The temperature around Major League Soccer heats up noticeably during Rivalry Week, which, as the name suggests, packs some of the league's biggest on-field rivalries in a seven-day span.
Having launched in 1996, MLS may be one of the younger soccer leagues in the world, but there have already been a number of rivalries that have risen up organically, while others are just taking shape.
The bad blood between Montreal and Toronto that has been manifested across pro sports spilled over into MLS almost immediately, but it remains to be seen whether the same will happen between St. Louis, MLS's newest expansion side, and the city's traditional sports rivals in Kansas City and Chicago.
It didn't take much to make the NY Red Bulls and NYCFC natural enemies, while Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle are part of a unique three-way rivalry in the soccer-mad Pacific Northwest that crosses the U.S. and Canadian border and predates MLS.
The Sporting News breaks down the specific rivalry matches coming up from May 13-20, though there are several other non-rivalry contests that are part of the 41 matches slated to be played over the eight days.
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MLS soccer schedule for Rivalry Week (May 13-20)
Many of the top rivalries in MLS are happening during a span of eight days from the Canadian Classique (Montreal vs. Toronto) to the Hudson River Derby (NY Red Bulls vs. NYCFC), the Rocky Mountain Cup (Colorado vs. Real Salt Lake), and the Hell Is Real Derby (Cincinnati vs. Columbus).
The LA vs San Jose match, dubbed the Cali Clasico, is one of six rivalry matches available for free on Apple TV: no subscription needed for MLS Season Pass or Apple TV+. All fans need to do to watch those six matches is to download the Apple TV app on their device.
There's no LAFC vs. LA Galaxy match this time during Rivalry Week, arguably the biggest rivalry of them all, but those El Trafico showdowns are high-profile enough to deserve their own window.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, May 13 | Chicago Fire vs St. Louis | 1:00 p.m. | Apple TV - FREE |
| Sat, May 13 | Atlanta United vs Charlotte | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - FREE |
| Sat, May 13 | CF Montreal vs Toronto FC | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 13 | NY Red Bulls vs NYCFC | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, TSN1 (Canada) |
| Sat, May 13 | Austin FC vs FC Dallas | 8:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 13 | Sporting KC vs Minnesota | 8:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 13 | Portland vs Vancouver | 10:30 p.m. | Apple TV - FREE, TSN1 (Canada) |
| Sun, May 14 | LA Galaxy vs San Jose | 9:30 p.m. | FS1 (USA), Fubo (USA), Apple TV - FREE |
| Wed, May 17 | Philadelphia vs D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. | FS1 (USA), Fubo (USA), Apple TV - FREE |
| Sat, May 20 | FC Cincinnati vs Columbus | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 20 | Inter Miami vs Orlando City | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 20 | FC Dallas vs Houston | 8:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 20 | Colorado vs Real Salt Lake | 9:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
| Sat, May 20 | St. Louis vs Sporting KC | 9:30 p.m. | FS1 (USA), Fubo (USA), Apple TV - MLS Season Pass TSN3 (Canada) |
| Sat, May 20 | Vancouver vs Seattle | 10:30 p.m. | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass |
MORE: How much does MLS Season Pass on Apple TV cost?
What is MLS Rivalry Week?
Since 2013, Major League Soccer has made it a point to cluster some of its best rivalries into a single week or weekend, dubbing it Rivalry Week.
In some seasons, there have been two Rivalry Weeks held, made possible by the sheer number of teams that have joined the league over the past decade.
MLS has gone from 19 clubs that played in 2013 to the 29 teams that started the 2023 campaign, with more rivalries springing up based on geography.
What are the best MLS rivalries?
As in the case of rivalries across other sports, some of the most intense ones in MLS are dictated by a lengthy history, high-stakes matchups, geography, or a combination of all three.
It will take some more time for rivalries involving some of the most recent expansion teams — Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, Nashville SC, St. Louis City SC, and Austin FC — to get the same hype as the more established ones, though LAFC vs. LA Galaxy (since 2018) and Inter Miami vs. Orlando (beginning in 2020) took off right away.
Here's a list of the rivalries that have left the biggest mark on the league over the years.
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LA Galaxy vs San Jose (Cali Clasico)
The Cali Clasico features two MLS original teams and it's rooted in the NoCal vs SoCal dynamic that exists with other sports, with the often star-studded, big-money Galaxy always getting the best effort from the Earthquakes. Landon Donovan's move from San Jose to LA, a scuffle involving David Beckham, some epic Quakes comebacks, and a couple of memorable playoff battles has pushed this rivalry onto bigger stages with Stanford Stadium regularly packing over 60,000 fans.
Portland vs Seattle
The historical dynamic between the two northwestern cities has played into this rivalry over decades, dating back to their matches in the old North American Soccer League in the 1970s. The Vancouver Whitecaps, just across the USA-Canada border, are also in the Cascadia rivalry mix, but it's typically Seattle vs. Portland which garners the major headlines.
NYCFC vs NY Red Bulls (Hudson River Derby)
The arrival of NYCFC to the New York metropolitan area in 2015 was enough to spark this rivalry, with the Blues splashing the cash early in a quest to win over the Big Apple. While the Red Bulls will always have the 2016 'Red Wedding' (7-0 win at Yankee Stadium), NYCFC did beat them to the MLS Cup trophy in just their sixth season in the league (2021), while RBNY still can't win the big one after 27 years trying.
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Columbus vs FC Cincinnati (Hell is Real Derby)
Credit the religious sign that reads "Hell is Real" on the I-71 highway connecting Columbus and Cincinnati for setting the tone early for matchups between Columbus and Cincinnati. Since the rivalry kicked off in 2019, the fans and players have been part of some high-energy affairs. Columbus have enjoyed the upper hand so far, especially as FC Cincinnati have needed time to find their feet in MLS. The 2023 edition should be the most competitive yet.
LAFC vs LA Galaxy (El Trafico)
The LA Galaxy saw their new neighbors LAFC come into the league in 2018 with a slick look, new stadium, marquee players, passionate supporters, and designs on taking over the city. That's a big reason why every match between these two teams, including a couple of big playoff showdowns, has felt like more than just any game. Memorable goals by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy) and Carlos Vela (LAFC) only helped to put this LA derby on the national (and international) map. They next meet in league play on July 4 with a cup knockout match set for May 23.
Colorado vs Real Salt Lake (Rocky Mountain Cup)
Since 2005, when Real Salt Lake entered the league, these two clubs have played for a cup jointly created by the supporters of both clubs. The quest to claim that trophy, won by RSL 13 of 18 seasons, has led to some heated encounters over the years and even wilder finishes. Past player trades between both teams have only added more spice to the matchups, with Rapids legend Pablo Mastroeni the current RSL head coach.
Toronto FC vs CF Montreal (Canadian Classique)
The longstanding rivalry between the cities immediately translated to MLS with some wild encounters earning it the Canadian Classique nickname. They are also regular opponents in the Canadian Championship, which is a separate competition from MLS that saw a fan brawl break out on May 9. The incident is still being investigated.
Philadelphia vs D.C. United vs NY Red Bulls
These three teams have engaged in feisty, compelling battles, fueled by traveling supporters who make the relatively short trek to the away stadium. The fact that the three have always played in the same conference means there have been plenty of high-stakes matches — especially between MLS originals DC and NY (since 1996) — which means plenty of opportunity to breed contempt... of the sporting variety.
