Major League Soccer 2024: Big dogs on track in both conferences
by Bradley Gibbs | by Tyler Doty
Big dogs out in front as we enter the home stretch
When it comes to soccer, especially in Major League Soccer, anything can happen. There is often no shortage of shock results, while season after season, we see teams struggle having been strongly fancied to thrive in the pre-season betting.
However, this season, most of those expected to do well, as suggested in our main 2024 MLS Picks article, are doing just that. Inter Miami, with legends of the game such as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to call upon, were hotly fancied to lead the way in the Eastern Conference, so it’s not really surprising that they’re currently out in front with a sizable lead.
The Western Conference has also been dominated by the teams that were expected to thrive back at the start of the campaign. With seven games to go, the pair from Los Angeles sit first and second, with Galaxy leading the way by five points.
A five-point lead looks like a big one at first glance, but their city rivals have played three games less, so bridging that gap may not be too difficult, while Real Salt Lake, again fancied at the start of the term, are also five points shy of the league leaders and they too have played fewer games, so the race for supremacy in the west is far from over.
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Orange and Blue poised but form needs to improve
Back at the start of the campaign, FC Cincinnati were considered the fourth most likely by bookies to lift MLS Cup, so it’s fair to say that they were expected to deliver a high-level regular-season effort.
With only seven weeks of the regular campaign remaining, the Orange and Blue find themselves second in the Eastern Conference, behind runaway leaders Inter Miami.
Second will do just nicely, but if they’re not careful, Pat Noonan’s men may have a serious fight on their hands to secure that spot. Thanks to a recent four-game losing run, Luciano Acosta and Co. are just two points in front of the Columbus Crew, who’ve played two less games, so finishing as runners-up in the east is far from a foregone conclusion.
New York duo struggling to stay with a hot Eastern Conference pace
Both the New York Red Bulls and the NYCFC boys were expected to make their presence felt near the top of the Eastern Conference this season, and for a while, that looked likely.
Unfortunately, both the Red Bulls and the team from Yankee Stadium have found wins hard to come by of late, with NYCFC winning none of their last six, a run that has essentially ended their hopes of challenging for a place in the top two. The play-offs are still very much on, but form needs to improve or they risk being sucked out of the automatic postseason places.
For the Red Bulls, who’re currently three points in front of their rivals, finishing in the top seven looks a little more likely, though they too need to pick up the pace having won just one of their last seven MLS games. A home game against lowly SKC next weekend provides Sandro Schwarz’s men with the perfect opportunity to kick on.
Sounders a little off the pace
Before the season began, the Sounders weren’t right up there with those teams hotly fancied to go all the way and lift MLS Cup, but as far as Western Conference teams go, they were absolutely one of the teams expected to make the playoffs with ease.
However, with seven games remaining, Brian Schmetzer’s men are far from guaranteed to make the postseason.
Sitting in eighth place in the west, the team that has featured in four of the last eight MLS Cup Finals is teetering on the edge.
Right now, the men from Lumen Field are outside of the automatic play-off places, and breaking into them may not be easy. They’re level with the Houston Dynamo, but have played an extra game, while their remaining fixtures aren’t too simple either.
A trip to Lower.com Field to face the Columbus Crew next weekend doesn’t exactly represent a sizable opportunity to put three points on the board, far from it. Fortunately, that trip is followed by a trio of home games against struggling teams, which the Sounders really need to take advantage of, ahead of two tricky away-days and a home tie against the Timbers to end the regular season.
