MLS Preview: Leaders clash as Salt Lake face Kansas City

The two MLS Conference leaders, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City, meet at the Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday.

Both sides are unbeaten in their last five MLS fixtures, with Jason Kreis’ men four points clear at the top of the Western Conference. They welcome Sporting Kansas, who sit two points ahead of Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal host FC Dallas and will be looking to bounce back from their 4-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls last time out, while Dallas also lost their last game 3-0 at home against Real Salt Lake.

There is also still plenty to play for in the lower reaches of both Conferences, and Wednesday sees two of the league’s strugglers go head to head when Chivas USA host Toronto FC.

Jose Luis Real’s side have endured a nightmare season thus far and sit bottom of the Western Conference with just three wins to their name, while Toronto are just three points ahead of basement side DC United having played a game more.

The two sides that sandwich Toronto, Chicago Fire and DC, meet on Saturday at Toyota Park on what is set to be a crucial weekend at the foot of the Eastern Conference.

Despite the Red Bulls’ impressive 4-0 win against Montreal, Mike Petke’s men are not in great form and have won just twice in five games – something they will look to put right against Toronto at BMO Field.

Vancouver Whitecaps will be looking to the league’s top scorer Camilo Sanvezzo to help them overcome LA Galaxy, who will want to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Portland Timbers.

The second-placed Timbers will look to keep pace with Real Salt Lake when they travel to Philadelphia, while it is sixth versus sixth when the Colorado Rapids take on New England Revolution on Wednesday.

Colorado are also due to play on Saturday, when they travel to CenturyLink Field to face Seattle Sounders, and New England will have to play twice in five days too, as they play Columbus Crew.