Predictions: Crew (H) v Red Bulls

Good Morning,

Nestled on the north east corner of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair Grounds you'll find Crew Stadium and at 7:30 PM tonight NY Red Bulls are there playing soccer.

GAME NOTES
-CLB: 9 games since a draw
-CLB: Likely lineup changes/shakeup
-CLB: 16th in league
-NY: Only 3 clean sheets away this year
-NY: Looking to keep pace for Supporters' Shield
-NY: 3 Wins, 2 Draw in last 5.

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PREDICTIONS
(In no particular order)

1. WVHOOLIGAN.COM ... NY RED BULLS
"Sometimes when your backs are up against a wall you fight hard, that is what I am hoping to see out of the Crew in this one. The thing is, I’m not expecting it." - Drew Epperley. He thinks the final will be 2:1 NY.

2. WINDRAWWIN.COM ... NY RED BULLS
Large Stake on Away Win, 0:1 and NY gets 51% of the 'Your Votes' to win (29% Draw, 19% Crew).

3. MLSSOCCER.COM ... NY RED BULLS
MLS Team Pick 'em Six sees four votes for NY and the other two going Draw.

4. GOAL.COM ... NY RED BULLS
Keith Hickey on the mic today with the one line game preview: "New York is riding high, and victory over Robert Warzycha's side could put Mike Petke's men top of MLS." Also, further down the page NY is getting over 80% of the fan's predictions.

5. BET365.COM ... NY RED BULLS
First time this year that the Crew are not favored at home. While parity might exist within records on the table the back half of the season the betting lines become more predictive. Parity in MLS is a falsity. The league is more interested in burning teams down in the offseason and having them pick up the pieces during the 1st half of the year. By this time, the order of things is more or less set. 11/8 Red Bulls, 2/1 Crew (9/4 Draw).

6. COLUMBUS DISPATCH ... LEAN NY RED BULLS
Adam Jardy puts it best this week, "New York has shown a propensity to not show up on occasion, meaning the Crew has a chance at an upset, but predicting anything but a Red Bulls win would be blind optimism."

7. TABLE POSITION ... NY RED BULLS

8. HOME TEAM ... CREW

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MY THOUGHTS

The Crew are on a bad enough run that it is okay to start making sweeping generalizations and conclusions. One big one that will dog this franchise for years to come is stumbling through league expansion since 2009, not correcting and finding themselves in 16th place in the league. Not just in 2013 standing but as an overall organization.

Not correcting has put this team back at square one with new owner Anthony Precourt and is mysterious merry group of investors. Previous ownership allowed roots to run too deep and pulling them up will be difficult.

Now, with all that good cheer out of the way it will be refreshing for many to once again roll the ball out and play some soccer.

The Crew are still in a limbo period but I fully expect the players to give it their all tonight. Key to this match: Andy Gruenebaum is out again with a nagging shoulder injury and Matt Lampson is in.

Lampson proved last week that under sustained pressure he might let a few in so it will be important for the Crew backline to be solid tonight. Better than solid.

Should be an interesting and enjoyable game.