Major League Soccer games have been attracting quite a few headlines ever since Messi joined Inter Miami, and with a batch of matches being played this Wednesday, it is time for us to give you a glimpse of what will go down in North American stadiums this weekend.
As things stand, Cincinnati and St. Louis City remain as the top teams in each conference, but the talk of the competition belongs to Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, who are still located in the last places of the Eastern Conference. Despite that fact, fans believe they could reach playoff spots thanks to "La Pulga", and their road back to a spot among the finest teams in the conference will begin against a familiar foe. Inter Miami are nine points behind Chicago Fire in the race for the final playoff spot but with two games in hand, meaning they could still make the defining stage if they can keep the form they have shown since the Argentine joined the club.
Wednesday's games will feature some classic rivalries, including San Jose against Los Angeles Galaxy and New England against New York City. If that is not enough for you, here is the general scope of what will go down when all the games begin this Wednesday.
How to watch Week 29 in the MLS season?
The games set to take place on Wednesday will give fans some interesting options to keep an eye on, starting with Toronto vs Philadelphia Union, a match that will be available on TSN4 and on RDS for Canadian users. Another game that will be available in linear TV channel will be Portland vs Real Salt Lake, also on TSN4. For those interested in watching Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's match, they will be able to stream their clash against Nashville in over 100 countries via MLS Season Pass, which will also carry the rest of the games for Matchday 29.
Here is the full list of games being played on Wednesday.
Top news of the week in Major League Soccer
Toronto FC unveil John Herdman as new coach
The former coach for the Canadian National Team will try his hand in club football for the first time in his career after agreeing a deal with Toronto FC, the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Herdman, who will assist Mauro Biello to guarantee a smooth transition as Canada's coach, will take over with TFC on October 1, ending a 12-year spell with both the Canadian national teams for men and women, which started in 2011.
Thiago Almada claims Player of the Matchday for the third time this season
It has been a season to remember for Thiago Almada, and if he needed more accolades to show for that, he was handed one more Player of the Matchday trophy this season. The Argentine handed out two assists and scored one more goal for Atlanta, leading their efforts to a win last weekend while also becoming the second player in MLS to accomplish such a feat after his compatriot, Luciano Acosta.
Lionel Messi set to start first MLS game in rematch against Nashville
The Argentine sensation in the North American league already scored his first goal in a league match, but he was yet to make his first start for Inter Miami. The time has come for Messi to show his skills right from the start, and it will be an interesting game to see as he will have to face Nashville SC one more time. The South American ace scored a couple of goals against the Boys in Gold during their Leagues Cup clash, which ended in Inter Miami's first-ever title.
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