TUESDAY JULY 3rd #2

MLS :HOUSTON DYNAMO - CHICAGO FIRE

We discussed both teams over the weekend and those few lines are reproduced below.

Again, and I accept that today's notes are starting to sound like a weather report, the conditions are going to have  a huge impact on this game.

Firstly the weather in Houston is going to be very very hot, also humid,  with thunderstorms also in the area. They played in similar conditions Saturday and it will be tough for them to handle this very quick turnaround, Fire also played in sweltering Kansas, but on Friday , they handled it very well and the extra 24 hours recovery time is HUGE !

Fire won that 1-0 and have now won three in a row, four is tough in the competitive MLS, but a point would do nicely and I certainly fancy them to score against a very vunerable looking Dynamo backline, which has now gone nine starts in all competitions without a cleansheet and conceded two or more in five of those. Fire have scored on their last six visits to Houston, although none of those came in the new BBVA Compass arena.

Hosts will have midfielder Adam Moffat back from suspension, problem might be with new Honduran designated player Boniek Garcia, he looked good at times on Sauturday, but has not trained much and the faster pace of MLS football and the quick turnaround in games, will probably not be in his favour. But he will be a strong long term addition to the squad.

Fire's Argentine midfielder Sebastian Grazzini ( see below) has again stayed at home in Chicago, but they seem better without him just now, defender Gonzalo Segares will return from a one-game suspension and will probably start alongside Arne Friedrich, who returned to the starting line-up in Kansas, he left the field in the second half with cramp, but is said to be fine. That is what the extreme conditions can do to you.

Dynamo are strong at home and have not lost in the city in the league for almost a year ( 13 days short), but they put in one of their worst home performances in that time in a recent 0-0 draw with woeful travellers Portland Timbers, in a match which also came on Tuesday after a Saturday fixture and they do not look as "robust" or as "hardy" as Fire.

Having said that, I suspect that the visitors would take the draw willingly, the last two h2h meetings have ended 1-1 and that would be my pick, given that both teams would just like to get this game out of the way. But let's keep things simple,a  small bet on Chicago Fire +0.25 ball 2.04 asian line.

Good Luck.

WRITTEN FRIDAY 29/06

How about the MLS game between Sporting KC and Chicago Fire , hosts have had a tough couple of weeks and that 4-0 defeat Philly last week, whilst good for us, would have been a big shock to their system, they do have a boost with the return of All-Star defender Matt Besler and he will steady a backline which is suddenly looking vunerable. Fire get a nice handicap start ( 0.75 goal) and are coming off two nice home wins and have a decent record in the series against SKC, they can also call upon German defender Arne Friedrich , who has missed most of the last month, however, they are without suspended  defender Gonzalo Segares. But two huge positives, playmaker Sebastian Grazzini was given a contract extension yesterday, Fire were expected to let this expire ( it was due to run out tomorrow) and play him tonight, which would have been far from ideal, now they have a motivated player, also ,Brazilian midfielder Alex, is now eligible to play and will create huge competition in the center of the park.

BUT, now it looks like despite signing, he will NOT play, work that one out ! Javier Leon the MD announced that the Argentine midfielder would not travel to Kansas City with the team for the match on Friday night.  "I don't believe he's going to travel to Kansas City.  The feeling is that he didn't train for a couple of days this week.  You can talk to Frank since it's more of a soccer decision but we'll be back on Sunday and we expect him to be training with the team on Sunday," he said."He's staying back on this one.  He missed some training this week," said  coach Frank Klopas.  "I think it's important to get him back in training.  He's not going in this one but hopefully he'll be ready for the next one," said Klopas.  "He hasn't trained and I think it's important to take the players that are in form and have been training."

This training issue is a bit strange as several supporters claim that Grazzini was at the club working out/ practicing each day with the rest of the team, it is a very odd situation and I am going to pass on the game, but if forced to pick, I would have to take the Fire, but we have far better bets tomorrow in the MLS and certainly less muddled situations.

WRITTEN SATURDAY 30/06

HOUSTON DYNAMO- PHILADELPHIA UNION

We have discussed both teams recently, the Union preview from last week is reproduced below. They won that 4-0 and also scored five in an Open Cup win against lower league opposition in midweek. Those nine goals will have done wonders for their confidence and they will travel to Houston in great spirit. Dynamo have conceded seven here in two starts against Toronto and Montreal and suddenly the Dynamo look a mess at the back and the BBVA Compass stadium, a venue you want to visit. Dynamo’s midfielder Adam Moffat will serve a one-game suspension and Union will also miss right back Raymon Gaddis for a single game. 

Houston have not kept a cleansheet in eight and have conceded 17 goals in that sequence. I cannot see Union going back into their shell tonight, they matched SKC's 4-3-3 last week, which was very brave considering how things had been going for them previously and it paid off big time. Surely they will be prepared to do their share of attacking tonight too, against the vunerable looking dynamo backline. The "over" 2.5 goal line at 2.25 on the asin handicap looks very big indeed and I make that a 1.5 unit bet. There is some 4.0/4.33 around for Union to score two or more, which I also like, but it is not freely available unfortunately.