New York City vs Charlotte Odds, Prediction, Pick
New York City vs Charlotte Prediction
New York City will look to add to their winning momentum in the MLS fixture against Charlotte after overcoming their 11-match run without a victory in the last fixture against CF Montreal. It will be an opportunity for the hosts to avenge their 2-3 away defeat to Charlotte in the fixture that took place on May 7.
Their hard-fought win was only the second time in the MLS season that a club found the back of the net at CF Montreal’s home ground, the Saputo Stadium. It also helped the Nick Cushing-managed side to end their 12-match winless drought, including their 0-1 defeat to Cincinnati in the US Open Round of 32 meeting in May.
The Boys in Blue are in a crucial phase of the league as they remain only two points short of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand. That makes their upcoming match against the Crown extremely important and Cushing’s men will look to pounce on their much-improved tempo which was visible in their last outing.
It will be a relatively easier opportunity for the hosts to pile more misery on the visitors as they are on a three-game winless run in away matches. The Christian Lattanzio-managed side registered a 2-2 draw in the last away fixture against NY Red Bulls. They had registered a thumping 4-2 loss to Columbus and failed to find the back of the net against Philadelphia in the fixtures before that.
New York City and Charlotte have faced off thrice in the MLS. Last season, Charlotte did the double over New York City by defeating them 3-1 in the away encounter and 1-0 in the home fixture. This season, Charlotte overcame New York City 3-2 in a closely contested home match that took place in May. The Crowns hold a 3:0 upper hand in the head-to-head contest against the Boys in Blue.
In their previous meeting, Lattanzio opted for a 4-42 formation with Argentine forward Enzo Copetti and his Swedish compatriot Karol Swiderski leading the frontline. On the contrary, Cushing used his more favored 4-2-3-1 line-up with Santiago Rodríguez playing as his lone central attacker.
The hosts opened the scoring early in the match as Copetti secured his brace in the first half after finding the back of the net in the 8th and 39th minute. However, in a twist of the tale, Charlotte secured the winner in the second half through an own goal off New York City midfielder Richard Ledezma. For the visitors, Gabriel Pereira (37th minute) and Santiago Rodriguez (57’) scored a goal each.
However, heading into the upcoming fixture, the home form for New York City is largely concerning. The club has secured only one win from their last five outings at home. One of the small positives from their last home fixtures is that they did not lose all three points, securing a draw each against Columbus Crew and New England Revolution.
Meanwhile, Charlotte will have their task cut out in the upcoming fixture as they are undergoing a torrid time away from home. The Crows have registered a draw and two losses in their last three away fixtures. Their last away win came against LA Galaxy on May 28.
Both Clubs Have Plenty of Match Winners to Rely On
Neither New York City or Charlotte have been dependable on a one-man show to take them home in their bid to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoff.
New York City FC will rely on their talismanic forwards Pereira and Rodriguez to maintain their tempo of scoring early and finishing late in the encounter. However, a concern for New York City this season has been that they have won only once after opening the scoring first in eight matches.
It will be crucial for Pereira, who has found the back of the net six times, and Rodriguez who has scored four goals to combine well along with their other teammates to find the winner. Additionally, the talismanic duo will find support in Ledezma, on loan from Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven, to add to his tally of five assists.
Charlotte FC, on the other hand, will rely on their talismanic duo of Swiderski and Copetti to break their three-match winless streak in away fixtures. Swiderski has netted five times in 17 appearances in the ongoing season while Copetti has found the back of the net four times.
Interestingly, the duo have been fed with assists from plenty of options in the midfield and defense such as, Justin Meram (6 assists), Ashley Westwood (4), Jaylin Lindsey (4), and Kamil Jozwiak (4). It will be interesting to see how Lattanzio utilizes his firepower to maintain their three-match unbeaten streak against New York City.
The Contrast In Playing Styles
New York City’s Cushing has opted for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system after taking at the helm from Ronny Deila. He has shown so much confidence in his system that he has often relied on the three-at-back approach. It is, however, likely that he opts for the 4-2-3-1 formation in the upcoming fixture against Charlotte FC.
The Boys in Blue have returned to their traditional possession-heavy style of play and maintained along with hard pressing to retain the ball. It will be a challenge for Lattanzio to go one better than his counterpart’s tactics. Pereira and Rodriguez will be the players to watch out for in the New York City line-up for their upcoming fixture.
Italian coach Lattanzio has mostly relied on his 4-3-3 system. This system has allowed him to invert the full-backs when in possession, allowing the midfielders to play in a more advanced approach and act like the club’s No.10s. The advanced midfielders have been successful in causing overloads in the ongoing season.
Alternatively, the Crowns have also opted for the 4-4-2 formation under Lattanzio, when Daniel Rios partnered with Swiderski. This season, it is likely that the club plays with a 4-2-3-1 style of play with Swiderski playing as a second striker behind the new recruit Copetti, who was signed by the club on an initial three-year deal from Racing Club. However, with his experience and goal-scoring ability, Swiderski remains the most important player in the Charlotte line-up and will be eager to get on the scoresheet in the away encounter against New York City.
