Compete for real prizes in the free-to-play Sorare Academy this weekend

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The competition has been heating up in the Sorare Academy over the summer, with the Major League Soccer (MLS) games providing a bucket-load of goals and plenty of fun!

Don’t forget that you can enter a team for free every week in the Sorare Academy and be in with a chance of winning a Limited card.

The deadline this week, as ever, is on Friday at 11am BST.

Guest writer and Sorare expert MDJ talks us through this week’s MLS eye-catchers…

Last gameweek

Fifteen more managers secured a Limited card prize last week. Top of our leaderboard was manager isimyok with this team – a neat combo of a Philadelphia defensive stack and a Los Angeles attacking duo:

We’re more than halfway through the regular season, so it’s getting easier to see the players and teams to target and those to stay clear of. Form could be crucial this Gameweek, with some close match-ups between the better teams in the league.  

Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia are having a good season and are currently level on points at the top of the Eastern Conference, largely due to their ridiculously stingy defence. Their 7-0 demolition of D.C. United last weekend was a nice boost for their goal difference and was also a record-breaker – the most goals they’ve ever scored in a single game.

New England Revolution will be a much tougher opponent than D.C but it could be another opportunity for their defence to show their strength. Andre Blake is the go-to goalkeeper in the game with Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner all worth consideration for your defender spot.

Los Angeles FC 

Los Angeles are leading the race for the Supporters’ Shield and deservedly so. Despite a little wobble earlier in the season, they seem to be firing on all cylinders again, with all their key players making solid contributions to games.

If you’re looking for in-form players, you need to look no further than José Cifuentes and Carlos Vela. With averages exceeding 70 points over the last five games, they are the overall top scorers in the MLS, from a Sorare point of view. This is due to them grabbing plenty of decisive scores for goals and assists, as well as having a good score base from their all around play. 

Nashville are a decent team so Los Angeles will have to work hard to beat them, especially on the road. Hany Mukhtar is in great form for Nashville at the moment, if you fancy backing the home side.

Portland Timbers

After a poor start to the season, Portland seem to have turned a corner in the last few weeks and are unbeaten in their last five, with 11 goals scored and only four conceded. 

Jaroslaw Niezgoda has been a factor in that turnaround. The Polish centre-forward has struggled since an ACL injury in 2021 but four goals and an assist in the last five games suggests he could be recapturing his form from a couple of years ago. 

Sebastián Blanco has looked lively in midfield and defender Claudio Bravo has been posting some ridiculous scores, including 97 last weekend, with only one decisive. Up against low-scoring Vancouver Whitecaps, he could easily put up a similar sort of score. 

New York, New York

We can’t talk about form teams without mentioning New York City. After starting the season at 100 miles per hour, they’ve dropped down a gear or two in recent weeks, dropping points against Atlanta, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Colorado Rapids.

Defensively they may look a little more vulnerable than before but their attack is just as devastating as ever so you still have to fancy them to grab a goal or two against their city rivals New York Red Bulls. There is a smorgasbord of options to choose from up front, with Talles Magno, Maximiliano Moralez and Valentín Castellanos the best of the bunch. 

It’s harder to pick a form player from the Red Bulls side of the city. Lewis Morgan is probably the best option for consistency alone, although he’s struggled to hit the high peaks that you need to in order to climb the leaderboard in this game. This is largely due to his lower all around scores, so he really needs two decisives to hit the sort of scores you need. The Hudson River Derby probably isn’t the game for that… but you never know!

My team

Below is the team I’ll be entering – barring any surprise injuries or other news in midweek:

As well as the players I’ve mentioned above, I think Emanuel Reynoso is worth a look. He is in top form at the moment with four goals and an assist in the last three games. Minnesota play D.C. United at the weekend, a team that looks battered and broken, with rock-bottom levels of confidence. For me, that’s a combination too good to resist!

It’s as simple as that – pick five players and press enter! So what are you waiting for? Don’t forget to enter before the 11am Friday deadline – and good luck!

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