We have all been so starved of sports over the last couple of months that we are now basically tuning in to every live event that hits the TV. That has to be good news for the MLS, as they will have surely picked up some new fans during their MLS is Back Tournament, which is now close to ending the group stage. After a wobbly start, the tournament has picked up brilliantly and has delivered some fabulous entertainment. The scramble is on now for teams looking to book their place in the Round of 16, as well as picking up points that will count in the regular season standings. The action continues on Tuesday, July 21 with a trio of games, one of which is being played as we write. The Group C game between Toronto and New England is the game that is in play, so let’s take a look at the other 2 games on today’s schedule so you can set down your bets against their MLS odds.
MLS July 21st Games
DC United Vs Montreal Impact
DC United will be watching the Toronto vs New England game with some real interest, as the outcome of that one will have an impact on where they might finish in Group C. That game is sitting tied at 0-0 in the first half at time of writing and given that a draw would be a great result for both teams, it might end up staying that way. If that is the case, then DC United could still potentially win the group with a victory over Montreal. Toronto and New England have 5 points each, assuming we count their current game as a tie, which DC has drawn their opening game to sit on 2 points. A win would put them on 5 points, too, and would almost certainly put all 3 teams into the Round of 16.
Montreal are coming into the final game of the group on the heels of back to back losses, so they have very little chance of getting one of the 4 available best 3rd place finishers, as they would need to win and score some goals to make that happen.
DC United won their last meeting with Montreal 3-0 and I think they get another win here.
- Pick: DC United 2 Montreal Impact 1
Atlanta United Vs Columbus Crew
We all had a basic idea of who we thought the favorites would be when this tournament began. To find one of those favorites sitting at the bottom of their group with back to back losses is more than a little surprising. That is where Atlanta United find themselves now, as they have lost both of their Group E games and have failed to score in the process. The absence of Josef Martinez is obviously an issue, but they have looked poor all over the field. Their latest defeat, a 1-0 loss to Cincinnati, was particularly galling, as Atlanta were reduced to 9 men with a pair of red cards in that one.
It may also come as a surprise to see that the Columbus Crew has emerged as a serious favorite at this point, winning both games and outscoring their opponents 6-0 in the process. Gyasi Zardes has arguably been the player of the tournament to this point, but can he and his teammates keep it going?
Atlanta looks like a pale shadow of the team that won MLS Cup a couple of seasons back and I think they are going to struggle again here.
- Pick: Atlanta United 1 Columbus Crew 3
