Ranking this week’s MLS games from best to worst.
1. NYCFC (11-6-4) at Toronto (11-3-7), 2 p.m. Sunday. Two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference will go head to head and both should be close to full strength. If NYCFC wins by three goals, it could move atop the conference.
2. Chicago (11-4-5) at Sporting KC (8-4-9), 8 p.m., Saturday. Chicago will have Dax McCarty back in this game against the king of ties (9).
3. Orlando City (8-8-5) at Atlanta United (10-7-3), 4:30 p.m., Saturday. It will be interesting to see how the fans of the Five Stripes react to their visitors after some the Lions' supporters couldn't come up with a chant better than their go-to one that consistently rhymed with luck in its beginning.
4. Vancouver (8-8-3) at Dallas (9-3-7), 8 p.m., Saturday. Dallas is unbeaten in its past five, which has helped it move atop the Western Conference.
5. Portland (8-8-6) at Houston (9-7-5), 8 p.m. Saturday. Houston just won its first road game this season. Portland just won its first game in its past seven.
6. Montreal (6-7-6) at New York Red Bulls (10-8-2), 7:30 p.m., Saturday. The Red Bulls are the second-hottest team in MLS with three consecutive wins and 11 goals in that span. Montreal is too talented to have just 24 points.
7. Columbus (10-10-1) at Real Salt Lake (7-12-3), 8 p.m. Saturday. The Crew have won two consecutive games since losing 2-0 to the Five Stripes. Real Salt Lake is quietly trending in the right direction with three positive results in their past three games.
8. Seattle (8-7-6) at L.A. Galaxy (6-10-4), 10 p.m. Saturday. Seattle has won three consecutive games and seems to play better without Jordan Morris than with him right now. That seems unlikely to continue. The Galaxy, meanwhile, have lost five consecutive.
9. Columbus (10-10-1) at Philadelphia (6-9-5), 7:30 p.m., Wednesday. The Union have lost two consecutive games as they continue their roller-coaster season.
10. Colorado (6-11-2) at San Jose (7-9-5), 8 p.m. Saturday. San Jose has lost three consecutive games and given up 12 goals in that span. Yikes.
11. Philadelphia (6-9-5) at New England (6-9-5), 7:30 p.m., Saturday.
12. D.C. United (5-13-3) at Minnesota United (5-12-4), 8 p.m. Saturday.
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