BY COLE KELLOGG
This week’s MLS slate features two tightly contested Eastern Conference matchups on Wednesday night, both of which will take place in the home stadiums of Canadian sides.
Orlando City could leapfrog Toronto FC in the standings with an away win, as the two sides sit just a point apart in the table.
Meanwhile, the New York Red Bulls look to further separate themselves from a Montreal Impact squad that has slowly been inching up the Eastern Conference standings and still has games in hand.
Here is a closer look at the midweek matchups:
MONTREAL IMPACT vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS (8 p.m., MLS Live)
This match in Stade Saputo pits two Eastern Conference foes on an upwards trend in playoff position against one another.
A brace from Ignacio Piatti, accompanied a cheeky early goal from Dominic Oduro, gave the Canadian side a 3-2 victory over New York City FC at the weekend.
Though that win at Yankee Stadium was just the Impact’s second road victory in two years, Montreal currently sits above the line in sixth place in the East. The Impact also have at least one game in hand on all the surrounding teams.
The Red Bulls also picked up a road win last weekend, defeating the Philadelphia Union 3-1 at PPL Park on Saturday. American Sacha Kljestan recorded a goal and an assist to Anatole Abang, and Bradley Wright-Phillips scored off an assist from his brother, Shaun. The goal was BWP’s fourth in his last five games.
The Red Bulls’ recent addition of Shaun Wright-Phillips proved effective in that match, and the winger could well be a difference maker for the second straight match come Wednesday night.
Though both teams enter the match in form, recent history favors the Red Bulls, who are undefeated in their last four games against the Impact, with three wins in that stretch.
Both teams will also be without at least one contributor on Wednesday night, as the Impact’s Marco Donadel and the Red Bulls’ Damien Perrinelle will sit out the midweek match due to yellow card accumulation.
TORONTO FC vs. ORLANDO CITY SC (8 p.m., MLS Live)
Toronto will have to face the firepower of Kaka and Cyle Larin without the likes of their own star striker, as Jozy Altidore is suspended after picking up a red card against the Revolution last weekend.
Larin, who tied fellow UConn alum Damani Ralph’s rookie goal-scoring record last weekend, will look to continue his recent scintillating form. The former Husky has scored five goals in his last two matches, including a brace in a 5-2 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday, bringing his season total up to 11.
While Orlando coach Adrian Heath will certainly be confident in his youngster and the rest of the attack, he’ll also be hoping his back line can improve their poor defensive record of late.
That struggling defense could potentially be helped by a handful of absences on the other side as, in addition to the loss of Altidore, TFC may enter midweek without the services of some key players.
Fellow U.S. international Michael Bradley is currently suffering from a calf injury that kept him out of last week’s All-Star Game. MLS newcomer Sebastian Giovinco, who has amassed 13 goals and 10 assists so far this year, could also miss the match after being removed at halftime of his side’s 3-1 road loss against New England on Saturday.
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What do you think of Wednesday night’s matchups? Which teams do you favor to win? What players are you keeping an eye on?
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