Last week MLS proved once again why it is such a hard league
to predict so far this season, with some eye-catching results.
Who could have predicted Colorado
Rapids would score, never mind four!
Nevertheless, we refuse to be put off
and have stubbornly returned with our Week Seven MLS predictions...
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| Villa still has international dreams |
This is the second time the two
franchises have met in six days after Vincent Nogueira’s injury-time winner
secured a 2-1 Union victory at PPL Park on Saturday.
That was Philadelphia’s first win of
the season, while David Villa’s equaliser was City’s first goal since March 15,
ending a 241-minute goalless drought.
NYC are now winless in three games, but
we’re backing Jason Kreis’ team to claim revenge on their home patch.
Verdict: 2-0
New York Red Bulls vs San Jose
Earthquakes – Red Bull Arena (Live on Sky Sports 5 – Saturday 12am)
Lloyd Sam’s last-minute equaliser
against D.C. United ensured Red Bulls remain one of two unbeaten MLS sides,
along with Real Salt Lake.
Meanwhile Earthquakes followed
back-to-back defeats with perhaps their most impressive result of 2015 last
weekend; Sanna Nyassi giving them a 1-0 victory against overall leaders Vancouver
Whitecaps.
San Jose are unbeaten versus the Red
Bulls since 2011, but have not won in New York for a decade and the sides are hard to separate again.
Verdict: 2-2
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| Kitchen returned to the USMNT this week |
Perry Kitchen made our Week Six All-Stars following his two-goal showing, as DC stretched their unbeaten run to three
games with a 2-2 draw against Red Bulls.
Dynamo scored more goals in 90 minutes
than they had in their first five matches in their 3-0 win over Montréal
Impact.
Giles Barnes’ opener ended Houston’s
271-minute scoreless streak, but they will struggle against United, who are top
of the Eastern Conference and should be victorious here.
Verdict: 2-0
Columbus Crew vs Orlando City – Mapfre Stadium
Crew impressively went undefeated during
last week’s coast-to-coast marathon, drawing 2-2 in Vancouver before a stalemate
at New England Revolution.
Orlando handed Cyle Larin a first start
and he responded with his first professional goal as Adrian Heath’s side ended
their three-match winless streak against Portland Timbers.
Kaka has starred for Orlando
so far, scoring three of their six goals, and we are backing the World Cup
winner to lead them to back-to-back victories.
Verdict: 0-1
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| Giovinco scored his 1st MLS goal v Chicago |
FC Dallas vs Toronto FC – Toyota
Stadium
Dallas were stunned 0-4 by winless
Colorado Rapids last Friday and have suffered back-to-back losses following an
imperious start to the season.
Toronto haven’t won since the opening
day but MLS’s top-earner Sebastian Giovinco impressed, with a goal and assist,
in the 3-2 defeat to Chicago Fire last time out.
The Texans have not lost to Toronto in
the league since their inaugural meeting in 2007, but a refreshed Reds side should
take a point.
Verdict: 1-1
Colorado Rapids vs Seattle Sounders –
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Rapids ended their 602-minute goal
drought and record-equalling 18-game winless streak in style with a 4-0 win in
Dallas, and have conceded just twice in five games.
Seattle centre back Brad Evans claimed
the 1-0 defeat at LA Galaxy was their best performance of the season, but the
Sounders are still awaiting their first away goal.
Seattle won all three meetings in
2014 but, with Clint Dempsey likely to miss out again, Colorado should build on
last week’s result.
Verdict: 1-1
Real Salt Lake vs Vancouver Whitecaps –
Rio Tinto Stadium
Real remain undefeated in five games
this season following a scoreless draw in Kansas City, and have now recorded
back-to-back clean sheets.
Vancouver failed to score for the first
time in 2015 as their own five-game unbeaten run ended in a 1-0 defeat to San
Jose Earthquakes.
Despite topping the MLS table, the Caps’
have played two more games than Real and have never won at the Rio Tinto
Stadium – Real Salt Lake to edge it.
Verdict: 2-1
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| Penedo was outstanding as Galaxy extended their unbeaten home run |
Galaxy had goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, who
made ten saves against Seattle, to thank as they ended their four-match winless run and
extended their unbeaten home run to 19 MLS games.
Sporting are unbeaten in four despite
Dom Dwyer’s struggles in front of goal and have kept three clean sheets in six
games this season.
In six games, both teams have scored and
conceded six, but LA’s imperious home form will see them come out on top.
Verdict: 3-1
Philadelphia Union vs
New England Revolution – PPL Park (Live on Sky Sports 5 – Sunday 10pm)
C.J. Sapong hit a late equaliser for Union at Yankee Stadium
on Thursday as they drew 1-1 with New York City to go a second game unbeaten
after a run of three straight defeats.
Revolution recorded a second consecutive clean sheet with a
stalemate against Columbus Crew, but have scored in just two of their six games
in 2015.
Despite both sides winning away from home in the two MLS
meetings last season, Philadelphia’s home advantage should be enough to
separate the franchises.
Verdict: 1-0
New York City FC vs
Portland Timbers – Yankee Stadium
NYC will be disappointed not to have held on for their
second win of the season on Thursday against Philadelphia – the home side are
now winless in four matches.
Timbers’ defeat last time out means that both teams have an
identical record this season, having lost two, drawn three and won just one of
six games.
City’s six points sees them sitting in mid-table in the
Eastern Conference, whereas Timbers are joint-bottom of the Western Conference and
we think the away side’s woes will continue.
Verdict: 2-0
Images courtesy of Fermin R.F., Alex Menendez, Jamie Sabau and Victor Decolongon, with thanks.
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