Our prediction for this MLS match:
Chicago Fire play host to New York Red Bulls in what is expected to be a close Major League Soccer game. Chicago Fire aim to recover from a 2-1 loss to Atlanta United and the fact that they are undefeated on home soil is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of Sunday’s clash. All Victor Bezerra, Justin Reynolds, and Jairo Torres remain on the sidelines with injuries, while Kacper Przybylko is pushing for a start.
The Red Bulls, on the other hand, are eyeing their second win of the season. Since New York Red Bulls will go for a victory as well, we believe that there is a big value in betting on both teams to score. Cory Burke should drop to the bench following his under-par performance in a 2-0 loss to Montreal, with Tom Barlow likely to step up. New signing Dante Vanzeir has yet to serve his ban.
Highlighted Player (Xherdan Shaqiri):
Another impressive player who emigrated to Switzerland, Xherdan Shaqiri is a midfielder with excellent technical qualities, very strong in taking players on and creating chances for his teammates, while also being a danger from set pieces. The Serbian-born footballer formed an excellent midfielder pairing with Granit Xhaka at FC Basel, before making a high-profile move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2012.
Shaqiri went on to prove a great deal of potential at Allianz Arena, scoring 11 goals in 52 Bundesliga matches, but he decided to leave in search of first team football, first joining Inter Milan and then moving to Stoke City. It was at Britannia Stadium that the attacking midfielder rediscovered his form and if he continues playing at such a high level, it won’t be long before he returns to the biggest stage.
Even when he was not playing regularly at club level, Shaqiri would always reserve his best performances for the national team, as witnessed by 17 goals in first 50 caps. The midfielder was especially impressive at the 2014 World Cup finals, where he scored no fewer than three goals.
Highlighted Team (New York Red Bulls):
New York Red Bulls is the first club from New York City to join Major League Soccer. In 2006 the club was sold to Red Bull GmbH and, as a result, they are nicknamed the Red Bulls. New York welcome their rivals at Red Bull Arena and the team’s home colors are white and red.
On the other hand, the Red Bulls wear dark blue shirts and yellow shorts on the road. In 2008 New York Red Bulls made it to the MLS Cup final, but they were not capable of matching Columbus Crew (1-3) in the Home Depot Center clash. A number of top-class footballers were part of the team in the past, but former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry is the synonym of the club.
Henry scored 51 goals in 122 league games for New York Red Bulls from 2010 to 2014 and it has to be noted that he scored his first MLS hat-trick in a 5-2 victory over Montreal Impact on March 31, 2012. The likes of Youri Djorkaeff, Lothar Matthaus, Roberto Donadoni, Rafael Marquez, Juninho and Tim Cahill played for the club in the past as well.