The Pitch: Gazdag, Morgan Lead the Way for MLS Players at the Euros

Below is a selection of marquee MLS matches that will highlight Matchday 20 action taking place on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15, on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

Friday Night Lights: New York City FC are looking to make it six straight wins as they host the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew at Yankee Stadium this Friday (7:30 p.m. ET). The Crew are on a streak of their own, with an unbeaten 3-0-2 record in their last five away matches.

Please contact New York City FC Communications with media inquiries.
Please contact Columbus Crew Communications with media inquiries.

Home Field Advantage: Fresh off a 3-2 victory at Atlanta last week, Charlotte FC hopes to play spoiler at home as D.C. United will look to earn its first-ever road victory at Bank of America Stadium (0-1-1) this Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET).

CLT Media Availability: head coach Dean Smith (Thursday, June 13, 2 p.m. ET)
DC Media Availability: (Password: 003590): head coach Troy Lesesne and player (Thursday, June 13, 11:30 a.m. ET)

13 and Counting: Real Salt Lake will look to extend its 13-game unbeaten streak and match its longest win streak in club history (14, 2010) against a CF Montréal squad that is unbeaten in its last three games and boasts a 4-1-0 mark at Stade Saputo all-time against RSL (7:30 p.m. ET).

MTL Media Availability (Password: 900253): head coach Laurent Courtois and two players (Friday, June 14, 9 a.m. ET)
Please contact Real Salt Lake Communications with media inquiries.

Golden Anniversary: Seattle Sounders FC will face Minnesota United FC at home this Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET) in the club’s 50th Anniversary celebration, looking to extend their regular season win streak at home against the Loons (10-0-0). Meanwhile, Minnesota, who is 4-2-1 on the road this season, will look to keep pace in a tight race for the top three spots in the Western Conference standings.

Please contact Seattle Sounders FC Communications with media inquiries.
Please contact Minnesota United FC Communications with media inquiries.

Gazdag, Morgan Lead the Way for MLS Players at the Euros

The international stocks of Philadelphia Union midfielder Dániel Gazdag and New York Red Bulls forward Lewis Morgan have skyrocketed since they arrived in MLS, culminating in the Eastern Conference rivals earning call-ups to the European Championship rosters of Hungary and Scotland, respectively. The duo will have the chance to go toe-to-toe with one another on the field in Group A action.

Gazdag was on the cusp of the Hungarian national team prior to moving stateside, but his international career took off after he joined the Union ahead of the 2021 MLS regular season. A true marksman from the penalty spot, Gazdag scored each of his first 20 career penalty-kick attempts, setting an MLS record for consecutive penalty-kick goals scored. He is also just a goal away from surpassing club legend Sebastian Le Toux (50) as the Union’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Morgan’s addition to Scotland’s roster comes just six months after recovering from a long-term injury and is the cherry on top of his five-season run in MLS so far. After starring for Inter Miami CF, the Scottish winger was traded to the Red Bulls ahead of the 2022 season, where his 14 goals and four assists in his debut season with the club made an instant impact on their offense. Now back from his hip injury, Morgan has nine goals and four assists through 17 games and is on course to surpass his MLS career-high of 14 goals set in 2022.

Gazdag’s Hungary and Morgan’s Scotland will face off on Sunday, June 23 (3 p.m. ET, FS1) with qualification to the knockout rounds of the tournament on the line.

Gazdag and Morgan will also be joined by Orlando City SC defender David Brekalo (Slovenia, Group C), Atlanta United midfielders Saba Lobjanidze (Georgia, Group F) and Bartosz Slisz (Poland, Group D), New England Revolution goalkeeper Henrich Ravas (Slovakia, Group E), and Chicago Fire FC midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland, Group A), at the Euros.

Issa Tall and Columbus Breaking Barriers in MLS and Global Soccer

On Thursday, the Columbus Crew announced the promotion of Issa Tall as the club’s General Manager, making the Crew the first team in league history to be led on the technical side (chief soccer officer and head coach) by two Black individuals. This feat is not just notable in MLS, but in global soccer, as Columbus is currently the only team in MLS and among the top-five European soccer leagues to feature a Black head coach (Wilfried Nancy) and chief soccer officer (ex: technical/sporting director or general manager). Tall is also the second active Black GM/CSO in MLS alongside the LA Galaxy’s Will Kuntz.

Driven by the organization’s collective “One Club” vision that preaches alignment throughout the entire organization, Columbus has broken barriers in MLS with success following suit. Prior to the 2023 season, Columbus was ambitious in acquiring head coach Wilfried Nancy from CF Montréal, who that same season became the first Black head coach in league history to win MLS Cup. Also, in March, Columbus appointed Kelvin Jones as Columbus Crew 2 head coach. Jones joined the club in 2017 and previously served as the Academy Director from 2020-23, helping many of Columbus’ top young players reach the first team.

With a commitment to diversity and inclusion through owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam along with Whitney and JW Johnson, Columbus is making history both on and off the field. As Tall and Nancy have shown over the past two seasons, the Crew “One Club” vision will make them one of North America’s best teams for years to come.

MLS Next Pro team Carolina Core FC celebrated their home opener to a sold-out crowd in the first-ever CCFC match at Truist Point. Youtube
Musician Niall Horan posted to Instagram his support of Nashville FC with an image of a custom jersey. Instagram
Seattle Sounders will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary on Saturday, June 15th at Lumen Field. Instagram
MLS All Star Summer Roadshow launched last week in Columbus, Ohio with MLS Great Frankie Hejduk and Liga MX Legend Luis Hernández. Announcement

Chicho Stars in Real Salt Lake’s Record Run

The hottest team in Major League Soccer resides in Salt Lake City, as Real Salt Lake is currently riding a 13-game unbeaten run and sits atop the Western Conference (33 points, 9-2-6), just two points off Supporters’ Shield leader Inter Miami CF (35 points, 10-3-5). Since entering the league in 2005, Real Salt Lake’s best finish in regular-season play was runner-up in the 2010 Supporters’ Shield race, and the club is back among the favorites in the race for the Shield in 2024.

Leading the charge for RSL has been Colombian striker Chicho Arango, who continues to build his case for Landon Donovan MLS MVP honors, which would be the first in club history, with a league-leading 16 goals in 17 games. Arango’s impact since his arrival in Salt Lake during the 2023 Secondary Transfer Window has been significant, as he leads all MLS players in goals (22) and is tied for the league-lead with 33 goal contributions since the opening of that transfer window on July 5, 2023.

Only three players in MLS history have eclipsed 30 goals in a single season – Carlos Vela (34 in 2019), Josef Martínez (31 in 2018), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (30 in 2019) -- and Arango remains on pace to join that elusive group. Much like Vela (Supporters’ Shield) and Martínez (MLS Cup), the 29-year-old Arango will look to parlay his individual success into club glory and further punctuate one of the greatest seasons in Real Salt Lake history.

RSL returns to action on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) as they look to match their club-record unbeaten streak of 14 consecutive matches with a win at CF Montréal.

Sounders Support Youth Mental Health with “We Can Be Well” Event

On Wednesday, May 29, Sounders FC, its nonprofit arm RAVE Foundation and partner Providence hosted “We Can Be Well,” a special event focused on youth mental health and catered to local middle and high schools, featuring U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and a panel of experts representing the medical and Seattle sports communities.

Over 200 students were present as panelists including former Sounder Steve Zakuani, former Seahawk Doug Baldwin, Seattle Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore and more spoke about normalizing the conversation around mental health, reducing the stigma that surrounds it and talking through resources and methods for students to better understand and care for their own mental health. Students also had the opportunity to ask panelists questions, ensuring the event remained centered on what most interested the young attendees.

Dr. Murthy then led a one-on-one conversation with former Sounder Lamar Neagle about Neagle’s journey in the soccer world, including navigating the challenges, successes and disappointments that he faced along the way.

To conclude the event, students were welcomed to the stadium’s field level where they were able to meet the day’s speakers, take photos, receive autographs and ask further questions. All students attending also received a soccer ball courtesy of Sounders FC and RAVE Foundation.

We Can Be Well represents a continuation of the commitment of Sounders FC and Providence to serving the community through intentional programming developed toa address the mental wellbeing of students in the Renton School District, where both entities are headquartered.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.