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After another exciting weekend in Major League Soccer, there are yet more fixtures coming thick and fast. Our MLS Week 12 predictions for 2023 cover the biggest upcoming games with the best narratives in the league.
MLS Week 12 Predictions 2023
Inter Miami vs New England Revolution
Sunday 14th May, 00:30 BST
There’s never a good time to host the league leaders. Yet, having notched up four consecutive victories in all competitions, Inter Miami can have a semblance of confidence when New England Revolution turn up to the DRV PNK Stadium, especially considering that the Revs made an early exit from the US Open Cup in midweek.
Josef Martinez hadn’t scored a single goal until last week. Of course, there was no better time for him to net his first against his former team, Atlanta United. Yet, he didn’t stop there as he bagged a brace in a 2-1 victory. While Phil Neville is a pragmatic coach, it would be very difficult to bench the Venezuelan for this upcoming game.
Realistically, the New England Revolution is one of the best MLS teams this season. Currently topping the Eastern Conference standings, the team oozes quality in all eleven positions. Interestingly, New England Revolution leads the stats for goals outside the box with four. This is a testament to the versatility of how they can attack opposition defenses.
Prediction: Josef Martinez might have found the net, yet that probably won’t be enough to avoid defeat here.
New York Red Bulls vs New York City FC
Sunday 14th May, 00:30 BST
It’s the Hudson River derby! Any week 12 MLS preview worth its salt will be sure to cover this rivalry for Big Apple bragging rights (despite the Red Bull Arena technically being in New Jersey).
The advertisement for Red Bull suggests that the drink gives you wings. However, the New York Red Bulls campaign is certainly grounded as the team is rock-bottom in the Eastern Conference standings. No wins in their last six MLS games have started to set off alarms and Gerhard Struber was ejected from his role as head coach. Troy Lesesne is set to assume first-team duties in the interim, including this match.
New York City also come into the game in poor form having lost its last two games. However, their season as a whole has been much better than their city rivals having accrued six more points, scored twice as many goals, and placing 10 positions higher than them at this juncture.
Prediction: New York City FC won the last two Hudson River derbies and the formbook suggests they’ll do it again. Pretty handsomely, too.
Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders
Sunday 14th May, 01:30 BST
MLS Week 12 predictions 2023 should cover this pivotal game between two of the staples in the Western Conference. The Seattle Sounders lead the way in the west while Houston Dynamo look like a rejuvenated side under Ben Olsen.
If 2022 results were a barometer to gauge success in 2023, then most people would have written off Houston a long time ago. Comfortably the worst in Texas and statistically the third-worst of the entire MLS, we can’t emphasize enough how much of a reconstruction job Olsen has carried out. He’s done this by underpinning the team’s defense with real stability, having conceded only eight goals. Steve Clark is having an inspired season so far, keeping multiple clean sheets.
This is the obligatory section where we tout Jordan Morris as one of the best MLS players currently. Yet, he’s not scored in five league games, making the headline of eight goals in the league a little less impressive. In his slight dip, Leo Chu and Nicolas Lodeiro have been picking up the slack.
Prediction: This one could be a cagey affair. Seattle should have enough to win but lost to Sporting Kansas City last weekend. It could be a draw.
Colorado Rapids vs Philadelphia Union
Sunday 14th May, 02:30 BST
One of the best showdowns throughout all the Week 12 MLS preview pieces is the game at DSG Park between the Colorado Rapids and Philadelphia Union in a cross-conference matchup.
Colorado Rapids are fresh off a 3-1 victory away from home against LA Galaxy. That in turn added to their current six MLS game unbeaten streak. While a lot of those games are stalemates and the franchise is currently outside the playoff spots, the western standings are very congested and the Rapids could jump multiple positions with a win here.
Daniel Gazdag is Philadelphia Union. Ok, that might be a little strong, however, the Hungarian midfielder has been one of the few consistent performers for the franchise as it appears to be somewhat broken.
The team is still suffering from the MLS Cup final disappointment as it appears ghostly compared to the football it produced last season. To heap on the misery even more, the Union was dumped out of two competitions in the space of six days. It exited the CONCACAF Champions League and then Minnesota United defeated them on penalties to end their US Open Cup campaign prematurely.
Prediction: MLS Week 12 predictions 2023 will be hard-pushed to say anything other than a draw but at home against a deflated Philadelphia, the Rapids could win this one.
