Following last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution, the Columbus Crew will return to the northeast on Saturday night when it faces reigning MLS Cup champions New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
The match is an opportunity to build upon the recent run of positive results against arguably the conference’s hottest team.
Three Things to Know
3 - The Black & Gold are now unbeaten in their last three games, which includes two draws in their last two road matchups. Before drawing the Revs last week, the Crew beat D.C. United, 3-0, at Lower.com Field, and drew Sporting Kansas City on the road the week prior. During that time, head coach Caleb Porter has opted for a 4-3-3 formation that sees the side soak up defensive pressure before unleashing counter attacks. During those three games, the club has scored five goals.
6 – The MLS Eastern Conference standings are slightly misleading for NYCFC. Currently, the club sits sixth in the standings, but the “Pigeons” are unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions. That includes a draw with Concacaf Champions League champs Seattle Sounders FC and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup win against Rochester New York FC on Wednesday night. NYCFC had a sluggish start to its league campaign, but the team has 14 points from nine games and is 4-1-1 at home.
10+31 – Earlier this week, Porter told the media that attacking playmaker Lucas Zelarayán and right back Steven Moreira are both available to play the full 90 minutes at Yankee Stadium. Zelarayán’s role has been limited in recent weeks with a knee injury, while Moreira missed last game, forcing winger Derrick Etienne Jr. to fill in as a “band aid” fullback when Marlon Hairston picked up an injury in warmups. Moreira has logged a fine start to 2022 with two assists from nine appearances. As for Zelarayán, he has four goals and three assists from nine appearances this season.
When They Last Met
These teams met on three occasions in 2021, with Columbus winning two matches. The most recent game was a loss, however, as the Crew suffered a 4-1 defeat on July 30, 2021. The Black & Gold will be hoping they can replicate their May 22 meeting, when Zelarayán scored two late free kicks to earn a 2-1 road win.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at New York City FC
When: Saturday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
Where: Yankee Stadium
How to Watch: Bally Sports Ohio OR ESPN+ (out of market)
How to Listen: 97.1 The Fan
Current Standings: Crew – Ninth in Eastern Conference; NYCFC – Sixth in Eastern Conference
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