Unbeaten in their last two matches, the Black & Gold will be hoping to extend that streak on Saturday night when they face Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET – which is the latest kickoff for any regular season game for the Crew this season.
Three Things to Know
9 – Crew club-record signing Juan Camilo Hernandez – or Cucho – was unveiled as a new forward on Tuesday, but he won’t be available for this matchup with RSL. The Young Designated Player, who joined from English club Watford FC, will be added to the Columbus roster on July 7, pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P-1 visa. While the club already announced his signing, July 7 is when the MLS summer transfer window opens. Cucho’s debut could arrive as early as July 9, when the Crew play at Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field.
2 – While this is the first of two road games in five days for the Crew, it’s also a fixture against the second-place team in the Western Conference. RSL is off to its best home start in club history, and in this week’s MLS Power Rankings, the team was ranked fourth overall. Rio Tinto Stadium has become a fortress so far in 2022, as Real Salt Lake has six wins and a draw from seven home games. Of course, the Crew will be hoping to snap that unbeaten run.
3 – The upcoming week will be the first time that head coach Caleb Porter has needed to navigate a three-game week during the league campaign in 2022. Following Saturday night, the Crew goes back on the road Wednesday night with a Trillium Cup date with Toronto FC. Then, next Sunday, the Crew is back at Lower.com Field, when it hosts the Philadelphia Union – the third-ranked side in the Eastern Conference. Considering players such as Kevin Molino and Jonathan Mensah are returning from injuries, it’ll be interesting to see how Porter approaches three matches in a week. Columbus’ last midweek match was earlier this season in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against USL side Detroit City FC.
When They Last Met
Saturday night marks the first meeting between these clubs in nearly three years. The last time they faced, the Crew lost, 1-0, to RSL at Rio Tinto Stadium on March 7, 2019. The Crew won the last meeting in Columbus, however, when the Black & Gold beat RSL, 2-1, on June 30, 2018.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake
When: Saturday, June 25 at 10 p.m.
Where: Rio Tinto Stadium
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 Stands: Crew – 12th in Eastern Conference; Salt Lake – Second in Western Conference
Fireworks Night | Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union
Celebrate Fourth of July Weekend with the Crew and enjoy a fireworks show after the match!
