After a heartbreaking 2-1 loss on Wednesday night, the Columbus Crew is hoping to bounce back Saturday night when it hosts reigning MLS Cup champion New York City FC at Lower.com Field.
2 – How will the Crew respond following its 2-1 loss to CF Montréal on Wednesday night, when the club dominated the first 73 minutes before a weather delay. When play resumed, the Black & Gold looked comfortable until two set piece breakdowns snapped the nine-game unbeaten run that started in May. But with two nights between that loss and Saturday’s matchup with NYCFC, there’s limited time to dwell on the past. Saturday could be a massive opportunity for the Crew to produce a statement match against a New York side that ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 42 points. The Crew is sixth with 30. With more than one-third of the season to play, maybe it’s too early to keep an eye on the table, but we all know how close the Crew came to the 2021 postseason – a single point.
8 – Wednesday night’s match seemed full of bright spots before the club conceded two goals in the final minutes of the game. First, goalkeeper Eloy Room looked set to earn his third-straight clean sheet. The streak would also continue that Columbus is undefeated when Aidan Morris starts a league match in 2022. Both were too good to be true, though. What wasn’t, however, was the return of Artur to the midfield. The Brazilian midfielder, who had been out with a fracture since May 28 at Atlanta United FC, was a second half substitute and seems poised to play an increased role for the club entering the last portion of the season. Despite missing eight games, Artur has made 14 appearances for the club this season – every league game when he’s been available.
5 – Lucas Zelarayán’s form since the arrival of Juan “Cucho” Hernández has been everything Crew fans have come to expect from the attacking playmaker. After a stretch of the season without goals to his name, he now leads the side with six thanks to his finish against Montréal. Zelarayán has been directly involved with the club’s last five goals and has a track record of producing against NYCFC. With the stakes high on Saturday, look for an impressive performance from the club’s No. 10.
On May 15, the Crew played New York City FC at Yankee Stadium and lost, 2-0, after conceding to Talles Magno and Taty Castellanos. However, Columbus won the last meeting between the sides at Lower.com Field – a 2-1 victory on July 17, 2021. Then, the goals came from Darlington Nagbe and Zelarayán.
Who: Columbus Crew hosts New York City FC
When: Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Click here to purchase
How to Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ (Outside of Market)
How to Listen: 97.1 The Fan (English), ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)
Current Standings: Columbus Crew – Sixth in Eastern Conference; NYCFC – Second in Eastern Conference
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