3 Must-Watch MLS Games This Weekend: LA Galaxy, Vancouver Whitecaps, Atlanta United | OneFootball

The fifth weekend of MLS action is upon us, and it comes with plenty of exciting storylines.

Even without several international players, the league continues through the FIFA window and presents enticing opportunities for some clubs that haven’t gotten off to stellar starts this season.

While Inter Miami CF and the New England Revolution have the week off, there’s still a 14-game slate to enjoy and a few matches that stand out above the rest.

Here are three must-watch games this weekend.

LA Galaxy vs. Minnesota United - (Saturday, 4:30 pm ET)

LA Galaxy forward Christian Ramirez finds himself in a little bit of form and will look to bring that against a depleted Minnesota United side on Saturday / Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images

The LA Galaxy have not had a fun start to the season. Yet, with less-than-ideal results comes a weekend flush with possibility.

Head coach Greg Vanney’s team will only be missing two young rotational players this weekend and have their allotment of healthy first-team players as they face a call-up-ridden Minnesota United.

Last weekend, the Galaxy battled their way to a 1–1 draw against the Portland Timbers, and new striker signing Christian Ramirez netted his first MLS goal for the club after previously scoring his first in the Concacaf Champions Cup midweek.

The Galaxy also come into the matchup with a whole week of rest, after looking fatigued against Portland, having balanced MLS and Champions Cup schedules. That factor will only help them, especially considering their personnel advantage against the Loons.

Minnesota will have to navigate this weekend without key starting players. No. 1 goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and starting striker Tani Oluwaseyi are away with Canada. At the same time, the backline takes a hit with Carlos Harvey and Michael Boxall representing Panama and New Zealand.

In midfield, they’ll have to navigate a battle against LA’s Mark Delgado, Diego Fagundez and Marco Reus without the help of Robin Lod as he joins Finland.

Eric Ramsay has proven himself an adaptable head coach through his time in MLS, but missing key players is never easy. This weekend is even more challenging, facing a win-hungry team like the Galaxy, while the Loons hope to bounce back from blowing a 3–0 lead against Sporting Kansas City on Matchday 4.

If LA wins this, that’s nearly expected. If Minnesota pulls it out? Well, things would just get a whole lot worse for the Galaxy.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Chicago Fire FC - (Saturday, 7:30 pm ET)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter will face his dad's Chicago Fire FC on Saturday night / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Vancouver Whitecaps FC have been the hottest team in MLS this season, sitting atop the table at 4-0-0 to start the campaign. They’re just the seventh team in the 30-year history of MLS to reach that mark off the start.

This weekend, they will host Chicago Fire FC but will miss many key players due to injuries and international duty.

Captain and key midfielder Ryan Gauld remains with a muscle injury, as does left-back Sam Adekugbe. Brian White (USMNT), Ali Ahmed (Canada), Andres Cubas (Paraguay) and Pedro Vite (Ecuador) are also missing while with their national teams.

Chicago will only miss two players in Brian Gutierrez (USMNT) and Omari Glasgow (Guyana), keeping most of their key performers, including Andrew Gutman and Hugo Cuypers, who scored in their first win of 2025 against Toronto FC on Matchday 3.

Considering the absences, it will be fairly even, but the question facing Vancouver is whether they will be able to keep their new setup that has worked under head coach Jesper Sørensen. So far, their possession-based and patient tactical identity has allowed depth players to shine, but they will see just how deep the roster is.

Expect a front three of Jayden Nelson, Daniel Rios and J.C. Ngando for the ‘Caps, three players who have all had their flashes this season but are not as proven in attack as they challenge a Chicago backline that has looked porous at times.

Chicago are the only other team in MLS to win in Canada this season and have the added benefit of not missing many players. Head coach and former USMNT Gregg Berhalter will also get to coach against his son for the first time, with Sebastian Berhalter likely starting for the Whitecaps.

It’s a depleted team with a critical identity, a developing Fire side and some family battles. It should be fun.

FC Cincinnati vs. Atlanta United - (Saturday, 2:30 pm ET)

Atlanta United forward Emmanuel Latte Lath will hope to lead his depleted team to victory against FC Cincinnati. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta United have eight players missing, but if they can pull off a win against a Kévin Denkey-less FC Cincinnati, it may go down as one of the best international window wins in MLS history.

The Ronny Deila head coaching era has gotten off to a rocky start in Atlanta, and they’ll hope to get back to earning points after heartbreakingly falling 2–1 to Inter Miami CF on Matchday 4.

However, they must do it without Luis Abram (Peru). Miguel Almirón (Paraguay), Luke Brennan (USA U20), Noah Cobb (USA U20), Ajani Fortune (Trinidad & Tobago), Stian Gregersen (Norway), Efrain Morales, (Bolivia) and Bartosz Slisz (Poland).

Talk about a tactical challenge for Deila, yet one that offers some intriguing options, given Atlanta’s depth and ability to draw on key remaining players such as Emmanuel Latte Lath––who scored against Miami and wasn’t called up to the Ivory Coast, as well as Saba Lobjanidze and Aleksey Miranchuk.

Miranchuk, the Russian midfielder, may even benefit from the absences. Despite playing different positions, he and Almiron have clashed tactically at times, whereas without the Paraguayan midfielder, he may be able to take more control in transitional midfield areas.

If Atlanta can get Miranchuk in form, that only helps them for when Almiron comes back in the picture, especially if they can adjust to keep the former Newcastle United man in wide areas.

FC Cincinnati's Evander has yet to reach his top level in MLS in 2025 / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

For Cincinnati, the game comes with hopes of finding some goalscoring form away from Denkey. Through four matches, they’ve scored four goals, three of which have come from the $16.2 million Togo international.

Without him in the lineup, look for Evander to take on more attacking responsibilities and potentially exploit Atlanta’s weakened and irregular backline.

This game could have seen an intense striker battle of Latte Lath and Denkey, but even as is, it presents several enticing storylines for two of the most intriguing roster builds of the 2025 MLS season.