Sporting KC v LA Galaxy
Thursday 30th May 0130hrs
Football – United States – MLS
Pick Sporting KC
Bookmaker Marathon Bet
Odds: 11/13 (odds taken 19.25GMT, Wednesday 29th May)
The MLS provides some much-needed competitive club action this week and we focus on the Western Conference where second-bottom Sporting KC host an LA Galaxy team whose form have dipped in recent weeks.
Sporting KC Preview – Can KC follow up Sunday’s home win over Seattle?
It’s been a spectacular downturn in form for Sporting KC between their efforts in the previous campaign and their current form in 2019. The Kansas-City based outfit topped the Western Conference last season and made it in the playoffs where they were somewhat unfortunate not to make it to the MLS Cup Final. It’s been a vastly different story for them this season, however, as they are lurking towards the bottom of their conference but due to the way in which the MLS system works, they are still well in contention for the final stages once again. Colorado Rapids are the only team who sit below them heading into the next round of fixtures but Sporting KC are on 14 points, which is just for points off Dallas in seventh – the last of the final playoff series’ places. What’s also in KC’s advantage is they have played a couple of games less than Dallas so despite looking rather bleak on a glance at the table, they still have plenty to play for and a lot of football left in the regular season to achieve that. Sunday provided them with a vital win and three points bringing an end to nine match winless run.
LA Galaxy Preview – Can Zlatan lead Galaxy to a vital away win
There was disappointment for LA Galaxy last season as they missed out on the final series playoffs and by a very narrow margin in the end. It was one single point that separated them from Real Salt Lake and that disappointed was exasperated further by losing on the final day of the regular season when a win would have seen them enter the knockout phase of the competition. That would have pained the organisation who have known so much success in their history, and it resulted in a change in manager with Guillermo Barros Schelotto being appointed. Galaxy had started this season very strongly and were topping the Western Conference a few weeks back. Seven wins and a draw from their first nine games was as good as could possibly be expected in such a competitive league but there was a fall coming and it came dramatically as Galaxy fell to four straight defeats which seen them fall behind Los Angeles FC and Seattle. The gap has grown to nine points between themselves and their LA rivals, albeit Galaxy do have a game in hand. There was some respite for them at the weekend when narrowly defeating a struggling Orlando City from the Eastern Conference at the weekend.
Key-Facts – Sporting KC v LA Galaxy
- It’s been a slow start for Sporting KC having won the Western Conference last season
- LA Galaxy were on a four game losing streak before defeating Orlando at the weekend and remain in third spot
- Sporting KC have lost only once at home this season and beat second placed Seattle at the weekend
Sporting KC v LA Galaxy Betting Advice
It’s been roles reversal for these two clubs this season compared to last. Sporting KC have had to endure a really difficult spell over the last couple of months but that important and impressive home win over second-placed Seattle at the weekend will undoubtedly have increased confidence amongst the squad going into another big game. For Galaxy, they were excellent in the first part of the season before that run of four defeats. They will be hoping that their win last time out is the beginning of another positive set of results that will see them creep closer to the top of the Western Conference.
For all Sporting KC have only managed three wins all season, their home form has remained strong. MLS champions Atalanta United are the only team to have defeated them in the league this season with three wins and draws from their other six games. Sunday’s win over Seattle proved how capable they are on their own turf, too. Galaxy have won two of their last five on the road but they have been against weaker opposition. Going back further and it’s only five wins in their last 17 road games so they are generally not great travellers. Sporting KC are still very capable and they can record their second home win against top opposition in the space of a few days.
