Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA;Columbus Crew ahead Diego Rossi (10) passes the ball throughout the first half towards New York Metropolis FC at Decrease.com Discipline.
Samantha Madar-The Columbus Dispatch
The Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew have not met for greater than three years, however they will achieve this Saturday evening in Ohio’s capital metropolis.
The Crew (14-4-7, 49 factors), who sit in third place in Main League Soccer’s Japanese Convention, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory.
Columbus has received seven straight matches in all competitions, together with defeating Los Angeles FC 3-1 for the championship of the Leagues Cup. The Crew have defeated host Philadelphia 1-0 and visiting New York Metropolis FC 4-2 of their return to league play, scoring twice in second-half stoppage time within the latter final weekend. Diego Rossi had a purpose and an help.
“That is one other method to win. I am actually happy with that,” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy stated. “That is what I informed my gamers, I stated, ‘Sure, I used to be pissed off a bit by the truth that we did not management the sport the way in which we wished to do it, however we discovered methods to attain objectives.'”
Rossi has 10 objectives and a career-best 11 assists, turning into the fifth participant in franchise historical past to achieve double-digits in each classes in a season.
The Sounders (11-9-7, 40 factors) are eighth within the Western Convention, presently in a play-in spot for the postseason. They’re coming off a 1-0 loss final weekend in Portland wherein goalkeeper Stefan Frei needed to go away within the eighth minute after getting kneed within the head. Coach Brian Schmetzer stated Frei stays within the concussion protocol and can be unavailable Saturday.
“We’re all mad we simply misplaced to Portland, however a variety of the rhetoric (within the locker room) is optimistic,” Sounders midfielder Josh Atencio stated. “Or making an attempt to be optimistic. The blokes, particularly the leaders of the crew, checked out all people and stated, ‘(Expletive) like this occurs.’ We’ve to maneuver ahead, particularly this late within the season.”
The Sounders additionally misplaced 1-0 to LAFC within the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, leaving them scoreless of their previous two matches.
“On the highway, you have to simply take advantage of out of the few probabilities that you’ll get,” Schmetzer stated.
–Discipline Stage Media