Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
New York City FC
Philadelphia Union
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On the night of September 19, a regular season MLS match between New York City and Philadelphia Union will take place. The game will begin at 1:30 AM Central European Time. Analysts from the Dailysports team have prepared a prediction for this match.
New York City
The team is currently in the upper part of the standings and within the playoff zone. As of now, City has 40 points after 28 matches. However, they have not yet guaranteed themselves a place in the knockout rounds. With six games remaining in the regular season, there are still 18 points to be earned, and their lead over the tenth-placed team is only nine points.
New York cannot afford to relax, as they could lose their playoff spot. Additionally, they could fight for higher positions, as they are just three points behind fourth place and ten points behind third. However, their current form is not at its best. In their last five regular season matches, New York City has not secured a single victory, with four draws and one loss. Their last win was in early July, followed by an unsuccessful seven-match streak.
Philadelphia Union
The team from Pennsylvania is fighting to secure a playoff spot in the MLS. In 28 matches, Philadelphia has earned 30 points and sits 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. They are three points behind ninth place. As for the gap to seventh, it’s even larger at eight points. The team has six matches left in which they need to collect as many points as possible.
Additionally, they will need their opponents to stumble, which is entirely possible given the inconsistency across teams. Notably, Philadelphia's recent MLS results have also been inconsistent. In their last five matches, Philadelphia won twice and lost three times. In their most recent game, they faced Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi returned from injury. The Argentine scored twice against Philadelphia, leading his team to a 3-1 victory.
Match Facts
- New York City has not won in their last seven MLS matches.
- New York City has lost to Philadelphia Union in 6 of their last 7 encounters.
- Philadelphia Union has won just one of their last 5 away matches in the U.S. Championship.
Predicted Lineups
- New York City: Barraza; O'Toole, Simo, Risa, Martins; Parks, Sands, Rodriguez, Wolff, Morales; Martinez.
- Philadelphia Union: Rick; Elliott, Wagner, Glesnes, Harriel; Flach, McGlynn, Sullivan, Gazdag; Uhre, Baribo.
Head-to-Head
- In the last meeting between these teams, New York City secured a narrow 2-1 victory.
Prediction
Both teams are not in their best form and have one goal — to make it into the playoffs. The chances are good, but time is running out — only six rounds remain, so they must act quickly. Philadelphia's poor away form could be a significant factor in this match. New York City performs well at home, so I will bet on their victory with odds of 1.71.
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