Three Eastern Conference matchups to compete with the Final Four

We’ve reached the first weekend of April, and for soccer fans, it means that you should have a solid weekend of soccer as the rest of the country focuses in on the NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours. Admit it: your bracket’s busted anyway, right? That gives you more reason to have soccer on as college basketball reaches its final weekend.

It still feels too early to decide which teams in the Eastern Conference have the juice and which ones are going to slip towards the bottom of the league. Only 5 points separates 1st from 11th in the table, meaning the logjam that normally begins to separate itself around this time just hasn’t happened yet. Still, there are some quality matchups that could go a long way towards determining which teams are on top of their game as we dive into April.

FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls - Saturday April 6th, 7:30pm (MLS Season Pass)

FC Cincinnati sits atop the East with 12 points from 6 matches, and they want to hold serve against the New York Red Bulls, who are just behind them with 11 points. Cincinnati has ascended to the top of the standings despite only scoring 6 goals. They’ll want to try and open up the scoring a bit against the Red Bulls, who have 9 goals in 6 matches and have some dangerous players who can make the game become a track meet.

Prediction: Cincinnati gets it done, but it’s low scoring. They win 1-0.

New York City FC vs. Atlanta United - Saturday April 6th, 7:30pm (MLS Season Pass)

New York City FC is in a rut. They have just 4 goals in 6 matches and have been blanked 3 times already. How do they put it all together against an Atlanta team that’s just a short jab off the top of the standings? Hopefully playing at home is the key, since 4 of their first 6 matches have been away from Yankee Stadium. Their hope is the smaller field can keep Atlanta’s stars boxed in and off the scoreboard. Thiago Almada could be a big factor for Atlanta this weekend as he can thrive in any open space that the Five Stripes create.

Prediction: It’s a wild game, but it ends in a 2-1 win for Atlanta on a late goal.

Nashville SC vs. Philadelphia Union - Saturday April 6th, 8:30pm (MLS Season Pass)

Nashville SC has been doing fine on offense, even if at times they feel disjointed. Their defense has been off, particularly with Walker Zimmerman being out due to injury. They will have to pull it together against a Philadelphia Union team that is always a threat to score a ton of goals. This has the makings of a match that could be exciting with a lot of offense.

Prediction: Both teams make it fun for the fans in attendance and watching at home. They score a few goals each in a 3-3 draw.