The Major League Soccer season is in full swing as both conferences begin to plot their route to MLS Cup glory. It’s going to be a long road for them to get there but with the league being as competitive as it’s ever been, there’s a real opportunity for teams to step up and make a name for themselves. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the upcoming clash between Charlotte FC and Minnesota United.
Charlotte Form GuideAs an expansion team, it’s hard for fans to expect all too much from Charlotte in their first few years of existence. It’s all about establishing themselves and when you consider that they probably don’t have the same kind of financial platform as other newcomers to the league, it becomes clear why they’re struggling. Still, they aren’t the worst team in the East, and they can often be enjoyable to watch.
Charlotte haven’t been overly consistent in their last six. They lost to Toronto and Nashville, then bounced back with a 2-0 win at home to Columbus. Since that point, they’ve drawn 1-1 with Cincinnati, lost 1-0 to New England, and overcome Toronto in a 3-2 classic.
Minnesota Form GuideOne of the big problems for Minnesota United in recent years has been consistency - with last season serving as a shining example of that. They finished down in 11th place in the Western Conference, and while the stats suggest they weren’t too far away from a place in the playoffs, they really wouldn’t have deserved to make it there based on the quality of their play.
Following a 1-1 draw with Columbus, Minnesota were able to kick on and pick up big wins over Orlando and LAFC. Since then, however, they’ve failed to pick up a win, drawing 1-1 with Salt Lake to go alongside defeats against Philadelphia and Houston.
Match PredictionBoth of these teams have the potential to push into playoff contention this season, but it depends on whether they can build up a strong run of wins - which is easier said than done at this level. In our view, the most likely outcome of this one is going to be a draw.
