Columbus Crew SC won big last week in Orlando with a 4-1 rout of the Lions, and now looks to keep the winning momentum going as it returns home this Sunday against the New England Revolution.
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The Black & Gold moved up the Eastern Conference standings with last week’s convincing victory — and with seven games left in the season, sit just seven points back of the Revs for the last spot in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
With that being said, Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter says it is easy to look ahead at upcoming fixtures going down the final stretch of the season, but reassures that Crew SC must keep their focus on one game at a time.
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“What we are going to do is just focus on the next game because that’s everything to us right now,” Berhalter said. “I don’t even know if there’s any other games in the season. It’s all about Sunday. “
All of the final seven matches for the Black & Gold will be played against Eastern Conference opponents — with four of them being teams above Columbus in the standings, starting with New England this weekend.
The Revs, unbeaten in four of their last five, come into this clash winning their last three League games behind excellent play from Lee Nguyen, Kei Kamara, and Juan Agudelo. And as New England looks to solidify its postseason position this weekend at MAPFRE Stadium, Crew SC defender Harrison Afful says his side will have to step up for this “tough battle” at home.
“We always talk about games, day in and day out, so we're always ready to meet the opponent,” Afful said. “We know how dangerous Kei is, we just can’t let him get in easy at all. It’s going to be a tough battle, so we have to step up and defend well before we attack.”
Match No. 1 Highlights: New England Revolution 3 – Crew SC 1
Match No. 2 Highlights: New England Revolution 0 – Crew SC 2
The morale of the Black & Gold is high following the win at Orlando City SC — and after splitting the first two games against the Revs this season — the mentality will be a key in Sunday’s rubber match. With three keys points on the line for both clubs, Afful says Crew SC is aware of where they stand now in the table and how important a win at home can be for its playoff aspirations.
“We have a high confidence level, and we know what is at stake,” Afful said. “We have to go all out, but we also have to be careful because we are playing a very tough opponent — and we have to get three points in front of our fantastic supporters, too.”
Kickoff from MAPFRE Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
