NYCFC continue their mixed start to the season with a trip to early table toppers New England at Gillette Stadium.
(NYCFC) New England vs New York City preview (04.02.23)
The 2023 MLS League has officially started and we have had a handful of games so far. The season is still in its infancy, so it is difficult to see who is shining and who is underperforming. Most teams have played only three games at the time of writing this and the action really kicks off in March and April.
While Los Angeles FC claimed the MLS Cup in 2022, there are plenty of other teams that could be vying for the top spot this season. Two such teams are potentially the New England Revolution and New York City FC.
If you enjoy sports betting and fancy a flutter on MLS matches, New England vs New York City on April 2 could be a good option. We look at this matchup below so you can benefit from the best bets of the day at thegameday.com and other platforms. This includes a look at their 2022 performances and how they are both shaping up so far in the 2023 MLS season.
New England Revolution – up in the mix in the east
The New England Revolution have actually had a decent start so far in the 2023 MLS season and after three games, they have won two and lost one, which puts them in sixth place. However, they are tied on points with Miami and Philadelphia, and only one point behind first, second and third.
As a result, they are right up there with the top teams but their goal difference is neutral at zero, which is something to consider. So far out of their three games, they have conceded four goals, which isn’t great and is the worst goal difference record of the top teams.
From their recent schedule, they have lost 2-0 to Philadelphia and beat Nashville 1-0, and their most recent game at the time of writing this was a devastating 4-0 defeat to 2022 champions LAFC. Looking at their results, their position is potentially more down to the fact that they have beaten lower-ranking teams rather than there being a transformation in their team and skill level.
New York City FC – still finding their feet
NYCFC are still finding their feet and out of their first three MLS 2023 games, they have won one, lost one and drawn one. This is a mixed bag of results and they sit 10th in the table, with four points. Their goal difference is also disappointing, at -1.
It’s still really early days, though, and their win was against Inter Miami, which is arguably a similarly-ranked team. Their 1-1 draw to Chicago was an okay result too, but they really need to start seeing some wins.
Things should hopefully improve and they will surely want to build on their excellent form from last season, in which they finished third in the Eastern Conference with 55pts, which saw them make the playoffs. Indeed, the team played particularly well and made the Eastern Conference finals but ultimately couldn’t take down the Philadelphia Union.
Due to their amazing run last year, we can forgive this seemingly slow start and expect more positive results to start rolling in for NYCFC.
What can we expect from the first match in April?
The last two times these teams have faced off have been two incredibly mixed affairs. The most recent game was in September and New England actually thrashed NYCFC 3-0, which was not expected. McNamara, Bell and Buck all scored for the Revolution and NYCFC just couldn’t get anything going.
The match before that was in July 2022 and NYCFC were triumphant here, with a 4-2 win. New England did have a man sent off but it was a great offensive performance from New York that included two goals from Castellanos, one from Pereira and one from Magno (coincidentally, two of these were penalties!).
As a result, it’s difficult to say who will triumph in this clash. Both teams have shown they are capable of taking down the other and it could really go either way. Based on current season performances, New England are looking pretty decent and NYCFC are still finding their form. Coincidentally, based on 2022 results, New York should have the edge here and they will certainly want to prove a point after the embarrassment they suffered beforehand.
New York City FC should be the favorites but who knows
Although NYCFC are off to an average start in the 2023 MLS season, they should be the favorites to beat New England. The Revolution had a pretty average 2022 season and haven’t really made any big signings to boost their roster. Also, New York are bound to want revenge after the 3-0 thrashing they suffered at the hands of the Revolution last September, so this could be a fun grudge match!