New York sports fans are in for a treat this weekend, with a plethora of top-class action taking place across some of the major leagues.
Soccer, ice hockey and baseball are all on the agenda, giving fans plenty of opportunities to put their feet up and watch the biggest stars strut their stuff.
Major League Soccer will see the continuation of the innovative MLS is Back tournament, which is being used a precursor to the resumption of the regular season.
The NHL restarts this weekend with qualifying games for the play-offs, while the regular season in MLB is set to continue apace. Read on as we look at what’s in store for New York’s teams.
NYC FC on a Mission in the MLS
New York City FC were fortunate to reach the knockout phase of the MLS is Back tournament, winning just one of their three games in the group stage.
However, they bounced back to form with an impressive 3-1 victory over Toronto FC in the round of 16 and are now favourites to lift the trophy with the bookmakers listed at playbonuscode.com.
Goals by Jesus Medina, Valentin Castellanos and Maxi Moralez secured the victory for NYC, who will now face Portland Timbers in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Portland are unbeaten in the competition so far, but they needed penalties to defeat FC Cincinnati in the last round and could be vulnerable against NYC’s array of attacking talent.
Rangers Face Tough Panthers Test
The New York Rangers kick-off a best-of-five series against Carolina Panthers on Saturday with a place in the NHL post-season up for grabs.
The Rangers haven’t reached the play-offs since 2017, but they will fancy their chances of springing a surprise with free-scoring Artemi Panarin in their line-up.
Mika Zibanejad has also had an impressive season thus far, while youngsters Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin have showcased their potential.
A run of 11 wins in their last 17 matches highlights that the Rangers could be tough to beat, although the Panthers’ defence may just help them edge the series.
Islanders Look Good Against the Panthers
New York Islanders are also in action on Saturday as they start their quest to reach the play-offs with a series opener against Florida Panthers.
The Islanders are a pretty solid team defensively, with their 2.79 goals allowed per game average the ninth best in the NHL.
Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss are a hugely effective goalkeeping tandem and if they can maintain their form the Islanders should progress.
The Panthers have reached the play-offs just once in the last seven seasons and that miserable run looks set to continue this time around.
New York’s MLB Teams Set for Hectic Spell
The 2020 Major League Baseball season is now well underway and New York’s two teams are both in action over the weekend.
The Yankees face an intriguing triple-header, going head-to-head in New York with bitter old rivals Boston Red Sox.
The animosity between the two clubs is one of the most heated in sports and their latest meetings are all likely to draw huge audiences on live streaming services.
Elsewhere, the New York Mets renew rivalries with Atlanta Braves, facing them four times in a series that will test the depth of their respective rosters.
