Our football writer previews round 21 of Major Soccer League, which gets underway on Thursday.
Major League Soccer football is back! Time to take a look at how round 21 might unfold as the season is about to reach its climax. The battle for MLS Cup spots is getting more and more interesting with twists and drama in store for every football fan around the globe. Let’s predict the outcomes and make some money.
Thursday 20 July
Montreal Impact 19/20 | Draw 5/2 | Philadelphia Union 51/20
Montreal Impact are walking a thin line knowing their campaign can either be good or go horribly wrong. With three games in hand on sixth-placed Columbus Crew, they lie ninth on the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points after 17 games. They can either try to close the seven-point gap or be content with staying above the bottom two. They’ve lost two and won one of their last three games, scoring four goals and conceding seven times.
Having played a game more, Philadelphia Union are just two points above their opponents and slipping up is not an option. They go into this one on the back of a morale boosting 2-2 draw against EPL club Swansea. This match will be won on narrow margins and Philadelphia are tipped to come out on top.
New York City 8/10 | Draw 26/10 | Toronto FC 29/10
Lying third on the Eastern Conference standings, New York City still have a slight chance of avoiding the MLS Cup playoffs. After being defeated surprisingly by Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 in their most recent encounter, they will be looking to return to winning ways.
Toronto FC are second on the log and they’re five points clear of them. They will be hoping to continue their dominance when it comes to head to head statistics, having only lost one of their recent seven meetings with New York City. Toronto FC will once more outshine their opponents and open an eight-point gap between them.
New York Red Bulls 11/20 | Draw 3/1 | SJ Earthquakes 9/2
New York Red Bulls are only two points adrift of the top six of the Eastern Conference and they just need to win and pray that Columbus Crew drops points to make the play-off places. They have collected maximum points over their last five games which show just how serious they are about breaking into the MLS Cup places and hopefully staying there until the end of the season.
San Jose Earthquakes are fifth on the Western Conference log and can end the round as high as third or as low as seventh, depending on the results of other games as well. They’re in a situation where making your own luck is essential and they’ve just thrashed German side Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 in a friendly and defeated LA Galaxy 3-2 in the US Open Cup. San Jose Earthquakes’ morale will be enough to inspire them to a win here.
Minnesota 18/10 | Draw 24/10 | Houston Dynamo 27/20
Minnesota come into this clash on the back of a three match winless run. They have lost two and drawn one of their last two matches. They anchor the Western Conference table with only 18 points after 19 games. The last time they played Houston Dynamo the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
By contrast, Houston Dynamo are third on the table and chasing a top two spot. They have also been blowing hot and cold in MLS and US Open Cup games recently with away fixtures being their trickiest assignments. They haven’t won any of their five away games but they haven’t suffered a defeat in any of the last five matches they hosted. Houston Dynamo are stronger than Minnesota but their away game woes will continue and the match will end in a draw.
LA Galaxy 17/20 | Draw 26 /10 | Vancouver Whitecaps 28/10
LA Galaxy haven’t enjoyed one of their best seasons so far but they lie eighth on the Western Conference and a win will give them a chance to compete for a top six finish, which would salvage a near disastrous season for them. They’ve just locked horns with Manchester United in an international friendly that ended in a 5-2 victory for the Red Devils. Even before then, they had lost their previous three games.
After surprisingly beating New York City 3-2 in a scintillating league game, Vancouver Whitecaps’ momentum will be tested away from home. They’re a free scoring team that has also been generous to their opponents. Over the last five games, they’ve found the back of the net nine times and let in 10 goals. I’m expecting both teams to attack each other and a high scoring game is in store with LA Galaxy claiming the three points.
Portland Timbers 6/10 | Draw 3/1 | Real Salt Lake 38/10
Portland Timbers lie fourth on the Western Conference standings and will be looking to consolidate their place or even break into the top two. They have drawn all their recent three games and lost the two matches before those but managing to find the back of the net in all five matches.
Giving a star-studded Manchester United team a run for their money in a 2-1 defeat should give Real Salt Lake courage to be audacious against their American counterparts. They’re ninth on the Western Conference log and they will need a mighty miracle over the next few games to finish in the top six. I foresee this one ending in a draw.
Seattle Sounders 5/10 | Draw 3/1 | DC United 47/10
Lying seventh on the Western Conference standings, Seattle Sounders are tied on points with sixth-placed Vancouver Whitecaps and they just have to win their game and hope for the best. They have also played two games more, therefore they know that picking up points is a must. Sounders have recorded two victories and two draws over their last five league games, going down just once.
On the flip side, DC United are rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference table with no realistic top six chance. The team is really performing poorly in the league with four defeats from their last five games. This will be a comfortable victory for the hungry Sounders.
Written by Benedict Ngwenya for @Hollywoodbets.net
Bet on these matches now at Hollywoodbets.net! Haven’t got an account? Open one here!
