THE RED BULLS ARE WELL-POSITIONED AS MLS TAKES A FRIENDLY BREAK
The MLS season has just headed into the early summer break as the USMNT get geared up to play four consecutive games over June.
After fourteen rounds the MLS has just passed its half way mark. With a flagrant 4-1 defeat of DC United at the weekend it’s a high point that head coach Gerhard Stuber will relish going into the break.
The MLS is the tightest it has been in years going into the halfway mark of the season. Mixed form has been the defining feature of this campaign across the board. There are only fifteen points between top of the table New York and bottom placed Chicago.
It means everything is left to play for with the Red Bulls only sitting three points from the top spot in fourth place.
The midseason break gives all MLS teams the chance to regroup and sports betting experts BetBlazers.com are anticipating a decisive shift in the second half of the season. Here’s where it’s likely to make the difference.
The Red Bulls are currently looking at a win percentage of just half midway during the season. It has traditionally needed a much higher figure in order to achieve top place, let alone nail down a playoff position.
Their campaign during May has been a perfect snapshot of where inconsistency lies. Over six matches, the Red Bulls registered just two wins with three tie games and 2-0 loss in Florida to Miami.
They will have to hit the ground running when they are back in action in June in what will be a largely unbroken slog marching towards the MLS Cup Playoffs beginning in October. The nature of this season’s truncated league standings will mean everyone is looking over their shoulders.
Looking ahead across the schedule as a whole the defining fixtures will undoubtedly come against rivals at the top. This includes games against New York City in July, a return fixture against Orlando in August and Philadelphia Union in September.
If Red Bulls can find more consistency and a cutting edge to take all three points in games across the summer period it will put them into a strong position against these more agile opponents.
Red Bulls will have an additional fixture to contend with in their schedule in late July when they appear as part of MLS Summer Friendlies, although more dates are yet to be announced.
Red Bulls have been selected to host FC Barcelona of Spain who will play at the Red Bull Arena on July 30. No doubt it will appear as an annoying distraction to coach Gerhard Struber but has become a regular and necessary part of MLS outreach.
Stuber will no doubt be taking this opportunity to sharpen tactically ahead of a trip to North Carolina when MLS resumes.
