Columbus Crew SC (13-9-8, 47 points) returns to a sold-out MAPFRE Stadium to host Portland Timbers FC (11-10-8, 41 points) tomorrow, Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is televising the game, with Dwight Burgess, Neil Sika and Chris Doran on the call. Prior to the match, at 7:00 p.m. ET, "Crew SC Matchday" airs, and "Crew SC Post-Match" immediately follows the action. The match is being broadcast with simulcast audio on CD102.5 FM, and Juan Valladares is set to be behind the microphone for La Mega 103.1 FM. Surrounding the match, Crew SC can clinch a berth in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs with a win or a draw in this match, or a win or a draw by the New York Red Bulls tonight against Orlando City SC.
Crew SC is slated to set an all-time MAPFRE Stadium record with its third consecutive sellout crowd at the country’s first soccer-specific stadium tomorrow. The sellout is the club’s fifth overall of 2015, tying a single-season sellout record set one year ago. For this match, the club previously announced that it expanded capacity by nearly 2,000 bleacher seats in order to satisfy supporter demand.
Since the MAPFRE Stadium stage was built on the north side of the venue ahead of the 2008 campaign, the largest single-match attendance record for a Black & Gold match was 22,685 in a clash against the LA Galaxy on October 4, 2008; Crew SC will top that number tomorrow night with the official attendance to be announced in-match. Saturday's match also features the return of Dollar Night to MAPFRE Stadium with $1 bratwursts and $1 beers for supporters 21-and-over, as well as the final reveal of moments five through one in "Top Twenty Moments in Black & Gold."
The halftime unveiling is set to be attended by numerous club legends, with Brad Friedel, Stern John, Brian McBride and Alejandro Moreno among them and set to participate in a pre-match press conference at 6:00 p.m. ET. A complete list of legends in attendance tomorrow and coverage of Saturday’s events can be found at ColumbusCrewSC.com.
This is the first and only meeting of the season between Columbus and Portland. Crew SC is 2-1-2 against Timbers FC all-time, including a 2-0-0 mark in Central Ohio. The Black & Gold won in each of Portland's first two visits to Columbus by a 1-0 final. Last season, on May 17, 2014, Crew SC played to a 3-3 draw at Providence Park, with Federico Higuain notching a brace and Ethan Finlay scoring his first career MLS goal.
