match preview: Terengganu v USM
Terengganu, who were heavily beaten by leaders Selangor on matchday one, will look to bounce back against a USM side playing their first match of the circuit.
Terengganu host USM FC at Stadium SUKPA, Kuantan, with a 13:30 kick-off in Circuit 7 Matchday 2, in a fixture between two sides with contrasting fortunes so far this season. Terengganu sit fifth in the table on 13 points from 11 matches, a return built on four wins but undermined by six defeats, leaving them well adrift of the pack above but with a healthy cushion over the bottom three.
Terengganu lost heavily 11-3 to Selangor on matchday one and will be keen to recover with a win against more evenly matched opposition.
USM, by contrast, who are playing their only game of Circuit 7, prop up much of the table in eighth place on just six points, their season so far defined by nine defeats from eleven outings and only fleeting moments of form.
The two sides have already produced one of the more entertaining scorelines of the campaign, with Terengganu edging USM 5-4 back in Circuit 1, a match that swung back and forth before the hosts came out on top. Given both teams' defensive frailties this season, another high-scoring affair would not be a surprise, with Terengganu's greater firepower likely to be the difference if the pattern of that first meeting repeats itself.
For Terengganu, a win would help steady a season that has blown hot and cold, while USM will be desperate to build on any recent green shoots and close the gap to the sides above them. Circuit 7 represents a real opportunity for USM to pick up a rare away-day success, but Terengganu's slightly superior squad depth makes them the favourites heading into the contest. Either way, with little separating the two sides in quality, expect goals at both ends and a contest that could go some way to shaping the bottom half of the table.
The match kicks off at 13.30. You can watch all the action on the MPFLTV YouTube channel.
