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 Austin FC and Portland Timbers.
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 four losses in their first 15 games of the campaign. Sure, there isn’t a whole lot separating them and those who are chasing, but it’s progress.
Portland Form GuidePortland, historically speaking, have had some great moments across their time in the MLS - and last season, they were somewhat unlucky to miss out on the playoffs as they wound up just one point outside of the wild card spots. Still, despite being so close, it’s worth noting that they have some big improvements to make, especially when you look at their defensive record.
On the face of it, four wins in 15 games should be a cause for worry if you’re a Portland fan. At the same time, though, they certainly know how to score with 28 goals thus far, and if they can get themselves sorted defensively, the sky is the limit.
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.
