Crew SC hosts 2015 MLS expansion side New York City FC for the second time at MAPFRE Stadium in 2016 as well as for the third time in Central Ohio overall. Columbus is 1-0-1 against NYCFC at home as well as 2-0-1 overall against them, having won at Yankee Stadium in 2015. This is the second of three regular-season meetings between the two clubs this year, as Crew SC travels to Yankee Stadium on Oct. 23 for a Decision Day clash to close-out the 2016 regular season.
LAST THREE REGULAR-SEASON MEETINGS
08/19/2015 CLB 2 vs. NYC 2 D: MAPFRE Stadium
08/29/2015 CLB 2 at NYC 1 W: Yankee Stadium
04/16/2016 CLB 3 vs. NYC 2 W: MAPFRE Stadium
MERAM EARNS 18TH CAP FOR IRAQ
Earlier this week, Black & Gold midfielder Justin Meram earned his 18th all-time cap for the Iraq National Team playing 45 minutes in an international friendly against Qatar. Meram assisted on Jassim Mohammad's 75th-minute tally. That was Meram's first cap since Oct. 8, 2015, when he appeared against Vietnam in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.
HIGUAIN RETURNS TO STARTING LINEUP
Crew SC Designated Player Federico Higuain returned to the starting lineup in the Black & Gold's last contest, on July 31 at Toronto, playing 67 minutes. He had previously returned to the lineup in a substitute's role on July 23 versus Orlando after missing six matches following hernia repair. Higuain notched three shots in the match against the Reds.
AND IS THREE SHY OF BREAKING ALL-TIME CREW SC CORNER KICKS RECORD
Against Toronto FC, Federico Higuain registered three corner kicks and now the Argentine stands at 501 for his Major League Soccer regular-season career, all with Crew SC. Higuain stands two corner kicks shy of tying Robert Warzycha for the all-time club record. Warzycha sent-in 503 corner kicks over his Black & Gold regular-season tenure.
BLACK & GOLD 10-MATCH HOME REGULAR-SEASON UNBEATEN STREAK THEIR LONGEST SINCE 2012
Following a 2-2 draw against Orlando City SC on Saturday, July 23, Columbus is currently on an active 10-match unbeaten streak at home. The streak dates back to April 16 of this year when Columbus defeated New York City FC at MAPFRE Stadium. The 10-contest streak is the longest such run by the Black & Gold since 2012, when Crew SC went on a 12-match unbeaten run at MAPFRE Stadium that began on July 21, 2012 and extended into the 2013 season, through April 27 of that year.
TRIO OF BLACK & GOLD PLAYERS LOANED TO PITTSBURGH ON GAME-BY-GAME BASIS
Earlier this week, Crew SC announced that Chad Barson, Cristian Martinez and Rodrigo Saravia had been loaned to the club's USL affiliate, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, on a game-by-game basis. The trio joined loanee Marshall Hollingsworth with Pittsburgh. All four players started for Pittsburgh on Wednesday evening in the Riverhounds' match at FC Montreal.
BLACK & GOLD LEAD MLS IN PASSING ACCURACY
According to Opta, Crew SC currently leads all of Major League Soccer in passing accuracy, having recorded an 82.36 percent completion rate through 21 regular-season matches. Columbus also ranks second in the League in completed passes per match, at 398.29, as well as in attempted passes, at 483.62.
CREW SC TOP-TWO IN MLS IN CHANCES CREATED PER MATCH, POSSESSION
According to the League’s official statistician, Opta, Columbus Crew SC ranks second in MLS in chances created per match (10.43) and ranks second in possession (55.64%).
WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Saturday's 7:30 p.m. ET start, presented by Big Lots!, is available via regional television on The CW Columbus, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and BCSN2. Neil Sika (play-by-play), Dwight Burgess (analyst) and Marisa Contipelli (sideline) are set to have the call of the match. On Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and BCSN2, “Crew SC Matchday,” the exclusive pre-match show, starts at 7 p.m. ET with Contipelli and Chris Doran, and “Crew SC Post-Match” immediately follows the action only on TWCSC and BCSN2. The CW Columbus' broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. locally, the contest is available via the radio in English on CD102.5 FM and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1 FM. The English radio broadcast also is set to stream live on ColumbusCrewSC.com. A complete list of places to catch the Black & Gold on TV is available here.
