Two familiar Western Conference rivals meet once again as the Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. This matchup marks the 10th meeting between these teams in the past three years, more than any other Western Conference rivalry in that span. However, RSL (1-2-0, 3 points) has struggled mightily against the Dynamo (0-2-1, 1 point), managing just one regulation victory over Houston in the last two seasons—a 3-2 comeback win in Utah last July. Houston has had RSL’s number, including: Real Salt Lake suffered a 3-1 home loss to expansion side San Diego FC last Saturday, giving San Diego its first-ever MLS win. Ariath Piol provided an early spark for RSL, scoring his first MLS goal in the

New York City FC will look to build on their first victory of the season when they host a struggling New England Revolution squad Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. After a slow offensive start to the season, NYCFC (1-1-1, 4 points) broke through in their home opener last weekend with a 2-1 win over Orlando City. Alonso Martinez struck early, and Hannes Wolf provided the game-winning goal in the 71st minute. Coach Pascal Jansen knows his squad must continue improving despite facing a New England team that has yet to score this season. NYCFC swept New England last season, winning both meetings by a combined 3-0 scoreline. New England (0-2-1, 1 point) has struggled offensively, getting shut out in all

Both FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC will be looking to bounce back from disappointing results when they face off on Saturday night in Charlotte. Charlotte FC (1-1-1, 4 points) suffered a 1-0 loss at 10-man Inter Miami last Sunday, despite holding a man advantage for more than a half and not having to deal with Lionel Messi. Coach Dean Smith was frustrated by the result, especially since he felt it was his team’s best overall performance of the young season. Once Miami went down a man, Charlotte struggled to break through their opponent’s defensive setup, with Wilfried Zaha coming closest to finding an equalizer. FC Cincinnati (2-1-0, 6 points) is also looking to bounce back after a 3-1 loss to

The Big Ten Tournament semifinal between No. 7 Michigan State (27-5) and No. 18 Wisconsin (25-8) sets up a captivating showdown between contrasting styles. The Badgers put on an unprecedented shooting clinic in their quarterfinal victory over UCLA, sinking 19 of 32 three-pointers to tie the Big Ten tournament record. However, duplicating such success will be challenging against Michigan State’s nationally renowned perimeter defense. The Spartans rank second in the nation, holding opponents to a mere 27.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Wisconsin’s recent shooting performance has captured attention, especially the efficiency of first-team All-Big Ten guard John Tonge. Against UCLA, Tonge showcased his scoring ability with a flawless 6-for-6 from long range, tallying a game-high 26 points. Yet,