It was one of the busiest weeks of the 2026 MLS season so far, with two managers leaving their posts after mixed results to the season. On Matchday 8, interim bosses make their debuts, looking to impress and earn permanent roles.
The quickly approaching 2026 World Cup brings a pivotal period for players and clubs throughout North America. Hitting top form heading into the break increases both on-pitch prospects and the ability to boost profiles in anticipation of soccer’s expected popularity boom following the biggest World Cup in history.
This weekend’s MLS slate sees one match on Friday night, featuring the Supporters’ Shield-leading Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as 13 matches on Saturday and a Sunday Night Soccer showcase match featuring LAFC and California rivals, the San Jose Earthquakes.
Here’s what Sports Illustrated predicts for the eighth week of MLS in 2026.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Sporting Kansas City
- Date: Friday, April 17
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT
It’s a rare Friday match for Vancouver Whitecaps and Sporting Kansas City, as the top team in the league hosts the bottom side in the Western Conference at BC Place.
The match comes in the wake of superstar Thomas Müller urging more fans to attend the stadium, despite the Whitecaps already averaging 24,025 per game, ranking 10th in MLS. Still, he sees the potential of more people in the stands as a greater pressure to keep the team in Vancouver, with the club up for sale and relocation a possibility.
With a large crowd expected, Vancouver will look to keep surging. They come off 2–0 win over New York City FC last week, which brought Brian White back among the goals to bring him to six in seven matches, and another standout performance from Sebastian Berhalter, who set up Mathías Laborda for a set-piece goal.
Leading MLS in goals with 18 and goal differential with +15, the Whitecaps are heavily favored against a SKC side that lacks depth and currently sits 27th in the league table, having scored just seven goals and conceded 17.
Prediction: Vancouver Whitecaps 4–0 Sporting Kansas City
Toronto FC vs. Austin FC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 1:00 p.m.ET / 10:00 a.m. PT
Toronto FC’s momentous nine-game home stand continues to kick off the Saturday slate, as Josh Sargent and the Reds welcome their former winger Jayden Nelson and Austin FC to BMO Field.
Since dropping a 3–0 result to Vancouver on Feb. 28, Toronto have been in stellar form, steadily improving each week, entering Saturday’s matchup on a five-game unbeaten run, which has seen them pick up three victories and two draws.
Much of that has come down to Sargent’s integration and the continued standout play from former Dániel Sallói, who has two goals and an assist for the Canadian side.
Coming up against Austin FC will provide a solid test for manager Robin Fraser’s group, needing to shut down the attacking likes of Myrto Uzuni, Christian Ramírez and Facundo Torres, as well as the potential desire of Nelson to score against his boyhood club.
At the same time, Los Verdes are reeling after a 2–1 loss to USL Championship side Louisville City FC in the U.S. Open Cup and are in search of a first victory in six games across all competitions.
Prediction: Toronto FC 2–1 Austin FC
CF Montréal vs. Red Bull New York
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 2:30 p.m.ET / 11:30 a.m. PT
The first new manager in MLS will make his debut on Saturday afternoon, as Philippe Eullaffroy steps onto the touchline for the recently fired Marco Donadel. With the club having one win in seven games and just eight goals scored, there is not much room for fortunes to turn anywhere but up.
While Eullaffroy’s roster did not magically improve, he hopes to lead the team to the so-called “new coach bump,” leaning on Prince Owusu’s four goals in seven games, as well as Wiki Carmona’s standout moments.
It won’t be easy, however, coming up against a Red Bull New York side that has 11 points in seven games and picked up a 2–2 draw with Inter Miami in MLS last week, before a 3–1 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in U.S. Open Cup play. Even though Montréal won the meeting earlier this season, the Red Bulls still enter as favorites north of the border, buoyed by teenagers Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti.
Prediction: CF Montréal 1–3 Red Bull New York
Colorado Rapids vs. Inter Miami
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 4:30 p.m.ET / 1:30 p.m. PT
The weekend’s most highly anticipated feature will see Lionel Messi lead his Inter Miami side in front of an expected crowd of more than 60,000 fans at Empower Field at Mile High, taking on the Colorado Rapids, who are celebrating 30 years as an MLS franchise.
It will mark Guillermo Hoyos’s first match in charge of the Herons, after he stepped into an interim managerial role and left his job as sporting director with the hopes of turning the team’s fortunes after reported frustrations led to now-former manager, Javier Mascherano, leaving his post. At the same time, it likely marks the greatest influence Messi has had over a single match, given his relationship with his “football father,” Hoyos, and his reported tactical frustrations with Mascherano.
While the Herons look to the new man on the touchline to improve from 3-1-3 in the first seven games, they face a challenging Colorado Rapids side that dismantled the Houston Dynamo 6–2 on Matchday 7 and has incredible belief under new manager Matt Wells.
Prediction: Colorado Rapids 2–2 Inter Miami
Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Nashville SC made history midweek, becoming the first MLS team to win at Mexico City’s famed Estadio Azteca, defeating Liga MX giants Club América 1–0 to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals against Deportivo Toluca, the reigning Liga MX champions.
With that fixture in the rearview and the upcoming two-legged tie with Toluca, expect Nashville to heavily rotate the team this week, likely giving a break to each of Hany Mukhtar and Christian Espinoza, while striker Sam Surridge continues to recover from a slight muscle injury that held him out of the América match.
Still, manager B.J. Callaghan’s side has rotated in two prior matches this season and has come out victorious both times, making it a certain possibility it could do the same this weekend. Add in that they are up against an Atlanta United side that is riding a three-game losing skid, and that has won just once in seven games, and the Coyotes should be feeling pretty good going into Saturday.
Prediction: Atlanta United 1–2 Nashville SC
FC Cincinnati vs. Chicago Fire FC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Is it too early to call this one the “Neymar Transfer Rumor Derby?”
Fittingly, in the week that FC Cincinnati have been linked with Brazilian legend Neymar, they face the first MLS team to make an approach for him, the Chicago Fire. The two sides have been hunting for a big-name superstar over the last two seasons, with each of Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller and Weston McKennie previously linked to at least one of the two sides.
Alas, the match goes on without any legends from across the Atlantic. FC Cincinnati will look to Evander to improve his form after no goals in seven games this season, as well as Pavel Bucha, who is seeking a strong run in the final weeks before Czechia’s World Cup roster unveiling.
For Chicago, all eyes are on the health of Hugo Cuypers, who has not played since March 21, a match in which he scored for the fourth game in a row. Plus, winger Jonathan Bamba will be unavailable due to personal reasons. With the pair likely out of the team, manager Gregg Berhalter’s side will lean on Maren Haile-Selassie and Philip Zinckernagel to fill the gaps.
Prediction: FC Cincinnati 1–1 Chicago Fire
New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Have the New England Revolution hit their stride under new manager Marko Mitrović? With two straight clean-sheet wins and just three goals allowed in the last four games, it certainly seems they might have.
This weekend sees the Revs welcome the Columbus Crew to Gillette Stadium as they wind down a three-game home stand that has seen them defeat CF Montréal 3–0 and D.C. United 1–0. With those two opponents tucked away, the challenge against Columbus is a small step up, but still within reach of a likely win for the group, especially considering Luca Langoni’s attacking form and Matt Turner’s rekindled prowess between the sticks.
On the Crew side of the ledger, this week marks the first in what could be a challenging spell, after losing star striker Wessam Abou Ali to an ACL tear, leaving the team without the marquee signing for the remainder of 2026. In his place, each of Jamal Thiaré and Dániel Gazdag will need to step up in a way they have never done for Columbus, with manager Henrik Rydström tasked with finding a tactical solution.
Prediction: New England Revolution 2–0 Columbus Crew
New York City FC vs. Charlotte FC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
New York City FC were listless in last week’s loss to Vancouver Whitecaps, being outshot 28–8 and falling 2–0, despite a standout performance from Matt Freese between the sticks. Now returning to their secondary baseball abode of the New York Mets’ Citi Field, Pascal Jansen’s side will hope for a better performance against Charlotte FC.
Much of any improvement is likely to come from further creativity from Nicolás Fernández and Maxi Moralez in the attacking midfield, while the defensive midfield duo of Keaton Parks and Aiden O’Neill looks to slow the pace of play and bring things under control.
For Charlotte, bouncing back after a loss to a rotated Nashville SC side will be a key focus, ensuring that the group doesn’t stray too far from the three wins in four games it had mustered before the defeat. To do so, they look to build on a 6–0 win over Charlotte Independence in the U.S. Open Cup, while likely relying on Idan Toklomati and Ashley Westwood to control the game on the smaller baseball field pitch.
Prediction: Charlotte FC 2–0 New York City FC
Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Two struggling sides take on each other in the Florida humidity this week, as Orlando City’s one win in seven games matches up against a Houston Dynamo side that is reeling after a 6–2 loss to the Colorado Rapids.
As such, this match offers a key opportunity for both sides to find some form and boost confidence after a disheartening spell—a more critical factor for Orlando, who are hoping to at least keep a sliver of MLS Cup playoff hopes alive for when French superstar Antoine Griezmann joins the club in July.
For now, the Lions lean on Croatia international Marco Pašalić to create most of the attacking moments, and will hope that Tyrese Spicer can step up in MLS play after a long-range strike in a 1–0 win over FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup. Meanwhile, Houston looks to Guilherme to muster offensive moments, with the Brazilian boasting an impressive five goals and four assists through his first six games, making him an early MLS Newcomer of the Year favorite.
Prediction: Orlando City 3–3 Houston Dynamo
Philadelphia Union vs. D.C. United
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
If Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo is merely a meeting of struggling sides, then D.C. United is looking like an MLS Cup contender when they enter this weekend’s clash against the Philadelphia Union.
While D.C. may only have two wins in their seven games this season and have not won in three games, the level of play and consistency they’ve shown under René Weiler in the manager’s first full season have been impressive.
The biggest question looming over the team is when Weiler will entrust Romania international Louis Munteanu with more time up top, potentially alongside former Union star Tai Baribo, who will look to score his second goal against his former team on the weekend. Munteanu has amassed just 121 minutes this season, but is expected to be a difference-maker in attack—could this weekend bring his first start?
For the Union, this match likely came with them wishing they had kept Baribo rather than selling him to their opponents. While a 2–1 win against CF Montréal snapped their six-game losing streak, it’s hard to see much improvement from the team, given its early-season form and lack of roster depth.
Prediction: D.C. United 2–0 Philadelphia Union
FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
FC Dallas have had a season of mixed results but are at home this week to host the LA Galaxy, riding a four-match unbeaten run that includes a pair of victories and two draws.
Led by Croatia World Cup hopeful Petar Musa and his partner up top Logan Farrington, the Hoops hope to climb the Western Conference table with a win against a Galaxy side that played on Thursday night and could be carrying some fatigue.
The Galaxy approached this matchup after a 3–0 second-leg loss to Deportivo Toluca to fall out of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, but they are more looking to build on last week’s 2–1 victory over Austin FC in MLS play. To do so, manager Greg Vanney’s side will look at João Klauss’s five goals in seven games, and recently improved form from Marco Reus, now up to two goals and three assists in seven matches.
Prediction: FC Dallas 3–2 LA Galaxy
Minnesota United vs. Portland Timbers
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
The Portland Timbers are brimming with confidence after a 2–1 win over the previously perfect LAFC last week and hope to build on that result as they face Minnesota United, which has won their last two matches.
Despite playing away from home, manager Phil Neville will hope that Kevin Kelsy’s goal against the Black and Gold can spark a run for the 21-year-old, while Kristoffer Velde and Antony continue to impress in wide areas. Meanwhile, Minnesota are likely once again without Colombian starlet James Rodríguez and will need strong performances from Kelvin Yeboah and Nectarios Triantis to secure any result on their home turf at Allianz Field.
Prediction: Minnesota United 1–1 Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake vs. San Diego FC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
Just a few months ago, few would have predicted that Real Salt Lake would be favored to come out with a win against San Diego FC, the team that made MLS look easy in its first season. Yet, here we are, with the beauty of the parity-filled league on show once again, featuring an RSL team boasting four wins and a draw in five games against a San Diego side that has not won in four matches.
Led by the youthful fearlessness of 19-year-old Zavier Gozo and 18-year-old Aiden Hezarkhani, RSL will look to continue their attacking prowess, while the defensive side focuses on shutting down San Diego’s Anders Dreyer, who has been one of the few positive attacking threats the Chrome and Azul have had this season.
With a win, Salt Lake could potentially match LAFC’s points total, sitting just three behind and in fourth place in the heavy-hitting Western Conference.
Prediction: Real Salt Lake 2–0 San Diego FC
Seattle Sounders vs. St. Louis CITY SC
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
The Seattle Sounders are back in action this week after an odd scheduling quirk saw them and Real Salt Lake sidelined for Matchday 7. With that, the Rave Green have a chance to move up to as high as third in the Western Conference, while still holding a game in hand—and they’re fully focused on MLS play now, too, after falling to Tigres UANL in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Taking on St. Louis CITY SC at home is an expected win for Seattle, given St. Louis’ continued struggles under new manager Yoann Damet, who is currently sitting on six points through seven games, good for 14th of 15 Western Conference sides.
Prediction: Seattle Sounders 3–0 St. Louis CITY SC
LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes
- Date: Sunday, April 19
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
LAFC are looking to return to winning ways in MLS play against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, after losing to the Portland Timbers in a match that saw them allow their first goals of the 2026 MLS regular season.
Yet, it won’t come as straightforwardly as they would hope, given manager Marc Dos Santos is likely to rotate his squad once again, with eyes on the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal against Tigres UANL, after eliminating Cruz Azul in midweek play. With that, expect 17-year-old Jude Terry to get some more minutes after finishing a stellar strike for his first MLS goal last weekend.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, hope to get Timo Werner back in the team after he missed the last two games, but will otherwise look to Beau Leroux, Preston Judd and Niko Tsakiris to lead the way to victory away from home.
Barring the result of Vancouver’s matchup against Sporting Kansas City, the winner of the Sunday Night Soccer showdown could also end the weekend atop the Western Conference table.
MLS Predictions: Matchday 8
| Date | Kickoff Time | Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, April 17 | 7:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. PT | Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Sporting Kansas City | 4–0 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 1:00 p.m.ET / 10:00 a.m. PT | Toronto FC vs. Austin FC | 2–1 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 2:30 p.m.ET / 11:30 a.m. PT | CF Montréal vs. Red Bull New York | 1–3 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m PT | Colorado Rapids vs. Inter Miami | 2–2 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC | 1–2 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | FC Cincinnati vs. Chicago Fire FC | 1–1 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew | 2–0 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | New York City FC vs. Charlotte FC | 2–0 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo | 3–3 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 7:30 p.m.ET / 4:30 p.m. PT | Philadelphia Union vs. D.C. United | 2–0 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT | FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy | 3–2 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT | Minnesota United vs. Portland Timbers | 1–1 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT | Real Salt Lake vs. San Diego FC | 2–0 |
| Saturday, April 18 | 9:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT | Seattle Sounders vs. St. Louis CITY SC | 3–0 |
| Sunday, April 19 | 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT | LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 1–2 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Predictions: Inter Miami Kick Off New Era Without Mascherano on Matchday 8 .
