The second set of matches in the MLS Cup Playoffs 2024 first round conclude on Sunday when the last three games take place on a night where two genuine title contenders look to make it through or keep their season alive.
We begin the night with the last of the Eastern Conference matches before the two remaining Western Conference games take place. Apple TV once again has full coverage while bookmaker live streams will show the matches too.
New York Red Bulls vs Columbus Crew (21.30)
The main attention on the evening is on Red Bull Arena where the champions Columbus Crew will look to keep their title defence alive when they take on a New York Red Bulls who stifled them in the opening game and who will progress if they win this second match.
You would imagine that the clarity of the do or die nature of this game will make Columbus Crew even more dangerous because they are a side who take risks at the best of times so the fact that they might need to take more here could serve them well. New York Red Bulls had to work incredibly hard without the ball to contain Columbus in that opening game and you wonder what they will have left in them just five days later. The other thing about this one is that the Crew could have Diego Rossi back which would make them a lot livelier. Wilfried Nancy is one of the best coaches in the league and he’ll have been working day and night to find a way through this sit deep and see what happens approach that the Red Bulls employed in the opening game. You would imagine the pattern of this play will be that Crew have all the ball and the Red Bulls will look for counter or set play opportunities. That just feels like a risky business against a Columbus side who won here on Decision Day. I’m surprised in a game they have to win that the champions are the outsiders here and as such I’ll take them on the Asian lines.
Special Offer
Open a new Sporting Index account and bet £10 on the MLS (min odds 1/2) to get £20 in free bets (2x£10 free bets) to use on any sports market! Click the image below to take advantage of this great offer! 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Responsibly.
Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders (23.30)
The middle match of the night sees the Houston Dynamo looking to keep their season alive and take the series back to Lumen Field when they host the Seattle Sounders who drew first blood in a penalty shootout in the first game.
The first game was a very tight affair and it would be daft to expect anything different from this second leg. Seattle have now kept six clean sheets in their last eight matches while Houston are one of the tighter sides in the league defensively too. Houston are in decent form at home though and the onus is on them to go and win the game so that might bring about a different dynamic to it and one more in keeping with when these two met here in the regular season when it finished 2-2. My instinct was to get on the under here but the line is quite rightly 2.5 and the odds are nothing special so given that a goal either way could open this right up I’m happy to put my feet up and hope for a more entertaining game than we expect.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Los Angeles FC (01.45)
The second round of the opening leg of the MLS Cup Playoffs concludes in Canada where the Vancouver Whitecaps look to extend their season for one more match at least when they host a Los Angeles FC side who can move through with a game to spare with a win here.
Los Angeles won the opening game but there was more than enough in it for the Whitecaps to fancy their chances back on home soil, particularly after seeing Ryan Gauld catch fire in the postseason already. Vancouver went into that match with LAFC a little short of energy having had to play the wildcard game on the road but having had a week to recover we should expect them to be even more vibrant here. Stuart Armstrong is beginning to make a real difference for Vancouver as well so they should fancy their chances, not least because we know that LAFC will invite them to have plenty of the ball and look to pounce on the counterattack. One thing we know for sure is Vanni Santini isn’t going to allow Vancouver to go down without throwing everything at Los Angeles FC here so I’m expecting goals in this one. I’m a little surprised that the goal line is 2.75 goals here because all four meetings between them this season have had at least three goals and four of the six last term did too. Three goals here wins us half the bet but this could easily explode into something more than that with the way the two play.
Tips
Back Columbus Crew (0AH) to beat New York Red Bulls for a 3/10 stake at 2.03 with Bet365
Back Vancouver Whitecaps vs Los Angeles FC – Over 2.75 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with Bet365
