings between the clubs a season ago, taking a 2-0 win on July 21 at CenturyLink Field, then a 2-1 triumph on Sept. 15 at BC Place. Sounders FC have won the past three meetings in Seattle, over the last three seasons. Sounders FC have come away with points on five of their last six visits to BC Place, over the last four seasons.
  
• The teams have met the most times of any rivalry in soccer history in the USA and Canada. Since the clubs first met at Empire Stadium on June 9, 1974, in the old North American Soccer League, they have played 135 times over all competitions. The Sounders have won 65, the Whitecaps 49, and there have been 21 draws.
  

Sunday, March 31
Orlando City SC vs. D.C. United, 6:30 p.m. ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)

• Orlando City SC won their first game of the season, getting the game’s only goal from Sacha Kljestan for a victory against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening. The victory ended a 15-game road winless streak for OCSC, their first on the road since last April 29 at Colorado.
  
• D.C. United remained undefeated and unscored upon this season in their last match, a 5-0 win against Real Salt Lake at Audi Field on March 16. United have not lost a league game since last August, now 13 games without a defeat, one short of the club record (set in 2006).
  
• Wayne Rooney scored his first hat trick in MLS for D.C.; he had seven while playing in the English Premier League, seventh-most all-time in that league. Bill Hamid extended his personal shutout streak to 372 minutes in recording his third shutout of the season, the streak 39 minutes shy of his personal record shutout streak in MLS.
  
• D.C. United won the second meeting between the teams last year, a 3-2 victory on Aug. 12 in the first matchup at Audi Field, ending a four-game undefeated streak for Orlando City SC in the series.
  
• OCSC have a four-game home undefeated streak alive in the series, D.C. United winning for the only time in Orlando in the first meeting ever between the clubs in 2015. Orlando City have won once in D.C., ended their RFK Stadium history with a 2-1 win on Sept. 9, 2017.
  

LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes)

• The Galaxy won for the second time in three games in their last match, a 3-2 victory against Minnesota United FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on March 16. Sebastian Lletget scored the eventual game-winner in the 81st minute, while Jonathan dos Santos and Chris Pontius also scored.
  
• The Timbers suffered their third consecutive defeat in their last match, falling 3-0 to FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium on March 16. The Timbers became the first team in MLS history to concede three goals or more in their opening three games of a season.
  
• The teams met twice a year ago. The Galaxy took a 2-1 win on March 4 in Carson, Calif.; the clubs then reached a 1-1 draw on June 2 at Providence Park.
  
• The Timbers have won just twice all-time at Dignity Health Sports Park, last in a 1-0 victory on March 12, 2017. 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.