Following Saturday night’s thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Chicago Fire FC, the Columbus Crew remains on the road Wednesday night when it faces D.C. United at Audi Field.
Three Things to Know
3 – The Black & Gold are looking to win their third-straight road match and face a D.C. side currently ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. The streak started on June 29 – another midweek match – when the Crew won, 2-1, against Toronto FC to claim its first Trillium Cup since 2018. Then, this past Saturday, the Crew rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Fire at Soldier Field thanks to a brace from Derrick Etienne Jr. and the game winner from Cucho Hernandez – who also made his MLS debut.
6 – Columbus is unbeaten in its last six matches, which is the club’s longest unbeaten spell to date in 2022. The streak started back in May, when the Crew won, 2-1 at Atlanta United FC on May 28. Since then, the Black & Gold have been busy accumulating points while utilizing different formations – a sign this roster has versatility and depth. The formation has changed through the unbeaten run, and the most recent one that head coach Caleb Porter utilized was a 4-2-3-1 in the second half against Chicago. With Cucho’s arrival into the team, that gives Porter more options for a team looking to generate more offensive firepower.
9 – Speaking of Cucho, the Colombian was impactful in his debut, as he played the final 28 minutes for Columbus in the win at Chicago. In his first 21 minutes with the team, the Crew produced three goals, and the attack was versatile with both dangerous play on the wings from Etienne and Luis Díaz, and centrally with Lucas Zelarayán, who finished with a pair of assists. “He's a dynamic player,” Porter said of Cucho. “The way that he gobbled up ground; his explosiveness on the goal you saw, he's probably quicker than you guys thought, we saw that on film; his quality at the end. I mean, his final prep touch, to then basically just dink it over the ‘keeper. That's what the type of player that he is, can do.”
When They Last Met
In their last meeting, the Crew beat D.C., 3-1, on Oct. 30, 2021, at Audi Field. That night, Zelarayán scored twice, while Pedro Santos was also on the scoresheet. The goals came after the Crew conceded in the third minute before rattling off three straight. The clubs met three times in 2021, with the Black & Gold winning on two occasions.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at D.C. United
When: Wednesday, July 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Audi Field
How to Watch: Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports App (stream), ESPN+ (Out of Market)
How to Listen: 97.1 The Fan (English), ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)
Current Standings: Columbus Crew – eighth in Eastern Conference; D.C. United – 13th in Eastern Conference
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