MLS PREVIEW 19 Sep 2026: Columbus and Montréal carry cup-final places into a crowded MLS Saturday

Four fixtures round out Saturday's MLS card, and the model's clearest read of the night belongs to Gillette Stadium, where it makes New England Revolution clear favourites at home to Orlando City SC, giving the Revolution better than a coin flip at 56 percent. Its tightest reading is at Audi Field, where D.C. United host Charlotte FC: only six points separate the two sides, 34 to 40 in Charlotte's favour, with a 26 percent chance of a draw. CF Montréal's meeting with Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes' visit from LAFC both land as close, competitive calls, with a modest lean to each home side.

CF Montréal and Columbus Crew arrive off contrasting midweek assignments but a shared distinction: both have booked a place in a cup final next month. Montréal beat Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 on aggregate, Prince Owusu scoring twice in the second leg, to reach the Canadian Championship final against Forge FC on 21 October. Columbus beat Orlando City SC 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final the same week, Josef Martinez opening the scoring and Brais Mendez adding the second, and will face St. Louis City for that trophy, also on 21 October. Interim head coach Philippe Eullaffroy said afterward that Montréal's semi-final could have been more comfortable than it was, and Columbus's Josef Martinez said the team's attention has already turned back to the league. Montréal will again be without Frankie Amaya and Josh-Duc Nteziryayo, and have also lost Wikelman Carmona to a training-ground knee injury that will keep him out for several weeks; Columbus are missing Rudy Camacho, Sekou Bangoura and Wessam Abou Ali.

At Audi Field, D.C. United go into the game unbeaten in their last three matches and unbeaten this season whenever they have kept a clean sheet; goalkeeper Sean Johnson recorded his sixth shutout of the campaign in a scoreless draw at home to Atlanta United last time out. Tai Baribo leads the team with fourteen goals this season, and Louis Munteanu, who scored in the corresponding meeting with Charlotte last month, has six goals and four assists. Charlotte come into the game unbeaten in seven and looking to finish a three-match road trip unbeaten, with captain Ashley Westwood back after a suspension picked up on a red card against Houston Dynamo, and David Schnegg, who scored against the club that released him in January, in that same August meeting, also available again after a separate card-accumulation ban. Charlotte's build-up follows a 3-3 draw at home to FC Cincinnati, and head coach Dean Smith has pointed to D.C. United's defensive discipline as the thing his side must break down.

The clearest of the four calls belongs to New England, at home to Orlando City SC for the first time since 23 August. The Revolution arrive off a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire in which Dor Turgeman had a goal and an assist; New England are unbeaten this season whenever Turgeman scores, and he has four goal contributions in his last five games. Carles Gil leads MLS in chances created this season, and Daniel Gazdag is set to make his 150th MLS start. Orlando, despite the model's read, arrive on a five-game unbeaten run and had conceded only two goals across their previous three wins, with Maxime Crépeau recording five clean sheets in that span, before the run stalled in midweek when Columbus beat them in the Open Cup semi-final, Martin Ojeda scoring Orlando's goal. Antoine Griezmann was substituted in that game and is a doubt to travel, which would end a run of eight goals in ten appearances since he joined the club; Daryl Dike is the likely replacement. New England head coach Marko Mitrović said of the visitors: "If we look purely on recent form, they are one of the best teams in the league."

San Jose's game with LAFC is the other close call. The Earthquakes have won three straight without defeat after ending an eight-match winless run, the latest a 1-0 win over Houston in which Daniel Munie scored the only goal and new signing Angus Gunn kept a five-save clean sheet. San Jose will again be without Timo Werner, but Niko Tsakiris has returned from a groin injury to produce a goal and three assists in his last three appearances. LAFC arrive having won only once in their last eight games, including four defeats away from home, and head coach Marc Dos Santos pointed to a lack of first-half compactness to fix after LAFC's 3-1 defeat at Sporting Kansas City, in which Denis Bouanga scored their goal. Bouanga has ten goals against San Jose among 121 for the club and sits one short of Carlos Vela's all-time LAFC scoring record, while Son Heung-min sits second in MLS this season for assists.