Fresh off the heels of last weekend's action, another round of MLS games will be in store as matchday 36 gets underway on Wednesday, October 4th.
Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 36 in MLS.
How to watch Matchday 36 in the 2023 MLS season
MLS matchday 36 kicks off on Wednesday, October 4th with all games being played on the same day. Two of the worst-performing sides in the Eastern Conference will go head to head when Charlotte face Toronto FC. At the moment, Toronto have no shot at qualifying for the playoffs, while Charlotte will need to close a four-point gap if they want to have any shot at sneaking into the post season competition.
Elsewhere, Inter Miami continue to try to forge ahead Lionel Messi's injury concerns continue to grow. The Herons did earn a gritty 1-1 draw with New York City last round, and now will be facing a Chicago Fire side who have won just one of their last eight games. With Messi's availability still up in the air, this game still could present a good chance for Inter Miami to get some much needed points on the board, as they are also four points away from a playoff spot but still do have a match in hand.
Meanwhile, Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati will look to make it three wins in three games when they host the New York Red Bulls. On paper, this does look like it should be a straightforward win for Pat Noonan's side, who have lost just once so far on home turf (W13 D1), but could a sense of complacency after clinching the Community Shield last weekend creep in?
Moving on to the Western Conference, St. Louis City will aim to continue extending their comfortable gap on top of the table when they travel to face the Vancouver Whitecaps. St. Louis have lost just one of their last seven games, but Vancouver will be looking for revenge after their upcoming visitors beat them 3-1 earlier this season.
In an interesting inter-conference match up, Montreal, who are without a win in their last five games, will naturally be desperate for some kind of positive result when they lock horns with Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo, meanwhile, have won just one of their last five games, but notably did win the US Open Cup recently, beating Inter Miami 2-1 on September 27th.
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Inter Miami continue to sweat over fitness of Lionel Messi
It's safe to say that Messi's recent injury has caused Inter Miami its fair share of concerns, as the Argentinian superstar's arrival helped to spark a remarkable turnaround for the struggling Herons. Although they have hit a bump in the road recently, they are still in contention for a playoff spot as they still do have a vital game in hand. However, Inter Miami do have a four point margin to overcome, and it goes without saying that they will hope to have Messi, who has been reportedly taking it "day by day" as per his coach, will be back to fighting fit sooner rather than later.
From zeros to heroes: Cincinnati's amazing 2023 season
It was not too long ago that Cincinnati were really struggling, which makes their impressive run in the 2023 MLS season that much nore notable. The team's opening years were best characterized as turbulent, as several coaches and general managers were sacked before current coach Pat Noonan managed to steer the proverbial wobbly ship.
Flash-forward just a couple of years later, and Cincinnati are not only off to the playoffs, but they are now the newest holders of the Supporters' Shield. They were the first team to secure a spot in the post-season playoffs back in August, and will be featuring in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup for the first time next year thanks to their current place in the MLS league table. In winning the Supporters' Shield, Cincinnati are the second-fastest new team to achieve this feat, following in the steps of Los Angeles FC, who won it in 2019, just five years after being created and a year after its debut MLS season.
Some fans, especially those in the USA will be able to follow some of these games on TV or via live-streaming, with Fox Sports 1, Foxsports.com, Fox Deportes, Sling TV, and FuboTV offering coverage of some matches while Sirius XM also provides coverage via the radio. However, for those who can't access MLS games via TV or prefer a more flexible option, MLS Season Pass offers live streaming of MLS matches in over 100 countries worldwide.
Here is the full list of games for this upcoming round.
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