The Black & Gold will head to CenturyLink Field this weekend to take on the Seattle Sounders for their eighth game of the regular season. Here's everything you need to know ahead the first and only regular-season meeting between Crew SC and the Sounders.
LAST THREE REGULAR-SEASON MEETINGS
08/31/2013 CLB 0 vs. SEA 1 L MAPFRE Stadium
03/29/2014 CLB 2 at SEA 1 W CenturyLink Field
05/09/2015 CLB 3 vs. SEA 2 W MAPFRE Stadium
CREW SC LOOKING TO CONTINUE STRONG STRETCH OF RESULTS AT SEATTLE
Crew SC is 2-1-2 all-time at Seattle and has won each of its last two trips to CenturyLink Field.
BLACK & GOLD VISITING SEATTLE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MERAM STRIKE
This match pits the Black & Gold against the Rave Green in Seattle for the first time since March 29, 2014, a match that culminated with Justin Meram’s game-winning, stoppage time strike at CenturyLink Field. The goal was Meram’s first of 2014. The midfielder entered the match in the 89th minute and found the back of the net in the 94th with a curling, right-footed shot, giving Crew SC the 2-1 win. The goal sparked a breakout eight-tally, four-assist season for Meram, who followed it up with a six-goal, five-assist campaign in 2015. Meram has notched two goals and two assists for the Black & Gold this season.
KAMARA REGISTERS BRACE, BLACK & GOLD FIRE 13 SHOTS ON GOAL IN LAST MEETING
In Crew SC's last match against Seattle, on May 9, 2015, the Black & Gold won by a 3-2 final. Forward Kei Kamara registered a brace in that contest, his sixth and seventh overall goals of the 2015 season. Federico Higuain also scored for Crew SC. In the tilt, the Black & Gold registered 13 shots on goal, with Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei making 10 saves. That amount of shots on target was the fourth-most in team history as well as the most for Crew SC in any one match since September 6, 2008, when the club registered 14 shots on goal against New England. The overall team record in the category is 16, set on October 26, 2003 against Chicago.
BERHALTER THROUGH 75 GAMES
Columbus Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter completed his 75th regular-season match at the helm of the Black & Gold in last weekend's 1-0 victory over Houston. He became the fifth coach in club history to reach that mark, joining Robert Warzycha (170), Tom Fitzgerald (144), Greg Andrulis (124) and Sigi Schmid (92). Through each of their first 75 matches with the club, Berhalter's points-earned percentage ranks third in team history.
WAHL MAKES 150TH REGULAR-SEASON APPEARANCE
With a start in last weekend's match against Houston, defender Tyson Wahl made his 150th overall Major League Soccer regular-season appearance. Wahl has started 129 matches over that span. For Columbus, the native of California has made 64 appearances (55 starts), registering three assists.
CREW SC LEADS MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER IN PASSING ACCURACY
According to the League’s official statistician, Opta, Columbus Crew SC currently leads MLS in overall passing accuracy (82.3%), ahead of second-place Seattle, this weekend's opponent. Columbus also leads the League in completed passes per match (406.6) and ranks second in passes attempted per match (494).
MERAM RECORDS 200TH SHOT
Crew SC midfielder Justin Meram led the Black & Gold in shots last weekend against Houston, with five. In doing so, he reached the 200-shot milestone exactly for his MLS and Crew SC regular-season career. He became the 10th player to register 200 shots for the Black & Gold, joining active teammates Federico Higuain (279) and Kei Kamara (203).
BLACK & GOLD PLAYERS LEAD MLS IN PASSING STATISTICS
Through his first seven matches in the 2016 Major League Soccer regular season, Crew SC midfielder Wil Trapp leads the League in successful passes, with 446. Meanwhile, Federico Higuain and Trapp rank in the top five in MLS in successful passes in the opposing half (236 and 217, respectively). Finally, among players with at least 100 passes attempted, Mohammed Saeid leads all of MLS in passing accuracy (92.1%).
ANOTHER HOMESTAND ON THE HORIZON
Following the Black & Gold's road match against Sounders FC this weekend, Crew SC returns home to MAPFRE Stadium to face Montreal (May 7) and Colorado (May 14) in League play in addition to its international friendly against Liga MX's Veracruz (May 11).
WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. ET start is available via regional television on ABC-6, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and BCSN2. Neil Sika (play-by-play) and Dwight Burgess (analyst) 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 3:30 p.m. ET with Chris Doran, and “Crew SC Post-Match” immediately follows the action only on TWCSC and BCSN2. ABC-6's broadcast begins at 4:00 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. The game can be watched internationally via the following: Abu Dhabi Sports, BeIN Sports Australia, Eurosport.