New York Red Bulls vs Charlotte FC

A place in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference playoffs is on the line as New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC lock horns at Red Bull Arena.

Goals on either side of halftime saw the New York outfit topple DC United 2-0 on their last MLS road trip, halting a two-match losing league run to climb to 9th in the Eastern Conference. However, with the 10th-placed New England Revolution only two points behind, Sandro Schwarz’s men are desperate to post back-to-back league wins for the first time this season and tip an indifferent MLS record (W6, D3, L6) in their favor. There’s no better place than Red Bull Arena to facilitate that feat, with NYRB racking up five wins in their seven league outings in Harrington this term (D1, L1), including a historic 7-0 rout of LA Galaxy in their last such fixture. 

In the meantime, Charlotte fought back from an early deficit to see off Columbus Crew 3-2 at home last weekend, arresting a dreadful five-game losing league streak. Interestingly, that marked Charlotte’s fifth consecutive league match to produce 3+ goals and both teams scoring, suggesting fans in attendance could be in for a treat. However, manager Dean Smith would probably prefer results over entertainment after overseeing just one win in seven away league games this season (D1, L5), including three defeats on the trot ahead of this trip. His side conceded 2+ goals on each occasion – an unwanted feat they’ve endured on all four historic MLS visits to New York (D1, L3).