The Ohio team is counting on reaching playoffs, although the start of the group stage, to put it mildly, did not go well. The club was defeated in the first match of Columbus Crew (0-4), but most importantly, it managed to recover in time. Cincinnati played much better in the second meeting and chalked up three points, all thanks to a successful game against Atlanta (1-0). This helped Yap Stam’s wards to stay afloat and keep up with the leaders of the group. In case of a victory over the New York Red Bulls, the team will bypass the rival and come out on the second line, so there is something to strive for.
Two wins in a row helped West Ham to protect themselves from relegation. Mathematically, the Hammers can still get into the Championship. But for this they need to lose 0: 8 or so and Bournemouth or Aston Villa should win their matches with about the same score. That is, David Moyes did save the London team and can add this season to his asset. Although the Scotsman hasn’t had a successful seasons since Everton. In the last five matches, West Ham have earned ten points, which helped the Hammers to break out of the relegation zone. Moyes’ players beat Chelsea (3: 2), Norwich (4: 0) and Watford (3: 1), drew with Newcastle (2: 2) and lost to Burnley (0: 1). Prior to this finishing spurt, West Ham had only earned five points in ten bouts. There are practically no injured in the Hammers. Ryan Fredericks will not be able to play and the participation of Robert Snodgrass is in question. The latter is a more serious loss.
