Major League Soccer is back in our lives for yet another season of action across North America. We’re in the early stages of the new campaign but there’s already so much to get excited about from West to East, as the majority of teams gear up for a hopeful run to the MLS Cup. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what promises to be an intriguing clash between New England Revolution and FC Cincinnati.
New England Form GuideAt one point, it seemed as if New England Revolution would be one of the highest ranked teams in the Eastern Conference - and perhaps the entire league. Unfortunately for them, they somewhat ran out of steam down the stretch, eventually finishing 5th. In the first round of the playoffs, they were quickly dispatched in consecutive games by Philadelphia.
New England were taught a bit of a lesson in their game with Atlanta last weekend. They just didn’t set themselves up in a way that was going to work against such a powerful opponent, leading to them losing 4-1.
Cincinnati Form GuideCincinnati made quite the splash last season as they won the Supporters’ Shield, which is handed out to the club with the best regular season record. They did so by accumulating 69 points but in the playoffs, they couldn’t make it all the way. They did get through NY Red Bulls and Philadelphia, only to fall short to Columbus in the conference finals.
It’s not a stretch to say that Cincinnati still have lots of work to do within themselves. They played host to DC United last weekend and although they had their moments and were largely on top, they still only managed a 0-0 draw.
Match PredictionNew England don’t feel like they’re quite at the level they expect to be at yet and that’s fine as they start to ease into the campaign. The visitors, however, are more than capable of unleashing on a team that just isn’t ready for them, which is why we’re going to back a Cincinnati win.
