MLS Betting Preview

MLS: New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders aim to maintain fine starts

We have another jam-packed weekend of MLS action to look forward to. Although there have been only four rounds of fixtures, the Eastern and Western Conferences are beginning to take shape. This preview will provide the lowdown on New England Revolution v Columbus SC and Seattle Sounders v Los Angeles FC.We will also check out the latest match odds.

New England Revolution looking to bounce back after Nashville defeat

New England Revolution were making serene progress, but they were stunned by Nashville last weekend. For Nashville, the 2-0 victory was long-awaited. The Revs, who fell behind to a 25th-minute C.J. Sapong strike, showed precious little in the first half. Revs head coach Bruce Arena tried to shake things up in the second half with a triple substitution, but it was to no avail.

After Alex Muyl doubled Nashville’s advantage, the Revs thought they could pull one back with five minutes remaining of normal time when Adam Buksa took a tumble in the penalty area. But Video Review determined there was no foul, and Nashville saw the game out. The Revs have a busy week to contend with, and it has started in an inauspicious fashion.

New England Revolution have to be quicker out of the traps

If there’s one takeaway from the Nashville loss, then it is that the Revs must be quicker coming out of the traps. Although they were much improved in the second half against Nashville, the Revs lacked a cutting edge. Arena insisted, after the Nashville defeat, that the formation didn’t affect the performance. However, the Revs have only scored five times in the MLS this term.

New England Revolution keep chopping and changing

From the outset, it seems that a pattern has emerged over the past few weeks. At various times during their first four MLS games, Arena has tweaked his system and deployed 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, and 3-5-2 setups. However, sticking with one method should provide consistency and a better understanding of players’ roles within the team.

Columbus undergo rebrand to leave fans angered

Earlier this week, Columbus announced they would drop Crew as part of their official team name, and they would now be known as Columbus SC. Some fans may feel that Crew is more prevalent. Regardless of the team name, Columbus, at the time of writing, have a game in hand over their rivals, and a win over the Revs on Sunday could galvanize their campaign.

Seattle Sounders looking comfortable at the top

The Sounders have made a flying start to the season, as they have notched up three wins and a draw from their first four MLS games. They picked up three points by beating the Portland Timbers last weekend, with Raúl Ruidíaz providing another vital contribution. Ruidíaz set the Sounders on their way to victory by scoring from the penalty spot just after the hour mark.

By converting his spot kick, Ruidíaz claimed his fifth MLS goal of the season and his value to the Sounders can’t be understated. Momentum is key and the Sounders know going into their clash on Sunday evening that they will need to keep up the intensity against Los Angeles FC, who won’t give anything away cheaply.

The Sounders’ showdown with Los Angeles FC represents a top-of-the-table clash as it sees first collide with third in the Western Conference. While LAFC suffered a narrow 2-1 loss in the LA derby last weekend against LA Galaxy, Bob Bradley has his men well drilled. LAFC will therefore be eager to mark the Galaxy defeat as merely a bad day at the office.

Seattle Sounders v Los Angeles FC: A look back at past encounters

While it is still early days in the MLS season, it is always good to glance at the head-to-head record ahead of crunch games. And judging by the Sounders v LAFC, there is little separating the two sides. LAFC have faced the Sounders on nine occasions in the MLS, and they have shaded it with four wins.

On the other hand, the Sounders have registered three wins and there have been two draws. Last season, the two sides shared the point in a 1-1 draw. In the previous campaign, the Sounders dominated proceedings. Two of the four clashes saw the Sounders run out 3-1 winners. 

Sunday’s encounter could be much tighter to call, and so it could end up a draw.

 

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