With the majority of top leagues across Europe coming to an end, it’s time for Major League Soccer to step up. There are plenty of reasons why this campaign has the potential to be incredibly exciting but beyond that, it’s just been nice to see the continued growth and development of the game in North America. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the upcoming clash between Real Salt Lake and Austin FC.
Salt Lake Form GuideIn terms of the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake did a solid job of making their way up the table and earning a spot in the playoffs. When they got there, though, they were beaten by Houston in the first round, in a three-game series that saw two matches go to penalties. They have potential, and it’ll be interesting to see how they bounce back this time around.
Salt Lake have come firing out of the blocks and as it stands, they lead the charge in the Western Conference with 30 points. They have eight wins, six draws and just two losses behind them, and they also have the second-best goal difference in the entire MLS with +13.
Austin Form GuideAustin’s success was always going to come in a ‘long term’ kind of format, and while they’ve certainly got a solid fanbase behind them, things didn’t look great on the pitch last season. They finished in 12th place in the West, although it’s worth noting that the conference was pretty weak, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them fare a bit better this time around.
Right now, Austin are making all the right moves both on and off the pitch. They are sat in 5th place in the Western Conference with just five losses in their first 16 games of the campaign. Sure, there isn’t a whole lot separating them and those who are chasing, but it’s progress.
Match PredictionWe’re at the point in the MLS season now where it’s time to start really making some noise, and it feels like these two sides are aware of that. They both have attacking threats and in this game, we expect to see them showcase that. Therefore, we’re going to shoot for over 2.5 goals scored.
