MLS notebook: MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star game in LA. Is a merger between the two leagues on the horizon?

• 2021 MLS All-Star game taking place Wednesday in Los Angeles
• New England Revolution remain atop power rankings
• New player, coach could spurn Atlanta United's MLS playoff push

The two top domestic soccer leagues in North America – Major League Soccer and Liga MX – finally will settle once and for all (well, that might be a bit of a stretch) which has the best players when their highly anticipated All-Star showdown takes place Wednesday at Los Angeles' Banc of California Stadium (9 p.m. ET on FS1/Univision).

The night before will be highlighted by the All-Star skills challenge (9 p.m. ET on FS1/TUDN) that features five different events: The shooting challenge, touch challenge, cross and volley challenge, passing challenge, and the crossbar challenge.

The combined All-Star game (and skills challenge) is the latest step in the growing bromance between MLS and Liga MX. The All-Star game represents the third tentpole event for the two leagues, joining the Leagues Cup – which opened play last week – and the Campeones Cup – which will be contested between the 2020 MLS Cup-winning Columbus Crew and Cruz Azul, winners of the 2021 Campeón de Campeones, on Sept. 29 at Lower.com Field.

Is there a further step to be taken in the relationship between the two leagues? Could the two leagues ultimately merge into one massive North American league?

FIFA, which has in the past been against such regional competitions (i.e. the proposed European Super League), might support such an endeavor.

"I think the potential in the United States and Mexico is enormous, each country by itself," FIFA's president Gianni Infantino said in March. "But, of course, if you could bring those two together that would be incredible and that could quite well be the best league in the world."

In June, MLS commissioner Don Garber said that, "together, the combined forces of both leagues is going to be far more valuable to our fans and everyone who cares about our sport than if we were to try to go it alone."

And Liga MX president Mikel Arriola seemed to echo those sentiments by saying, "working together, we can become one of the strongest regions in the world."

It would be quite something if Liga MX and MLS merged to form a three-country, 40-plus team league.

Here is what you need to know for the weekend in MLS:

MLS game of the week

Columbus Crew vs. Seattle Sounders (Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX): This rematch of last season's MLS Cup – won by the Crew, 3-0 – features two teams heading in opposite directions. While the Seattle Sounders – who are trending toward adding to their league record of 12 consecutive playoff appearances – are a championship contender once again this season, the reigning champion Crew are flirting with the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. While the 2020 MLS Cup was held at historic Crew Stadium – then called Mapfre Stadium – this interconference showdown will take place at Columbus' new Lower.com Field.

MLS player to watch

Luiz Araújo, Atlanta United: The Five Stripes' newest designated player made his debut Wednesday night, starting against Toronto FC and playing 67 minutes as Atlanta prevailed, 1-0. Atlanta now has gone four matches unbeaten under interim coach Rob Valentino, who soon will give way to recently hired head coach Gonzalo Pineda. Expect to see Araujo – the 25-year-old Brazilian forward acquired Aug. 6 from the reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille – become a major part of Atlanta's playoff push.

By the numbers

2: As in brothers in Wednesday's MLS All-Star game, when Alex and Cristian Roldan will make league history, marking the first time that a pair of brothers have been named to the MLS All-Star team in the same year. Jonathan and Giovanni dos Santos also were MLS All-Stars, but in different years (2018 and 2019 for Jonathan; 2016 and 2017 for Giovanni). During this summer's Concacaf Gold Cup, the Roldan brothers represented two different national teams. Cristian was a part of the USMNT that won the tournament, while Alex played for El Salvador, the home country of their mother.

MLS news and notes

Sounders have record night in Portland: The Seattle Sounders clobbered their Cascadia rivals, 6-2, at Providence Park in Portland on Sunday. The Sounders' six goals represented the most the team has scored in an away match since a 6-2 win over Chivas USA on Aug. 25, 2012 in Carson, California. Fredy Montero and Raúl Ruidíaz each scored two goals, with Ruidiaz moving into the pole position of the MLS Golden Boot race. Jimmy Medranda's 77th minute goal is a must-watch MLS goal of the year candidate. The Timbers, meanwhile, can exact some revenge when the two teams meet next Sunday (on ESPN).

Klinsmann the younger stellar in spot start for Galaxy: Jonathan Klinsmann has been serving as a backup to newcomer Jonathan Bond for the Los Angeles Galaxy's first 18 games of the season, but the son of former USMNT coach Jürgen Klinsmann got a spot start on the road against Minnesota United. The 24-year-old 'keeper did not disappoint, making a number of game-saving stops – he had seven saves total – while registering a clean sheet against the Loons.

KD sighting at Subaru Park: Olympic gold medal winner Kevin Durant – a part-owner of the Philadelphia Union – was on site for the Union's big 1-0 win over New York City FC at Subaru Park on Wednesday night.

Durant, who owns a 5% ownership stake in the defending MLS Supporters' Shield winners, congratulated Union coach Jim Curtin after the big victory, which really tightened up the Eastern Conference standings with one point separating four teams (with the Union, Nashville SC, NYCFC and Orlando City in that mix).

MLS rankings: Top 10 power poll

1. New England Revolution: Bruce Arena's Revs extended their unbeaten streak to eight games with Wednesday night's win against DC United.

2. Sporting Kansas City: SKC is going to have to stay on top of its game in order to keep pace with a resurgent Seattle Sounders team in the Western Conference. A four-game unbeaten streak has helped keep the margin close atop the standings.

3. Seattle Sounders: The Sounders can get a small amount of vengeance Saturday against the Columbus Crew, who defeated Seattle in the 2020 MLS Cup.

4. New York City FC: NYCFC had its six-game unbeaten streak in league play come to an end against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.

5. Los Angeles Galaxy: Greg Vanney has thrust himself among the favorites for coach of the year honors by turning the Galaxy – which has missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons – into a legitimate Western Conference contender.

6. Nashville SC: Nashville's "Big Three" of Randall Leal, Hany Mukhtar and CJ Sapong continues to thrive, scoring 14 of their team's 19 goals since July 3.

7. Colorado Rapids: With Tuesday night's road win against the LA Galaxy, the Rapids now have won three straight on the road for the first time in 12 years.

8. Orlando City SC: A draw Wednesday night against Nashville SC means the four teams behind New England in the Eastern Conference – Nashville, NYCFC, Philadelphia and Orlando – are all within a point of each other.

9. Philadelphia Union: Perhaps the presence Wednesday night of Olympic gold medal-winner Kevin Durant – who is a part-owner of the team – inspired the Union to defeat NYCFC and become a part of that Eastern Conference logjam.

10. Minnesota United: The Loons are ascending after a rough start to the season and have put themselves in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. A good litmus test of this team's strength could come during the renewal of the "Nicest Rivalry in Sports" Saturday in Kansas City.

Others receiving votes: Club de Foot Montréal

USA TODAY Sports Network MLS top 10 power poll voters: Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer; Mike Craven, Austin American-Statesman; Drake Hills, The Tennessean; Jacob Myers, The Columbus Dispatch; Jim Reineking, USA TODAY.

MLS schedule: What are this weekend's games?

(ABC/ESPN games available to be streamed on Watch ESPN; FOX games on FOX Sports Live. Games also available on fuboTV.) 

Friday

• Los Angeles Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Saturday

• Minnesota United vs. Sporting Kansas City, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• Columbus Crew vs. Seattle Sounders, 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
• DC United vs. Atlanta United, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Inter Miami CF vs. Toronto FC, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• New England Revolution vs. FC Cincinnati, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Orlando City SC vs. Chicago Fire FC, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Philadelphia Union vs. CF Montreal, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Austin FC vs. Portland Timbers, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
• Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Los Angeles FC, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+)