New York Red Bulls VS St. Louis City

The home side anchors their system with tight defensive interceptions in the back third to shut down opponents' passing lanes, relying on blistering wide counterattacks and set pieces as their primary scoring outlets. Their full-backs also make well-timed overlapping runs to stretch the pitch horizontally and unlock extra attacking space. Their clear weakness comes after extended spells of physical tussles, as their central defenders tend to turn slowly, leaving huge gaps at the back that can be easily exploited by well-timed through passes. The visiting side does not stick to a purely defensive game plan, and will surge forward immediately after winning back possession. They generate shooting opportunities via clever runs through the half-spaces and pinpoint crosses from the flanks. Their major flaw at present is the absence of their key midfield playmaker, which makes their backline build-up highly susceptible to unforced errors when facing high-intensity physical pressing.