Well, if there was ever a matchup that gets my soccer socks in a twist, it's this one: Saint Louis City SC versus Houston Dynamo. Stepping into the ring we've got the Dynamo's goalkeeper, Steve Clark, with a respectable 18 saves and a rating of 7.34. But don't clutch your corn dogs too tight, Dynamo fans, because on the opposite end of the field, Roman Bürki of Saint Louis City SC is posing a real challenge with his 23 saves and a 7.50 rating.
When it comes to ace kickers for Houston Dynamo, you'd be a demented dodo to overlook Héctor Herrera, Franco Escobar, and Amine Bassi. With the silky passing game of Herrera and Escobar in the mid, and Assi, the attacking maestro, they've been making defenses look like Swiss cheese all season.
On the other side of the line, Saint Louis City SC counters with the triple threat trifecta: Cedric Teuchert, Eduard Löwen, and Marcel Hartel. If you've been following along at home, folks, you've probably noticed Teuchert - guy's got 4 goals under his belt and a potency at net that makes the competition look about as competent as a giraffe on roller skates.
Pretty winds of history whisper tales of competitive past matchups between these two with Houston Dynamo and Saint Louis City SC sharing wins and draws. However, shifting focus to the recent season records, those dynamo darlings seem to be the hotter of the two. That said, being hot doesn't always mean you're immune to cold showers of defeat.
So, after much ado about much ado, here's my prediction. Hold onto your seat cushions, because you may be in for a surprise. With the payout data quietly humming in my ear and considering all the past and recent performance, I'm predicting an outcome that may just curl your eyebrow or two.
Albert’s Prediction: Saint Louis City SC by 1