Columbus Crew SC returns to MAPFRE Stadium on Wednesday for the Fourth Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Black & Gold are set to kickoff against the Chicago Fire at 7 p.m. ET.
Crew SC is fresh off of a 3-3 draw against Toronto FC on Saturday, bringing the Trillium Cup to Columbus for the first time since 2015. The Black & Gold trailed by three goals but came back in the second half with two goals -- one each from Gyasi Zardes and Alex Crognale -- and a penalty kick goal from Federico Higuain to earn the draw. The club's Open Cup appearance on Wednesday will be the second of four matches in 12 days for Crew SC.
In 2016, Crew SC traveled to Chicago for the two clubs’ last tournament meeting. Crew SC was eliminated from Open Cup play by Chicago in the Round of 16. In the 2018 regular season, Columbus currently sits at third in the Eastern conference with Chicago five spots behind in eighth.
The winner of Wednesday’s match will advance to the Round of 16. The winner of the 2018 Open Cup will receive an automatic bid to the CONCACAF Campions League and a large winner’s purse.
Dating back to 1913, the oldest cup competition in U.S. Soccer brings amateur and professional clubs from each tier of U.S. Soccer's divisional pyramid together in competition. Crew SC holds a 23-17-2 record in the tournament. The Black & Gold were crowned U.S. Open Cup champions on October 24, 2002, when they topped the LA Galaxy 1-0 at MAPFRE Stadium.
Next up, Crew SC faces the New York Red Bulls in a regular-season match on Saturday, June 9 at 5 p.m. ET at MAPFRE Stadium.
