On Saturday April 9th, the New York Red Bulls will encounter Philadelphia Union for the first time in the 2011 MLS season. Since it is so early in the season, it is hard to make definite predictions about what is going to happen in this game. Nevertheless, the first few weeks of the season provided some insight about the form of the Red Bulls and the Union.

Get MLS Soccer Odds for this matchup closer to game time.

Each team has different expectations for the 2011 season. The Red Bulls are looking forward to having a similar record to the previous season, in which they finished number one in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, coach Hans Backe wants his New York team to surpass last season’s quarterfinals appearance in the MLS Cup.

New York faces a challenge this season because they’ve lost one of their star players Juan Pablo Angel, who joined the LA Galaxy for 2011. On the bright side, the Red Bulls still have international superstars Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez. Also, the team’s 2010 MVP Joel Lindpere is looking to step up this year once again.

New York Red Bulls got off to a respectable start in 2011. They won the season opener 1-0 against Seattle Sounders, and then finished the following games with draws against Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo.

Philadelphia Union is a young franchise that hopes to make the playoffs in its second season in the MLS. Philadelphia started the season slightly better than New York. The Union won the first two games of the season, but recently lost to Los Angeles Galaxy. The only sure factor about Saturday’s evening is that Philadelphia can feed off its home crowd at the PPL Park.

With the regular 2010 MLS season over, the focus is now on the MLS Cup Playoffs. Online betting experts will keep a close eye on the playoffs.

The New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes are one of the eight teams that will compete for this year’s cup. The two teams will face each other in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, which is actually the first round of the playoffs. This round will consist of two matches, or legs. The first leg match will be held at Buck Shaw Stadium in California, on Saturday October 30.

It seems awkward that San Jose is playing in the Eastern Conference playoffs section. This is because of the seeding format of the 2010 MLS playoffs that is based on total league table points earned, and this allows for “crossing” of conferences during the playoffs. The New York Red Bulls finished first in the Eastern Conference, while the Earthquakes finished sixth in the Western Conference. In fact, Columbus Crew is the only other Eastern Conference team that made it to the playoffs.

In the regular season, the Red Bulls defeated the Earthquakes twice. In fact, the Red Bulls did not concede a single goal in both victories. It’s hard to ignore these facts, which indicate that New York is the heavy favorite in this first round playoff series. Additionally, the Earthquakes do not have as much experience in the MLS playoffs while the Red Bulls reached the Cup final back in 2008.

For Saturday’s match, the Red Bull lineup will be without star striker Thierry Henry. Additionally, Lindpere and Ibrahim have been bothered by injuries and their role in Saturday’s match may be decided at the last minute. Coach Backe will have to adjust the New York lineup, and carefully plan tactics around Angel’s game. On the San Jose side, coach Yallop will have to hope that his team can feed off the home crowd and exploit the absence of New York’s Henry.

As the LA Galaxy will take on New York Red Bulls, Friday September 24 will feature one of the most notable matches of the 2010 MLS Season. It is a clash between the most exciting teams of the western conference and the eastern conference. Kickoff is scheduled at a sold out Home Depot Center, at 8:00 PM (11:00 PM Eastern Time). For the online sportsbook betting odds, this clash has a lot to offer.

Both teams are playing for prestige and momentum heading into the playoff season, with only five league matches remaining. NY Red Bulls hope to claim the Eastern Conference position, while LA Galaxy is looking to keep its position at the top of the MLS league table.

With MLS and international all-stars, Friday’s game will be packed. Finally, David Beckham made a return to the pitch and Landon Donovan in the midfield will support him. Rafael Marquez and Juan Pablo Angel represent the team’s all star status, on the New York squad. Unfortunately, striker Thierry Henry, who is suffering from a minor knee injury, will not be available for New York Red Bulls. to miss out on debut in Los Angeles, the French international superstar said he is disappointed.

In Friday’s highly anticipated battle, it is tough to predict the winner. But of course, to look at back at history, it is important. LA Galaxy defeated NY Red Bulls 1-0, with an early goal by Eddie Buddle, in the previous meeting in August. It’s also worth mentioning that Henry was on the pitch, while Beckham sat on the bench in that game. For now, in the MLS, this is developing into one of the most interesting rivalries.

For fans, the game on Saturday August 14 between Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls is going to be full of excitement because of a few big names. The game will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m.

By signing Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez, New York has made some major headlines across the MLS and the entire global soccer world, in the last several weeks. To bring these two players from Barcelona F.C. to an American club, it was an interesting move.

Marquez is the star of the Mexican national team, while Henry is one of the greatest French strikers of all time. To fill up the new Red Bull Arena almost to capacity is what these two international stars promise. Henry’s and Marquez’s second home game appearances, it is expected that more than 20,000 fans will show up at Red Bull Arena. Red Bulls true star, Juan Pablo Angel has been overshadowed by all of this talk about the new arrivals. In fact, in this season once again by scoring more than 10 goals in less than 20 games so far, Angel has proved his striking abilities.

The clash of New York and Los Angeles will be a fight between the league’s best teams. While the Red Bulls are the second best in the Eastern conference, so far the Galaxy comes in with the best MLS record. To lead Los Angeles to a victory against New York, there are plenty of expectations on Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle. Can the Galaxy handle the pressure of facing some of the biggest names in MLS, the question remains?