5 Tips for Thursday & Friday’s MLS Action – 8/7/21

The first tip on this list of MLS matches comes from LA Galaxy against FC Dallas at the Dignity Health Sports Park which is a battle of third against 12th in the Western Conference with the Galaxy tallying 10 more points than Dallas’ 11 after 11 matches.

Former Manchester United striker Chicharito is the player in focus here, the Mexican is the top scorer in the MLS so far this season with 10 goals in 10 matches. The 33-year-old has scored three goals in his last two matches, scoring a brace in Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over San Jose Earthquakes, as well as also scoring the opening goal against Vancouver Whitecaps in a 2-1 win on 24th June.

Seattle Sounders take on Houston Dynamo on Thursday at Lumen Field on Thursday. At present, the Sounders are second in the Western Conference on 26 points from 12 games, whilst Houston are seventh on 15 from 12 fixtures.

Both teams have scored in Seattle’s last four matches, with the Sounders coming out as victors in two of them against Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy, both via 2-1 scorelines of which Peruvian striker Raúl Ruidíaz scored the winner in both games.

Meanwhile, the both teams to score market has landed in all of the Dynamo’s last five matches, in three 1-1 draws against Cincinnati, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles, as well as in a 2-2 draw with Portland Timbers and a 3-2 loss away at Sporting Kansas City in late May.

The first tip from the Eastern Conference sees Chicago Fire go head-to-head with Orlando City. The visitors are flying in the Eastern side of the MLS, earning 21 points in 11 matches, seeing them in second place, whilst the Fire are 12th with just eight points from the same number of matches.

Chicago have won just one of their last five games, beating Atalanta United 3-0, whilst Orlando have won three of their last four, beating Inter Miami 2-1, San Jose Earthquakes 5-0 and Toronto 3-2.

The player in focus for this tip is another former United star in Nani. The former Portugal international is having a fine season so far, scoring six goals in nine appearances, of which three of these came in each of the three victories mentioned above. The 34-year-old former Sporting Lisbon man also managed to score in a 4-1 win for Orlando the last time these two sides met in September 2020.

Next up from the Eastern Conference is Montreal CF against New York City FC at the Saputo Stadium. Montreal are currently eight on 16 points from 11 matches, whilst the Boys in Blue are fifth with 17 points from 10 fixtures.

The both teams to score market has landed in two of Montreal’s last five games in a 1-1 draw with Nashville and a 2-1 loss to Cincinnati. However, this market has happened in four of the Blues last five games, in two 2-1 wins against DC United and Los Angeles, as well as 3-2 and 2-1 losses versus New England and Columbus Crew.

In the last meeting between these two sides, New York City beat Montreal 3-1 in October 2020 thanks to goals from Jesus Medina, Maximiliano Moralez and Tony Rocha, with Romell Quioto scoring a late consolation goal in the 89th minute for the Quebec club.

New York Red Bulls against Philadelphia Union is the final game on this list of MLS tips. The hosts come into this match in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, compared to Philadelphia’s third in the table, with just three points separating the two sides.

The Metro come into this match having won three of their last five matches via the score group of 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 following two 2-1 wins against the same opponent in Orlando City in May and earlier this month of which Cristian Cásseres Jr scored in both fixtures, whilst they also beat Nashville 2-0 on 19th June thanks to strikes from Fabio and Kyle Duncan either side of half time.

Philadelphia have won just one of their four fixtures coming into this game which came in a 1-0 win against Columbus Crew on 24th June via a goal from Jamiro Monteiro. Prior to and after their victory against the Crew, Philadelphia drew 2-2 and 3-3 with Atalanta United and Chicago Fire, as well as losing 1-0 to Nashville on 4th July following a second-minute strike from C. J. Sapong.