Toronto FC vs. Sporting Kansas City – Major League Soccer – Betting Preview and Prediction – July 26, 2014

Third-placed Toronto FC will look to gain some valuable ground in the Eastern Conference when they host current leaders and defending MLS Champions, Sporting Kansas City.

This promises to be an All-Star-studded matchup, with Toronto’s duo of Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe going up against Kansas City’s rock-solid defensive tandem of Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin.

Which All-Star duo will lead their team to victory? Read on for more on this epic Eastern Conference showdown.
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Toronto FC vs. Sporting Kansas City Betting Preview and Prediction

Where: BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

When: July 26, 7:00 PM ET

Line: Sporting Kansas City at Toronto FC – view all MLS lines

Betting on Toronto FC

Toronto FC won’t be entering their crucial match against East-leading Sporting Kansas City in the greatest of form. After suffering back-to-back draws against Vancouver and Houston in their last two games, the Reds have now won just once in their last six (one win, one loss, four draws). The one loss came at the hands of the other team above them in the table – D.C. United – at home earlier this month.

[sc:Soccer240banner ]Head coach Ryan Nelsen has still been unable to find a solution to FC’s defensive struggles. The Reds have conceded a staggering 10 goals in their last six games. They allowed four of those goals to the struggling Houston Dynamo, who had scored just 18 in their previous 19 matches.

Captain and central defender Steven Caldwell has missed the past two games with a quad tear, and still won’t be available to play against Kansas City.

But even if they do concede, the Reds’ offense, led by All-Stars Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe, is also capable of producing goals on the other end. Bradley is slowly returning to full speed after World Cup duties with the U.S. National Team, while Defoe, the league’s fourth-leading scorer with 11 goals, has scored three goals in his last two starts.

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Betting on Sporting Kansas City

Since suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat away to D.C. United at the end of May, Sporting Kansas City have gone on a very impressive six-game unbeaten run. The reigning MLS Cup champs have taken all three points in five of those six games, and have also won four straight on the road.

Defense wins championships, and Sporting’s impressive backline has them on track to defend their title. With the All-Star central defensive partnership of Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin, K.C. has conceded just 18 goals thus far this season, the second-stingiest record behind the L.A. Galaxy. The quality of Besler and Collin should be able to keep the dangerous Defoe relatively quiet.

Sporting’s numerical advantage in the middle of the park, with the midfield trio of Lawrence Olum, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi, will also be crucial in neutralizing the threat of Bradley in Toronto’s two-man midfield. And up front, Dom Dwyer, the league’s second-leading marksman with 14 goals, is a good bet to terrorize the Reds’ suspect defense.

In the two teams’ previous five meetings, Kansas City has three wins with one draw. They’ve also scored at least two goals in the last three meetings. Dwyer scored twice in their 2-2 meeting earlier this season at Kansas City.

Writer’s Prediction

Sporting’s steadfast defense shuts down Bradley and Defoe, while Dwyer cuts through Toronto’s faltering backline. Take Kansas City to grab yet another road win in Canada.
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