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 Orlando City and Austin FC.
Orlando Form GuideLast year, Orlando City had the kind of campaign that had many believing in them all over again. The boys in purple were able carve out a really solid season and managed to reach the playoffs, with the big question now being whether or not they can repeat that success. There’s no guarantee one way or the other, but one thing is for sure, they have a fanbase that’s hungry to see them go even further.
Orlando opened up with a 0-0 draw at home to Montreal but from there, they struggled. They suffered three straight losses, falling to comprehensive defeats at the hands of Inter Miami, Minnesota and, most recently, Atlanta.
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.
Austin fought hard in their opener against Minnesota but they ultimately came up short in a 2-1 defeat. From there, they’ve been ‘steady’, drawing three straight games against Seattle, St Louis and Philadelphia.
Match PredictionOrlando are rightly going to be the favourites for this one but we think Austin are going to make it difficult for them, especially when it comes to their own defensive structure. This has the potential to be an intriguing chess match, but our actual prediction is going to be under 2.5 goals scored.
