PREVIEWS FOR MLS WEEK 22 and USL WEEK 20:

Major League Soccer (MLS):

Real Salt Lake (RSL) (7-12-4-25 points-8th place) vs. (Houston Dynamo (9-7-6-33 points-3rd place)-Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT-9:00 p.m. CDT-Saturday, August 5, 2017.

• Dynamo beat RSL 5-1 earlier in the season, but face a much different side with key players returning from international duty and injuries who weren’t available at the loss in Houston.
• Houston is 2-6-4 playing RSL in Utah, but have won three straight against them overall.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/08/03/real-salt-lake-vs-houston-dynamo-2017-mls-match-preview

Philadelphia Union (7-10-5-26 points-9th place East) vs. FC Dallas (9-4-7-34 points-2nd place West)-Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, PA-6:00 p.m. CDT-Saturday, August 5, 2017

• FC Dallas will be shorthanded again this week.  Atiba Harris (yellow card accumulation), Carlos Gruezo (red card suspension) will miss the match.
• Philadelphia has never beaten FC Dallas (0-5-4) in regular season MLS action.

Preview from Big D Soccer:

https://www.bigdsoccer.com/2017-season/2017/8/4/16094966/fc-dallas-vs-philadelphia-union-preview-tv-schedule-watch-online

United Soccer League (USL):

San Antonio FC (11-1-7-40 points-2nd place) vs. Orange County SC (7-5-4-25 points-9th place)-Toyota Field, San Antonio-7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 5, 2017

• San Antonio FC signed Mexican-American forward Ever Guzman for the rest of the 2017 USL season, pending league and federation clearance. Guzman joins the club with 10-plus years as a professional in the first and second divisions of Mexico and provides another needed good choice up front.
• Orange County is only one point out of a playoff spot despite having played anywhere between 2 and 5 less games than all the teams ahead of them in the standings.  It comes to San Antonio after a midweek loss to LA Galaxy 2. The team has played so few games because it has been waiting for the opening of a new stadium described in the article below:

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/17/irvines-great-park-sports-park-with-soccer-stadium-and-fields-tennis-and-volleyball-courts-opens-aug-5/

Game preview from the San Antonio FC website:

http://www.sanantoniofc.com/news_article/show/820389?referrer_id=2436046

Seattle Sounders 2 FC (S2) (7-12-2-23 points-10th place) vs. Rio Grande Valley FC (RGV FC) (6-10-4-22 points-12th place)-Starfire Sports Complex-Tukwila, WA-08:30 p.m. C.D.T.-Sunday, August 6, 2017

• The Toros finish the three game Pacific Northwest trip in Seattle tonight.  A loss to Portland and midweek draw with Vancouver leave the RGV FC in a position where wins are becoming very important to keep hopes for a playoff spot alive.
• Midfielder Jose Escalante was named as the winner of the USL Goal of the Week:

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL):

Portland Thorns (7-4-4-25 points-3rd place) vs. Houston Dash (6-7-2-20 points-6th place)-Providence Park, Portland, OR-1:00 p.m. C.D.T

Article from Four Four Two on three possible explanations for the recent Houston Dash turnaround.  They are now only 8 points out of first place and have renewed playoff hopes:

1.  Easier schedule recently (though Dash players avidly dispute this answer).
2.  Game day lineup stability since head coach Omar Morales took over a few months ago
3. US International Carli Lloyd returned from her loan to Manchester City FC.  This is maybe the best explanation. She is pretty good.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/houston-dash-2017-nwsl-season-slow-start-turnaround-carli-lloyd?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_m_medium=t