The opening set of matches in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs conclude at Lower.com Field on Wednesday evening when two of the most entertaining teams in the Eastern Conference battle it out as the Columbus Crew take on Atlanta United.
The Crew finished third in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and they get to host the former champions in two of the three matches if needed. Atlanta had a good second half of the campaign to finish sixth and should give this a good go.
Where to watch
The match will be shown with full coverage via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV with the build-up beginning at 11.30pm ahead of a kick off a few minutes later. Bookmakers also stream the match too.
Columbus Crew
While the Columbus Crew finished third in the Eastern Conference, it could easily be argued that they were the best team to watch, not just in the East but also in the entire MLS. They have a progressive, possession based side which Wilfried Nancy utilised to good use with CF Montreal last term and he’ll be looking to take Columbus Crew back to the MLS Cup Final at the very least over the next few weeks. A win here will set them nicely on their way.
Columbus will be delighted to be at home in two of the three matches if all are needed because only FC Cincinnati picked up more points than them on home soil throughout the MLS this season. The Crew dropped just 11 points at home during the whole of the campaign with Inter Miami the only team to go to this part of Ohio and win and that was back in April. Columbus head into the playoffs having lost just two of their 11 MLS matches since the Leagues Cup.
Special Offer
OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITH 888SPORT AND BET £10 TO GET £30 IN FREE BETS PLUS A £10 CASINO BONUS! PERFECT OFFER TO USE ON THE MLS! CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO JOIN. USE CODE 30F. NEW ACCOUNTS ONLY. 18+ T&Cs apply (See image for significant terms). Gamble Aware.
Atlanta United
At the halfway mark of the regular season it looked touch and go as to whether Atlanta United would be in the playoffs for a crack at the MLS Cup. To their credit, they signed well in the summer window and have been one of the better teams in the competition since the MLS returned from Leagues Cup. They have tightened up at the back but they have not lost any of their quality going forward, and have more attacking depth now which makes them very dangerous.
One area of concern for supporters of the ‘Five Stripes’ would be that they were only able to come out on top in three of their 17 away games in MLS this term. We know that away wins aren’t easy to come by in MLS but only three teams in the Eastern Conference won less than that. The positive for them is that there are goals in this team and that could be important in this series opener where really Atlanta don’t have a lot to lose given that they are at home in the second game.
Betting
We have the two highest scoring teams in the MLS regular season on show here in a game where neither has much in the way to lose in terms of the fact that whatever the result is in this match there will be another game for both to put it right. Clearly the emphasis will be on the Columbus Crew to win the game because this is their one guaranteed home match but their season doesn’t end if it does go wrong and that lack of jeopardy leads me to thinking we are going to see goals here.
Clean sheets are rare within these two sides. Both have just one in their last nine outings and that will light up the eyes of two very strong attacking units, ones which are spearheaded by class acts in Cucho Hernandez and Giorgos Giakoumakis and where the likes of Aidan Morris and Thiago Almada are solid creative contributors. We’ve already seen a couple of crazy games in this playoff series and I would be surprised if this one isn’t another of them.
Tips
Back Over 3.25 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.90 with Bet365
