Watchability Rankings for Matchday 11 in MLS

It's time for another edition of Watchability Rankings, where we preview the best matchups from the upcoming weekend of action in MLS. Here are five fixtures that'll have my attention when Matchday 11 kicks off on Saturday morning.

Toronto FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes

Saturday, 10 am PT | Apple TV

It hasn't always been for good reasons, but Toronto FC have been must-watch TV in recent weeks. They produced one of the moments of the season so far when Luka Gavran scored a hilarious goalkeeper goal to salvage a 3-3 draw with the Philadelphia Union a couple of weeks ago in an utterly insane match. It was a legendary highlight, but it might have distracted from the reality that needing a goalkeeper goal to salvage a draw with the 2026 Philadelphia Union is probably a bad sign. Either way, they're hosting a San Jose side that's been must-watch in a much more positive way. The Quakes are in the discussion for the best team in the league to this point – the first club in league history to win nine of their first 10 regular-season matches and to win all of their first five road matches. Timo Werner, Niko Tsakiris and Ousseni Bouda going against this chaotic Toronto FC defense? Sign me up for this one at BMO Field.

Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers

Saturday, 1:45 pm PT | Apple TV, FOX

Real Salt Lake have been an early-season darling but they're coming off a pretty bad L against the LA Galaxy. I'm not selling any of my RSL stock over it, but it did show the perils that come with being a young team, even one as exciting as this Claret-and-Cobalt group.

The Timbers, meanwhile, have actually won two out of their last three matches, putting them at 1.11 points per game. That's actually a positive development because it's approaching that sweet spot where they can rationalize sticking with Phil Neville. Realistically, he probably needs to push that up closer to 1.5 if he's going to buy himself another year, so every point counts if he's going to get an extension. As someone highly invested in Phil Neville remaining the head coach of the Portland Timbers, this matchup against high-flying RSL quietly has a lot riding on it.

San Diego FC vs. LAFC

Saturday, 6:30 pm PT | Apple TV

San Diego FC are officially on Downfall Watch. After putting up arguably the best expansion season ever in 2025, it would have been difficult for them to match those heights this year. Still, it's somewhat shocking to see them languishing in 11th place after they were the No. 1 seed in the West last year. If they lose this match to LAFC, that'll be their sixth straight defeat, all of which have taken place this month. If a San Diego downfall does materialize, which seems more likely than not at this point, that has big implications for the rest of the Western Conference. They were expected to have a major say in the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup conversations. Those stakes, combined with the in-state rivalry implications, make this matchup with LAFC at Snapdragon Stadium pretty intriguing, even if the Black & Gold will be more focused on their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal obligations.

Houston Dynamo FC vs. Colorado Rapids

Saturday, 5:30 pm PT | Apple TV

Colorado's results have been erratic, but they've quietly racked up the third-most goals in the Western Conference with 22. Rafael Navarro has an underrated early MVP shout with 7g/4a, while Paxten Aaronson and Darren Yapi are two of the more fun, up-and-coming young attackers in the league. Now they're taking on a Houston side that they beat 6-2 when these two teams met a few weeks ago. The Dynamo have been disappointing, but they have shown a tendency to be bad in an entertaining way, and Guilherme is showing he's worth the price of admission. Both teams have also conceded 18 goals, which leaves me hopeful that we'll be treated to a shootout at Shell Energy Stadium.

Inter Miami CF vs. Orlando City SC

Saturday, 4:15 pm PT | Apple TV, FS1

An underratedly fun storyline going on at the moment is that Inter Miami still haven't won a game at Nu Stadium. They've played three games in their glitzy, state-of-the-art new venue, and they've drawn all three against juggernauts such as Austin FC, the New York Red Bulls, and the New England Revolution. It's doubtful the winless run will reach four against Orlando City, one of the league's two worst teams, but the mere possibility makes this Florida Derby one worth keeping an eye on. The most likely outcome is that Messi and the Barca Boys have a field day against the statistically worst defense in MLS. If that happens, the hope is that it'll at least deliver some highlight-reel goals.