Preview & Prediction: New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire

As we approach the upcoming MLS match between New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire slated for October 1st, 2023, significant performance trends from both teams can offer a guide to predicting the potential outcome.

New York Red Bulls have shown commendable form, staying unbeaten in their last 3 games. They’ve managed to secure 5 points from the last 5 games, home and away, with an average of one point per game. Their attacking prowess has seen them score 7 times in these recent fixtures. Moreover, both teams have found the net in three out of these five games. However, there seems to be a scoring issue, as New York RB has failed to score in 2 out of the last 5 games, and they have not been able to score in 11 games this season. This implies that melding their tactics or adding another striker could be worth considering.

Chicago Fire, on the other hand, hasn’t been performing as well, only managing to gather 2 points from their last 5 matches, equating to an average of 0.4 points per game. They’ve been experiencing significant difficulty finding the back of the net, with a mere 2 goals in their last 5 fixtures and blanking in four of them. They haven’t secured a win in these past 5 games, drawing twice and losing thrice. A tactics overhaul or possible forward change might be on the cards for Chicago Fire.

The previous head-to-head resulted in a 3-2 win in favor of New York RB. These two sides have met 30 times in recent seasons, with New York RB winning 11 games, Chicago Fire taking 10, and the remaining 9 ending in draws. These encounters usually witness an average of 3 goals, with both teams scoring in two-thirds of them.

This season, New York RB has averaged 1.53 points per home game, while Chicago Fire averages 0.8 points for away games. Consequently, based on form, scoring feats, and prior matchups, the New York RB has an edge and could likely emerge victorious in the upcoming face-off.

Key Insights

– New York Red Bulls have a slight edge going into the game, having secured 5 points from the last 5 games compared to Chicago Fire’s 2 points.
– The Red Bulls have been on a good run, maintaining a 3-game undefeated streak.
– However, they have struggled to find the net recently, failing to score in 2 of their last 5 games.
– An interesting statistic is that the Red Bulls have not scored in 37% of their games this season.
– Comparatively, Chicago Fire has been having a difficult time with no wins in their last 5 games.
– Fire’s scoring record is worse than the Red Bulls as they have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 matches.
– Both Teams To Score (BTTS) has occurred in 50% and 50%, respectively, of their games this season, indicating a rough parity between the teams in this respect.
– The points per game average for the home team, New York Red Bulls is 1.53 this season while for the away team, Chicago Fire, it is 0.8.
– The last encounter between the teams resulted in a victory for New York Red Bulls with a score of 3-2.
– Over the history of their encounters, the teams have had close results with the Red Bulls winning 11 and Chicago Fire winning 10 out of 30 matches. Nine matches have ended in draws.
– Matches between these teams have tended to be high scoring with an average of 3 goals per match, and with “Both Teams To Score” outcome happening 67% of the time.
– The New York Red Bulls is currently in poor home form, while the Chicago Fire is performing averagely in away games.

Match Forecast:

– Given the strength of New York Red Bulls in aerial duels and the weakness of Chicago Fire in defending set pieces, expect many goal attempts from crosses and set pieces by the Red Bulls.
– Both teams have a strong ability to steal the ball from the opposition which could lead to a match with a high rate of possession turnovers.
– Chicago Fire’s weakness in avoiding fouling in dangerous areas, combined with Red Bulls’ strength in shooting from direct free kicks, could lead to scoring opportunities for the Red Bulls.
– As both teams rotate their first eleven, the outcome could be greatly affected by the performance of their substitutes.
– Since New York Red Bulls are strong in protecting the lead and Chicago Fire are very weak in it, if the Red Bulls score first, they are likely to maintain, or even extend their lead.
– Given the Red Bulls’ weakness in avoiding individual errors, expect scoring opportunities for Chicago Fire if they press the Red Bulls effectively.
– Considering Fire’s play style of playing in their own half, and Red Bulls’ style of controlling the game in the opposition’s half, anticipate a game field tilted towards the Fire’s goal.
– The combination of aggressive play from both teams might result in a high number of fouls and potentially some cards.