Another spate of hostile Major League Soccer duels begin Wednesday, and with the playoffs approaching, there is a lot more at stake than just bragging rights.
Can Toronto FC and Orlando City ignite a late surge for the playoffs? Will El Trafico produce yet another thrilling encounter? How can one even predict how the New York and Oregon-Washington tussles will fare?
Here are five matches to keep an eye on during MLS Rivalry Week:
Big Apple bite
Domenec Torrent and Chris Armas are acclimating to their roles at the helm of a Major League Soccer outfit, but have already felt the heat of a Big Apple derby when New York City FC trumped the Red Bulls with a 1-0 win in July.
Since then, the Red Bulls have collected three more points than the Yankee Stadium club, and it remains tight between the pair as Wednesday's hosts NYCFC are only behind one point, making them third in the Eastern Conference.
NYCFC have conceded nine goals in their last four matches, so they'll hope goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who returned to the fold in Saturday's loss in Philadelphia, will provide assurance to the backline, which will have to keep in-form Daniel Royer quiet.
Martinez chasing greatness against lousy Lions
Table-topping Atlanta United have nine matches left to play, but Josef Martinez prematurely leveled the single-season scoring record of 27 by being the first to breach the elastic Zack Steffen in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew.
The Venezuelan could surpass the mark set by Roy Lassiter in 1996 (and matched by Chris Wondolowski in 2012 and Bradley Wright-Phillips in 2014) against Orlando City on Friday. The Lions have been poor in 2018, and are only spared the ignominy of propping up the bottom of the Eastern Conference by the Chicago Fire.
Still, the close battle for the last couple of playoff positions means three points for Orlando City would keep their vague postseason chances on life support. Could James O'Connor mastermind a precious win in this increasingly lopsided rivalry?
LAFC can exact revenge in El Trafico
The first two editions of the Los Angeles feud have been gripping. LA Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired fightback from 3-0 to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 was a fitting first entry into this rivalry's history, and it lived up to the hype once more when late goals from Romain Alessandrini and Ola Kamara salvaged a 2-2 draw last month.
But all is not well at the StubHub Center, with Ibrahimovic telling MLSSoccer.com that he and his teammates "don't even deserve playoffs" after blowing a lead against the Colorado Rapids. Then, on Saturday, they were obliterated 5-0 at the Seattle Sounders.
LAFC's revenge can occur Friday. Buoyed by back-to-back 2-0 wins over Real Salt Lake and Colorado, the league's newest inductees arrive in Carson determined to end the regular season on a high. To secure a first derby win in the Galaxy's backyard would be sweet, and would give them big-game know-how that will be handy in the postseason.
Toronto FC seek relief in frustrating term
Toronto FC should've been even better than last season, but the continued improvement of Jonathan Osorio and signings of Gregory van der Wiel and Auro Jr. have been hampered by injuries to key players, lagging confidence, and a concerning lack of on-pitch urgency.
The Montreal Impact, meanwhile, are enjoying an improved second half of the campaign and rectified an unsettling four-game winless streak by seeing off the Fire by a 2-1 scoreline last time out.
There has been genuine animosity between supporters of each team, and a Saturday night kickoff in the middle of the fairground rides, artery-clogging food, and flashing primary colors of the Canadian National Exhibition should make for a unique and perhaps inebriated atmosphere at BMO Field.
West Coast wrangle has plenty at stake
Not only is this rivalry regularly dubbed the most ferocious in U.S. soccer, it is also a spat steeped in squabbles over maritime trade and, in recent times, given added bitterness from the cities' kale-scoffing yet slightly differing hipster cultures.
And ahead of Sunday's latest soccer instalment, the two teams are tantalizingly positioned sixth and seventh in the Western Conference.
The Portland Timbers host this affair after snapping a 15-game unbeaten streak in MLS with three consecutive losses, and a defeat would see them slip below their foes in the standings. The defensively tight Sounders are also brimming with confidence, taking 23 points from a possible 27 since falling 3-2 at home to Portland at the end of June.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
