The MLS has never stopped, not even to make way for the Club World Cup, organized in the United States. And on Saturday night, the bulk of Week 19 will be played: ten games are scheduled, including a tasty head-to-head clash between the third and first in the Eastern Conference, Nashville against Philadelphia, separated by just two points. The Tennessee side are behind but seem to be in better shape than the Union, as confirmed by their three consecutive wins against Chicago, New England, and DC United.
Nashville’s spearhead is English striker Sam Surridge, who moved to the United States in 2023 after spells in England with Bournemouth, Swansea, Stoke City, and Nottingham Forest.
We are talking about a player who is literally on fire this year: he is the current MLS top scorer with 16 goals, no one has done better than him. Nashville’s latest victory also bears Surridge’s mark: his penalty kick decided the match against DC United a week ago (0-1). He will obviously be the number one threat to the Philadelphia defense, and it cannot be ruled out that he will find the net for the seventh consecutive game. The other player to watch is Cristian Arango of the San Jose Earthquakes, who boast the second-best attack after San Diego.
The Colombian, with 10 goals, has not gone more than one game without scoring in recent weeks: he could hurt the New York Red Bulls’ defense in a match that should produce several goals.
In this round, Leo Messi’s Inter Miami will return to MLS action after their Club World Cup adventure. Not even a week has passed since their heavy 4-0 defeat in the round of 16 against PSG, a defeat that was nevertheless predictable given the huge gap between the two teams.
The Herons, however, were the only MLS team to make it through the group stage, which is no small feat. Now the focus shifts to the league: against Montreal, who they beat 4-2 a month ago, Pistolero Suarez could be back in the spotlight, having already scored two goals against the Canadians earlier in the season.
Finally, Brazilian Evander is on fire: thanks to his brace last weekend, Cincinnati got rid of Orlando, securing a very important victory. The former Midtjylland midfielder is on fire: four goals in the last two games, topped off with an assist. His quality will be crucial in the match against Chicago Fire, who are not particularly strong in defense.