A pair of mid-table Eastern Conference teams will compete on Saturday as the 9th place Columbus Crew host New York City at MAPFRE Stadium. New York City sits in 5th place and although they’ve lost only once in 12 games this season they have 7 draws on their resume. Columbus is 4-1-3 at home though that has been undone by a dismal 1-0-6 record away. The Crew have lost 3 of their last 5 home contests. While NYC is undefeated in their last five away including 3 wins. They’re also undefeated in 5 straight overall with 3 wins and their 11 points in that stretch is the best in the last 5 games in the MLS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Crew simply have not been able to find any momentum this season and have been playing extremely poorly as the season progresses. The general idea is to improve from losses by fixing what caused them but the Crew has regressed. They’ve now lost 8 of their last 9 overall with the only win coming over the LA Galaxy at home on May 8. Throw out that game and in their last 3 home losses they’ve scored only one goal while conceding 7 against Portland, DC United and Los Angeles. The Crew, meanwhile, have lost 4 of their last 5 overall scoring 6 goals and conceding 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York’s only loss this season came in a 4-0 beatdown at Toronto in late March but they have gone on an unbeaten streak of 8 games since. Four of those were wins at home against Chicago and away at DC United, Montreal and against the LA Galaxy. Unlike the aforementioned Crew who have not done anything to build from lessons learned in losses the New Yorkers have clearly done a good job correcting whatever was wrong in that poor showing at Toronto. Going unbeaten in 8 games in any competition is not easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There’s just nothing to like about Columbus at this point. They’ve played poorly in every setting and while early on it looked as if they’d be a tough out at home that is no longer the case. They’ve scored 14 goals this year and allowed 22 and appear to have lost all measure of confidence and enthusiasm. With no reason to think that Columbus will be able to start a turnaround against an oppontent that has been playing extremely well of late we’ll take the visitors to capture all three points at +190 on the MLS soccer betting odds<\/a> board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n