MLS betting tip: DC United- Minnesota United ......................John Wayne Rooney
Sep 12, 2018
MLS: DC United- Minnesota United
This is the 4th of five straight road games for Minnesota who have taken just one point from the first three, lost the two most recent without scoring and conceded twice in each. Prior to that run they hosted Seattle Sounders where my notes included .............
Today they (Seattle) travel to Minnesota United , I spoke about the hosts and their wins coming against teams with poor defensive records on the clubgowi website five weeks ago, link. They lost that, but have won 4 of 7 since I wrote those notes, however, they have conceded 44 goals this season (2.0 pg) and are coming off a 4-2 loss in Vancouver, despite that result, they have performed best when they can drag teams into a shootout and that doesn't feel like Sounders. The visitors won 4-0 here almost exactly 52 weeks ago on their only previous meeting in Minnesota and I have to stick with Sounders.
Seattle won that 2-1 and MU have kept up that two goal conceded average subsequently and in form DCU do not look like the kind of team that they thrive against with the hosts having gone 5-2-2 through nine starts where they played six teams currently in post season places, including 5 of the top 6 in the stronger Eastern Conference. They have also won 7/9 at home, the visitors are 1-1-11 on the road and, this is a doozy (!), since coming into the league in 2017 they have played 30 MLS road games and conceded 2+ goals in 27 (90%), including 18/19 and the last 11 !
If there is a positive, they have not played for 18 days and should be well rested, but there is an argument to be made for that being too long at this stage of the season .
I spoke about the massive improvement made by DCU a lot last month and the influence made not just by Wayne Rooney, but others and the boost in moving to their new stadium.........
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What a head of steam DC United are building up and an incredible and immediate impact from Wayne Rooney, they blew Portland Timbers away in midweek to continue their march up the table, ahead of which I wrote ..........
I previewed DCU three weeks ago when they hosted New York Red Bulls, a team we are very keen on ..........
This is a big traditional rivalry and added extra spice as it will be the first time they have met in DCU's brand new Audi Field home. United have made just one start here, a 3-1 defeat of Vancouver, when Wayne Rooney made his debut from off the bench , he started in the only subsequent game,a 3-1 loss at Atlanta United on Saturday, which makes 15 goals conceded in six starts for the team from the capital. DCU sit bottom of the East five points adrift of the team above them, BUT have four games in hand of everyone and have only played three home games total ( 2-1-0) because of the stadium build, six of their next eight are at home and if they could find a way to win five, they could still force their way into the post season picture, as a minimum, I feel they will be looking to at least put in a pretence at a playoff push. DCU to press for the win, but leaving their leaky defense exposed .
NY won 1-0, but DCU have taken seven points from their three subsequent games, winning both home starts , scoring six goals and also hitting the woodwork five times, Rooney has been making an increasing impact and if not quite building up a head of steam, they at least stoking up the fire. They are still at the foot of the Eastern Conference, but will move above three teams with the win and up to eighth, within six of the playoffs and with 2-4 games in hand of all teams above them. Not only that, but they have still only played six of their 20 starts here at Audi Field (4-1-1) and with home wins always north of 50% in MLS that gives them a big top 6 opportunity.
Portland had a very impressive mid season run and posted some incredibly solid defensive stats, but lost at home to Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday and have to leave the West Coast for the first time since June 26th and do so on a short week and very quick turnaround after a cross country flight with three hour time difference. That leaves little to no time to sort what went wrong out at the weekend for a team who have got into travel mode. Timbers played three early season games in the East conceding nine goals, five to two teams who might well be below DCU after this evening.
They won 4-1, also hit the woodwork with two goals from Rooney , who recorded a 9.3 player rating, next highest was 7.5 and that highlights his contribution. The former England player has always been streaky and it is easy to see another goal or two from him today, still only 32 he has probably left Europe too early, but that is DSU's and MLS' gain. Now they face the team immediately above them in the table and this is huge, not least with one of their few remaining road games up next, a rematch with NYRB in the Big Apple. It is not just Rooney of course, Luciano Acosta has three goals and three assists in four starts and Bill Hamid has returned to the club and played in goal in midweek , his first start in 11 months after a loan spell in Europe and he was influential and is looking for his 50th clean sheet for United today.
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The hosts would move 7th tonight with the win, two points shy of Montreal Impact who currently hold the final playoff spot and would still have a game in hand, so have their destiny in their own hands and they actually entertain Impact later this month. That gives them a great top 6 chance, but Revolution (currently 7th) are in the hunt too and it increasingly looks like just one place up for grabs with the top 4 having flown and 5th placed Philadelphia Union holding a 6 point plus buffer and in good form. So as good as DCU will look in terms of claming it should they win tonight, there is not a lot of margin for error.
DCU are coming off a fine point at highflying NYCFC over the weekend where they were very shorthanded, but 3 of the 5 who were away on international duty are available tonight if called upon.
Last month DCU beat Orlando City here and for those of you who have not seen it, you have to watch how the 96th minute played out ! It was a hot, humid night and with the scores tied at 2-2, United sent up their keeper and all 11 players for a corner to try and grab the three points, OC stole the ball and on the break Rooney was the only possible saviour , he gave a younger opponent who was racing towards an empty net a head start but somehow won the ball back then went upfield to set up the winner, cue massive, massive celebrations and legendary DCU status for the former England man ! It just illustrates how much Rooney has bought into the project and football in the US.
BTW, Luciano Acosta whom I mentioned above, scored the winner and a hat-trick on the night, he is only 1.6m tall and must have leapt that high to make the header !
Captain Francisco Calvo (0-0-5 in his absence) and Michael Boxall (only missed one game, a 3-0 loss) who play in a United back 3 are both suspended today and have to be viewed as massive losses.
DCU have scored after the 78th minute in 5 of their last 6 home starts , four coming in the 90th + minute. Minnesota have scored just three goals in the opening hour hour of road games, none through the middle third (31st-60th minute) when they are a dire 0-15 (scored-conceded) and whether the hosts take command early or late, it will surely come at some stage !
1.75 units DC United -1.5 ball 2.30+ asian line/Sportmarket.
Good luck !
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