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Come Fan with UsThursday, July 2, 2026

MLS, Week 25 Preview And Matches: And They Said They Wouldn’t Play On International Dates

MLS is taking international dates off, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get to see all of your favorite players.

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MLS is so sneaky. They tout all the international dates they are taking off, and it’s true! The league isn’t playing on international dates this year so you won’t have to decide whether to watch MLS or an international match.

But they are playing a day or two before World Cup qualifiers so when you choose to watch MLS, you won’t get to see all of your favorite players. But they took international dates off!

New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew

Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. ET, MLS Live

The logos and names that most have to be changed in MLS. Let’s give this match stakes. The loser has to allow a child eight years old or younger from the winner’s city design their new logo and come up with their new name. Regardless of the child’s ability to color inside the lines or come up with a name more mature than “Pink Poopy Pineapples”, it will be an improvement.

Pick: Columbus, 2-1.

Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers

Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

NBC is going to show us these two teams twice in five days? Is it World Series of Poker season yet? Or the Great American Coma Battle? The Underwater Basket Weaving World Championships have to be right around the corner.

Pick: All of the beer.

Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake

Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live

They couldn't move the schedule around to get this game on national TV? It's only two of the league's better teams in a brand new stadium with something actually on the line. But Javier Morales and Brad Davis are no Eric Brunner and Tony Cascio.

Things that will happen before MLS puts together a sensible schedule: Mexico will be drug free, Kim Kardashian will be pregnant, Pele will anoint an unborn child the best player in the world, Bud Selig will wear a suit that fits, Texas will be its own country, nobody will care that Texas is its own country.

Pick: Houston, 2-1.

Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas USA

Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET, MLS Live

The Sounders are one of the better teams in MLS and they have done it without any internationals*. That’s pretty astounding.

* Sorry, Adam Johansson, but you shouldn’t be playing for Sweden so you don’t count.

Pick: Seattle, 2-1.

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