MLS week 7 preview for Wednesday, April 18 looks at D.C. United vs Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10 p.m.
D.C. United vs Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m
Montreal need to make an Impact: The Impact face their second quick turnaround in three weeks with a visit to RFK Stadium. The team followed a 5-2 loss in New York on March 31 with a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake four days later.
- Corradi, Con Amour: When Bernardo Corradi converted a penalty kick for Montreal in their 2-1 loss at FC Dallas, it was in memoriam. Corradi was friends with Piermario Morosini, who passed away after collapsing during Saturday’s Serie B match in Italy between Livorno and Pescara.
- DeLeon the New DeRo? Rookie Nick DeLeon collected two assists vs. New England, setting up the tying and winning goals in the 2-1 win. De Leon has two goals and three assists, having played a part in five of United’s seven goals this season.
- DeRo still contributing: While he has yet to score a goal this season, reigning MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario collected his third assist of the season with an overhead kick from a corner that Maicon Santos nodded home for the opener in New England.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10 p.m
- Undefeated and It Feels So Good: Sporting Kansas City is just the second club to have taken maximum points through six games, after the 1996 Los Angeles Galaxy, who won their first nine games in regulation time. The 1998 Galaxy also started with nine games unbeaten – but won the opener in a shootout (worth one point in the standings).
- Shutout KC: Sporting Kansas City faced one shot on goal in their 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake – their first in 335 minutes (an MLS record). Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen has been called upon to make just eight saves in SKC’s first six games.
- Returning to action: Whitecaps FC return to action after a week off, seeing their MLS-record 426-minute shutout streak to start a season shredded with three goals in 11 minutes by San Jose in a 3-1 loss.