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 San Jose Earthquakes and Austin FC.
San Jose Form GuideThe Earthquakes have two MLS Cup triumphs to their name, but you could argue it’s been over two decades since they’ve really been taken seriously as contenders. They crept into the playoffs last year and made a decent account of themselves, and while they may not be the strongest side from top to bottom, there’s a lot of grit and self-belief in this squad.
San Jose have actually scored more goals than eight of the 13 other teams in the Western Conference. So, then, why are they sat down in last place in 14th? That would be because of their dreadful defensive record, having conceded 33 goals in just 14 games.
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 3rd place in the Western Conference with just four losses in their first 14 games of the campaign. Sure, there isn’t a whole lot separating them and those who are chasing, but it’s progress.
Match PredictionWhile Austin are clearly the better team out of the two right now, they aren’t exactly known for their ability to kill games off. We think this one will be a lot tighter than the league table probably suggests it’ll be, which is why we’re going to shoot for under 2.5 goals scored here.
