The Pitch: Lodeiro & Suárez Reunite in Florida Rivalry Game

The second week of action kicks off on Saturday with Real Salt Lake, led by Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango, hosting the Colombian forward’s former club, Los Angeles Football Club (2 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass). Arango scored the game-winning goal the last time these two sides met, and he’ll look to do the same here in RSL’s first home game of 2024.

Back on the East coast, Inter Miami CF forward Luis Suárez and Orlando City SC midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro will be on the same field together for the first time since they started for Uruguay at the 2019 Copa América. Both newcomers to their respective clubs this season, a full circle moment awaits these old friends during their first tastes of this rivalry match (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass / FOX).

Saturday night’s slate of fixtures comes to an end with a trio of 10:30 p.m. ET games, including the storied Cali Clasico between the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes (MLS Season Pass). The Earthquakes are winless in their last four against the Galaxy but with the energy of a home-opening crowd behind them, this could be their moment to reclaim bragging rights.

Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will also celebrate their 50th anniversaries as professional soccer clubs at their home openers this weekend. Both clubs will look to earn their first wins of the season as the Whitecaps welcome Charlotte FC (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) and the Sounders host Austin FC (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

A bond of brotherhood will face the heat of a rivalry for the first time as Orlando City’s Nicolás Lodeiro -squares off against fellow countryman and close friend Luis Suárez and his Inter Miami squad on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass). The Uruguayan duo competed together for the national team and were teammates during the early stages of their careers at AFC Ajax of the Netherlands’ Eredivisie from 2010-11.

Loderio, who arrived in Orlando during the offseason, has long been recruiting his compatriot to play in Major League Soccer, even presenting the dynamic striker with a Seattle Sounders jersey while on international duty together in 2017. However, it was Suárez who helped make Lodeiro’s initial contract in Seattle happen. When chatting with then-Sounders general manager Garth Lagerway during his MLS recruitment in 2016, language would often be a point of frustration for Lodeiro. On one occasion, Suárez overhead one of Lodeiro and…