The Philadelphia Union will return to MLS action following their third-place finish in Leagues Cup play when they visit D.C. United on Saturday.

The status of the Union’s top scorer remains uncertain. Julian Carranza has scored 10 goals in MLS play. However, a minor calf strain forced him to miss the last two games in the Leagues Cup, a 4-1 semifinal loss to Inter Miami and a 3-0 victory over CF Monterrey in the third-place game Saturday.

The Union (12-7-4, 40 points) will need all the attacking help they can get against D.C. United, who have played to two 0-0 draws at Philadelphia — one each in the Leagues Cup and the MLS regular season.

“Julian was on the field today doing his final sprinting tests,” Philadelphia manager Jim Curtin said Wednesday. “Looks like he’s moving pretty well. I’ll check in with the medical staff but I’m hoping he’s available for D.C., which would give our attack a big boost. We missed him a lot at the end of the Leagues Cup competition.”

D.C. United (8-11-6, 30 points) resumed their league schedule Sunday with a 1-0 setback on the road against the New York Red Bulls when John Tolkin scored in the 88th minute off a free kick.

The result dropped D.C. beneath the playoff line into 10th place in the Eastern Conference, two points back of CF Montreal and the Chicago Fire entering the weekend.

The match included an encouraging D.C. United debut from 21-year-old Gabriel Pirani of Brazil. The summer loan signing steps into the playmaking role vacated by the recent departure of Taxi Fountas.

“We thought Gabi was our best attacking player on the day,” D.C. assistant coach Pete Shuttleworth said this week. “We threw him straight in and let him start the game, and we’re delighted with what we came out with. His ability on the ball is good. He gives us something a little bit different.”

D.C. United need Pirani to turn that promise into production soon after scoring one goal in their last five games across all competitions. Christian Benteke has gone seven MLS games without adding to his team-leading total of eight.

–Field Level Media

Ticket prices are soaring in Harrison, N.J., and not because the New York Red Bulls are inching closer in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

With Lionel Messi on the other side of the pitch for his anticipated MLS regular-season debut with Inter Miami, the host Red Bulls are out to keep their focus and improve their place in the standings Saturday night

Messi won a club-record 34 trophies for Barcelona in Spain’s La Liga, and already has a Leagues Cup title with Inter Miami, though it is possible that the 36-year-old could enter as a substitute Saturday.

After leading Argentina to the World Cup title in December, he signed a contract through 2025 to play for Inter Miami on July 15, then scored 10 goals in eight Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup matches.

Messi will be making his MLS regular-season debut after contributing a pair of quality assists in Wednesday’s penalty-shootout win over FC Cincinnati in the semifinal of the U.S. Open Cup. He also scored last Saturday when Miami beat Nashville SC to win the Leagues Cup trophy.

“I’m living a dream,” Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender said. “Sometimes I sit down and I really think of the position I’m in, on the field with Messi, the best player in the world, and it’s unbelievable.”

As far as games that count in the MLS standings, Messi is hoping to push his new team back into contention. With 12 matches left, Miami (5-14-3, 18 points) is last in the Eastern Conference, 14 points below the playoff line, and has gone 0-8-3 in MLS play since defeating New England 2-1 on May 13.

The Red Bulls (7-9-8, 29 points), who are seeking their 14th straight playoff appearance, are three points out of the last playoff spot. They returned from the Leagues Cup break with a dramatic 1-0 victory Sunday over D.C. United.

John Tolkin scored the game-winner in the 88th minute and the Red Bulls enter their encounter with Messi after three straight home victories across all competitions.

“That should be a good one,” New York defender Sean Nealis said. “It should be a fun one. Everyone’s excited for that one.”

–Field Level Media

A visit from struggling New York City FC might be what FC Cincinnati need to win for the first time in August.

On Saturday night, FC Cincinnati aim to remain unbeaten at home this season and defeat NYCFC for a third time over all competitions in 2023 when the clubs clash in Ohio.

Cincinnati (15-3-6, 51 points) opened August by bowing out of the Leagues Cup on penalties against Nashville SC. The club then dropped a 3-0 decision at Columbus last weekend in a return to MLS action before suffering another shootout loss — in the U.S. Open Cup — to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF this week.

It’s just the second time Cincinnati has gone three consecutive matches — spanning any competition — without a victory in 2023.

“Lift your heads up and you keep going,” Cincinnati midfielder Alvaro Barreal said.

“Now we focus on MLS, and we’re in a very good way. We have to keep fighting.”

Cincinnati has outscored its opponents 24-8 while posting an 11-0-1 record at home in MLS this season. With a victory Saturday, FCC can tie the 2002 San Jose Earthquakes for most points through the first 13 home matches on a season.

FCC posted a 1-0 win over NYCFC at home in U.S. Open Cup action in May and topped the club 3-1 on the road in June. Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez (12 goals over all competitions) scored twice over those two matches, while Barreal recorded a goal with an assist.

NYCFC (5-9-11, 26 points) are six points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, have lost two straight overall and are 0-2-2 in MLS play since recording a 1-0 victory at CF Montreal in early July. That win is New York City’s lone one over the last 16 MLS matches (1-7-8).

“If we get those small details going, I think we can go for a very good run,” said defender Birk Risa, who made his NYCFC debut in last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Minnesota United.

Maxi Moralez made his return to MLS and NYCFC last weekend. He’s totaled 26 goals in 163 career league matches spanning seven seasons with the club.

–Field Level Media

Two leaders in the race for the MLS Golden Boot go head-to-head Saturday when Nashville SC visit Atlanta United.

Atlanta’s Giorgos Giakoumakis enters with 12 goals, coming off a two-goal performance in his club’s last showing, a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar leads MLS with 13.

Both clubs also are in the thick of a playoff race.

Tied on points, Atlanta (10-7-8, 38 points) and Nashville (11-8-5, 38 points) hold the sixth and seventh positions in the Eastern Conference. The United have played an additional match, while Nashville is coming off a lengthy run in the inaugural Leagues Cup competition.

Nashville also looks to defend the Southern Championship Belt, an honor contested throughout the season between Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte FC and D.C. United. In league play, Nashville has lost its last three matches.

“It’s in all our heads that it’s a rivalry game, but we’re going to approach it like it’s any other match,” Nashville midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg said. “We’re going into it with the same mindset to go down there, get three points, and come back home.”

The match could see an Atlanta debut for recent winger signing Saba Lobjanidze, who joins the club from Turkish side Hatayspor through 2026. Tristan Muyumba and Xande Silva also could see the home pitch for the first time after making their debuts last match in Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Seattle.

“One thing is their own attributes and characteristics, and the other is how the team integrates them,” United head coach Gonzalo Pineda told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of the new additions. “Both (Muyumba and Silva) aren’t 100 percent physically … but it’s impressive that those two are already impactful players.”

Nashville won the first meeting this season 3-1 at home on April 29. Mukhtar delivered two assists and Fafa Picault, Teal Bunbury and Shaffelburg found the net for Nashville. Thiago Almada converted a penalty for Atlanta.

–Field Level Media

The Columbus Crew can take a big step toward securing their playoff positioning when they host flailing Toronto FC on Saturday.

Coming off a thorough and emotional 3-0 win over Ohio rival and MLS leader FC Cincinnati, the Crew (11-7-6, 39 points) look to avoid a letdown against a Toronto club that has lost nine straight matches in all competitions (seven MLS, two Leagues Cup).

Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said staying focused is part of the maturation process for his players.

“If they want to reach the goals the goals they want to reach, you have to go through it,” he said. “We are facing a team that is struggling at the moment but they want to win. It’s all about us trying to be great about all the concepts we put in place.

“It’s not going to be an easy game because there are no easy games in MLS.”

The Crew are fifth in the Eastern Conference, one spot below home-field advantage.

Beating Toronto is crucial to their hopes because the Crew are 9-1-3 at home but only 2-6-3 on the road. After Saturday, they are away for six of the final nine matches.

Toronto (3-12-10, 19 points), winless in 10 MLS matches (0-7-3), saw some positives in a 3-2 loss to Montreal in its last match. Federico Bernardeschi scored twice, ending TFC’s streak of six consecutive goalless matches since the firing of Bob Bradley.

Still, the postseason aspirations are fading. The Reds are 13 points behind Montreal and Chicago for the final spot with nine matches left, one fewer than either of those teams.

Also, surging Inter Miami is one point behind Toronto.

“It’s not the season we wanted, but this is the reality,” Bernardeschi said. “We need to work, we need to keep going, all together like a team work hard. In my experience, the best solution is to work hard and stop thinking about outside, focus on the team, focus on work, and you exit the tough moment.”

–Field Level Media