New York City
chase a double
RELY ON PHILADELPHIA IN R250K-BONUS SOCCER 10
By Mark Gleeson
Major League Soccer (MLS) games in the USA are playing a big role in TAB soccer pools currently and you will find many of them in tomorrow’s R250,000-added Soccer 10 pool which is set to total nearly R2 million.
Defending MLS champions New York City have made a positive start to the new season and quickly climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The top league in the USA is divided into the Eastern Conference and its Western equivalent. There are 14 clubs in each conference and each plays 26 matches within its own conference and eight games against teams from the other conference.
The top seven in each conference then qualify for the end-of-season knockout playoffs, which decide the championship.
City’s title last season was their first, six years after they joined MLS as part of Manchester City’s international expansion, and they are now looking to join DC United, LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamos as teams who have won back-to-back championships in the 25-year history of the league.
But ahead of their clash at home to Colorado Rapids on Sunday, they have been hit by the sudden departure of their coach Ronny Deila. He is to become manager of Standard Liege in Belgium’s top-flight, leaving assistant Nick Cushing taking over on an interim basis.
City’s track record with coaches is strong in recent years. Patrick Vieira, who led the club from 2016 to midway through the 2018 campaign, now steers Crystal Palace in England’s Premier League, while Domènec Torrent, Viera’s successor until his departure after the 2019 season, now leads Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig.
But they could be in for a period of uncertainty over the next weeks while a replacement is sought.
If New York slip, then Philadelphia Union should take over the leadership of the Eastern Conference with an expected home triumph over Cincinnati FC.
Montreal FC are also a form side this campaign and can be taken as a banker for their home game against Austin FC, even if the team from Texas are vastly improved from last season’s shocking performance.
In the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC have a handy four-point lead but face a tough outing at Seattle Sounders, who became the first MLS club to win the CONCACAF Champions League since it was re-modelled in 2009. Dallas FC should beat Vancouver to edge closer if LAFC slip.
In Brazil, the season’s “classic” pits champions Atletico Mineiro against Flamengo, who are struggling to get going this campaign. Flamengo have a new coach in Doriva Junior after firing Paulo Sousa, but it might be a bit early for him to affect a turnaround.