After a golden sombrero the week before, we got back on track with 5 of 6 correct last week, moving out overall record to 11-16 on the season. Will the 6 games this weekend put us back over .500?
Seems unlikely. Anyway…
NOLA @ Atlanta
This is a tough call. NOLA’s loss to Austin comes to mind. An elite defense can beat this team, but what’s the gap between Austin’s top defense and ATL (arguably the second best defense in MLR)? While I’m tempted to go with the home team in a slight upset, watching the Gold fling the ball around in the elements last weekend gave me to much confidence to ignore.
Winner: Gold
San Diego @ LA
This match should become a rivalry that the league savors for years. A San Diego team, raised from a small time MLR club to a dominate force in the league, suddenly relegated to second thought behind a Giltinis team with all the flash you’d expect from LA. The last couple weeks has seen San Diego show their strengths and LA flash their weaknesses. Is this the perfect convergence of forces? While it would send shocks through the rugby landscape, I think LA’s first game in front of fans will power them to victory. And set up a rematch later this year with some heat.
Winner: Giltinis
Houston @ Utah
What happens when you take the two hardest to pinpoint teams and have them play each other? You get this game. Utah blowout? Houston blowout? Draw? Literally any outcome seems possible here. That said, Utah looks scrambled, while Nick Boyer has given the Houston attack a whole new look. The Cats’ 9-10-12 grouping is coming together nicely. If Sam Windsor can get back to his old kicking form, I think Houston picks up the road win.
Winner: SaberCats
Toronto @ New York
Who’s supposed to be the favorite here? We’ve seen what Toronto is capable of the last couple weeks. New York has looked really good, but they haven’t been dominate. Toronto will be their biggest test. I think the RUNY hype is getting a bit too loud. The Arrows hear it. And they’re going to respond.
Winner: Arrows
New England @ DC
Old Glory has largely cooled as teams have figured out how to contain the Danny Tusitala show. Does this team have a second act? While I see both these teams as fitting in the East’s second tier, I think New England has a very slight edge here. I think its a tight one with the Free Jacks managing the narrow win.
Winner: Free Jacks
Seattle @ Austin
Welcome to the Upside-Down. Nothing you knew is what it once was. If aliens landed, and you told them one of these teams was the two time defending MLR champions and the other has been the worst franchise in the league for several years, which do you think they’d guess was which?
My follow up would be ‘why is that the first question you have for the aliens?’ But I think I’ve made my point.
Winner: Gilgronis
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