MLS Begins: Columbus vs Philadelphia Matchday 1

April 16 marks the beginning of Major League Soccer (MLS) 2021 in the United States. It will be an electrifying start with seven uninterrupted weeks of action, in which some of the hottest rivalries in MLS will be played during this time. Today, Sunday, April 18 is Matchday 1 and will feature the current champion of the 2020 MLS Cup, Columbus Crew SC, and the winner of the 2020 Supporters Shield, Philadelphia Union, at Mapfre Stadium. 

Speaking of the current champion Columbus, it should be noted that they will open their stadium on July 3 for their game against New England Revolution.

How Did Columbus and Philadelphia Get Here?

The current champions of the 2020 MLS Cup, Columbus Crew, seeks to repeat the feat they achieved last season. They hope to continue on their path of victory as they did in their last game on December 12, 2020, when they defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-0 in the final. In that game, Columbus managed to have 35% possession of the ball with 15 scoring chances and 5 shots on target. As you can see, they had a low percentage, but their effectiveness when facing the goal was a determining factor in beating Seattle. Columbus plays a strong game in which they have managed to score at least one goal in each of their last 6 games.

You can watch the best moments of the last match played by Columbus Crew at:

On the other side of the field, we have the winner of the 2020 Supporters Shield, Philadelphia Union. After being defeated by the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup playoff game, Philadelphia dreams of starting the new MLS season with a victory. In their last game, Philadelphia played New England where they had a resounding 0-2 defeat. Philadelphia had 58% possession of the ball and created 15 scoring chances, but they were not effective enough to score a single goal. On the other hand, New England had only 4 shots and 2 of them were on goal, which accounts for an effectiveness of 50%. 

Before this loss, Philadelphia had a 6-game streak with 12 goals and an average of 2 goals per game. This was an extremely positive period, but their streak was cut short in their playoff game due to New England’s fierce defense.

You can watch the best moments of the last match played by Philadelphia at:

The Background Between Columbus vs Philadelphia  

The Last 3 Games:

• Columbus won 3 games with 5 goals in total
• Philadelphia won 0 games with 1 goal in total

Important Game Information

• When is it? The game will be on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
• What time is it? The game starts at 17:30 hours ET.
• Where? Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, EE.UU.
• Where can I watch it? FOX SPORTS.

Betting Line for Columbus vs Philadelphia MLS Matchday 1

Although Philadelphia has been a strong scoring team, this game may amount to the opposite due to the strengths that Columbus presents on the field. In addition to playing at home, Columbus will play their first game in defense of the title they won last season. Therefore, we are giving our winner token to Columbus with a tight score of 1-0.

• Spread: -1/2 (-120) – Columbus               +1/2 (-109) – Philadelphia
• Moneyline:  -119 Columbus                 +289 Philadelphia
• Goals: +2^1/2 (-126)                                      -2^1/2 (-108)

Predictions

• Columbus: 40.2%
• Philadelphia: 32%
• Draw: 27.8%