Previewing the best matchups of MLS restart/Rivalry Week

The World Cup was fun, but MLS is finally back this week with a slate of Rivalry Week action, along with a couple of other marquee matchups.

The rivalry matchups provide the backdrop, while several of the league’s biggest contenders and storylines take center stage. Here are the four matches I’m most excited to watch as the league gets back underway.

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers

Thursday, July 16 | 7:30 pm PT | Apple TV

The league’s marquee rivalry returns, with both clubs searching for answers to varying degrees after limping into the World Cup break.

Portland is in coaching limbo after parting ways with Phil Neville, but that, frankly, makes them even more dangerous. The Timbers have made a habit of using these rivalry clashes to reignite their season when all hope seems lost.

Seattle have managed to flip the script in recent meetings after years of hearing that Portland had the edge in the rivalry. But the Sounders also have something to prove. Brian Schmetzer’s side sit in solid position in the Western Conference, but the attack went quiet before the break, bringing the Craig Waibel Striker Discourse™ back to the forefront. They’ll also be without Yeimar Gomez Andrade and both Roldans for this match, and still won’t have Pedro de la Vega.

If Seattle can rediscover their scoring touch while matching the emotional energy the Timbers will inevitably bring, they should be well-positioned to continue their recent rivalry momentum. You just truly never know what’s going to happen in these matchups.

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Chicago Fire FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Thursday, July 16 | 5:30 pm PT | Apple TV

There are few bigger storylines within the league right now than what’s going on with Chicago and their blockbuster acquisition of Polish legend Robert Lewandowski. Whether Lewandowski makes his debut on Thursday vs. Vancouver or simply begins acclimating to his new club, the Fire are a must-watch for me after adding one of the greatest strikers of his generation to a squad already enjoying a strong season. It’s not so much about Lewandowski’s name value, but his tactical fit on this particular Chicago side.

Gregg Berhalter has said he envisions Lewandowski playing together in a two-forward set-up with Hugo Cuypers, who was already a Golden Boot contender in 2026, with 13 goals at the break. That’ll make it fascinating to see how one of MLS’s top goal-scorers meshes with one of the world’s most accomplished No. 9s. And if Lewandowski does make his debut, the matchup gains another layer with Thomas Müller and the Whitecaps on the opposite sideline.

Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United

Friday, July 17 | 5:10 pm PT | Apple TV, FOX

Nashville SC have a lot to prove over the second half of the season, but that’s only because they've raised their bar so dramatically. BJ Callaghan has transformed this club into the Supporters’ Shield frontrunner behind an MVP-caliber Hany Mukhtar, a lethal strike partnership he’s formed with Sam Surridge, and a massive addition in Cristian Espinoza. They also have a deeper supporting cast than they get credit for, and look fully capable of sustaining a challenge for multiple trophies. It's just a matter of whether they can keep it rolling.

Atlanta, meanwhile, remain the league’s preeminent fascinating mystery. Despite investing boatloads of Arthur Blank money into their attack, the Five Stripes have yet to find a formula that brings Miguel Almiron, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alexey Miranchuk together effectively, making every match a test of whether one of MLS’s most expensive rosters can finally live up to their potential. They’ve yet to show they can, and it'll be interesting to see what course of action they take if they finish out another season near the Eastern Conference cellar.

LA Galaxy vs. LAFC

Friday, July 17 | 7:25 pm PT | Apple TV, FOX

El Tráfico is the only rivalry I’ll listen to in the discussion as to which derby can equal Cascadia. It might not have the history, and it might be manufactured, but it also has rarely, if ever, disappointed in terms of on-field action and entertainment. I don't expect this one to be any different.

The Galaxy are in the mix of the Western Conference playoff race despite an inconsistent first half and now enter a new chapter with the news they’ve moved off Gabriel Pec. Marco Reus, Joseph Painstil and Co. still have enough attacking quality to make any rivalry match dangerous, but they'll need to find another level to get back to the Galaxy of past eras.

LAFC looked every bit of a frontrunner in the West to start the year behind one of the stingiest defenses in MLS before cooling off after their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal exit. A strong second half would go a long way in reestablishing Marc Dos Santos's side as the team to beat, making this installment of El Tráfico an ideal place to start for the Black & Gold. The big storyline for them will be whether they can get Son Heung-Min going after a disappointing World Cup exit with South Korea. Son has been demonic as a facilitator in MLS, but he hasn't found his scoring touch, which would seem to be key if this team wants to reach their top level.