The Major League Soccer 2023 season has reached week 9! Our MLS Week 9 predictions 2023 cover the biggest and most important upcoming fixtures.
MLS Week 9 predictions 2023
Philadelphia Union vs Toronto FC
12:30 am BST, Sunday 24th April.
Subaru Park is set for a clash between clubs who can’t seem to notch a win. Philadelphia Union is seemingly still suffering from a hangover from the MLS Cup loss, currently residing outside the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. On the face of it, Philadephia Union have some of the best MLS players this season on their roster. Yet, the team has notched two wins from a possible eight. Sure, they’ve been juggling MLS fixtures with the CONCACAF Champions League campaign, but they’re still well below expectations.
Toronto FC is steadily improving, yet is getting an unfortunate label of ‘draw masters’, having tied six games out of the eight played. While a multitude of stalemate results isn’t conducive to a crisis, it’s neither a prompt for glory.
Prediction: Bob Bradley had never lost to Philadelphia before the meeting last season, where he was humiliated 4-0. The former USMNT boss will be itching for revenge and will probably get it or perhaps just another draw.
Orlando City vs D.C. United
12:30 am BST, Sunday 24th April.
Wayne Rooney deserves a spot in our MLS Week 9 predictions for 2023. After all, he managed a win in Week 8! It’s another road game for D.C. United as they travel to Florida for a game against Orlando City at Exploria Stadium. It’s a game in which Rooney should be targeting a win as Orlando has struggled in front of their supporters this year having lost its last three home games.
It gives the Week 9 MLS preview a sense of déjà vu, as the teams already met this year. In Week 3, the teams played out a 1-1 at Audi Field as Duncan McGuire and Chris Durkin got on the score sheet.
Prediction: D.C. United should be able to use the momentum from the prior win and trouble Orlando’s sketchy home form. It’ll only be a slender win, however!
Charlotte FC vs Columbus Crew
12:30 am BST, Sunday 24th April.
The MLS Week 9 predictions 2023 are much harder to formulate when last-minute goals are so prevalent. Charlotte FC hated the closing seconds last weekend, dropping two points in the process. Columbus Crew rejoiced as Sean Zawadzki earned the team a point at the death. As such, this game at Bank of America will be worth watching from start to finish!
The Polish contingent at Charlotte FC is truly doing business for the club as Karol Swiderski and Kamil Jozwiak have provided the bulk of the goals for the franchise in 2023. Swiderski even wore the captain’s armband when these sides last met. That game ended 2-2, with unsurprisingly, a last-minute equalizer. Andre Shinyashiki scored that goal and remains at the club as an impact sub. Could he do it again off the bench?
Prediction: Uncertainty and the result to change in stoppage time. Columbus Crew could edge it however as Wilfried Nancy has a 100% winning record against Charlotte from his tenure at Montreal.
New York City FC vs FC Dallas
12:30 am BST, Sunday 24th April.
The preseason power rankings for New York City FC and FC Dallas might not have been the most luxurious or appealing yet both are performing admirably. This match at Citi Field could be an acid test for both franchises to see if they can sustain the form.
New York City FC has put together its form with a strong ability to move the ball around the pitch with patience. Their passing range tends to be grounded and accurate passes, keeping the ball at all costs. Recycling play is favored to simply getting to a designated target man, as the team has six different scorers already. The emergence of 18-year-old Mitja Ilenic has been a real joy as the Slovenian has shown the capability to defend and attack as a right-back.
Bernard Kamungo scored his first goal for FC Dallas last weekend, a strike that secured all three points against Real Salt Lake. The young Tanzanian won’t be troubling Jesus Ferreira for his starting spot just yet but certainly offers a different attacking threat for the Texas franchise.
Prediction: Four of the last six meetings between these franchises have ended in draws. With both teams playing at about the same level, it will most likely produce another tie.
Colorado Rapids vs St Louis City
2:30 am BST, Sunday 24th April.
Our MLS Week 9 predictions 2023 couldn’t miss out on the delightful St. Louis City. After a two-game losing streak, they’re back to winning ways! It wasn’t a just win either, they mauled FC Cincinnati 5-1, a team which hadn’t given up many goals.
Michael Barrios managed to earn the Colorado Rapids a last-gasp point in the game against Charlotte FC last weekend. He might not be needed initially, however, as the team’s styles line up relatively well.
St. Louis City showed they don’t need a lot of the ball to win games convincingly. All season, they’ve shown a knack to forego possession, instead just use it effectively and promptly when they do have it. Notably, they only saw 42% of the ball when they won 5-1. Colorado also doesn’t subscribe to a necessity for possession. They do have a little more aggression than their counterpart, however.
Prediction: This could be a chess game where both teams will wait for the other to commit to attack and subsequently catch them on the break.
