This Sunday, the Columbus Crew are back in action to take on Atlanta United at home for Military Appreciation Night. As the games tick away, the playoff race is heating up. The separation from 5th-12th is very slim which makes every game a "must win".
The Black & Gold are coming off a match with the Colorado Rapids that the team feels they should have won. One of the contributing factors in the draw was the altitude which led to exhaustion quickly. There were some questionable calls and non-calls by the ref, however the team took responsibility for the match and now turn their attention to the Stripes.
With the Crew having a healthy roster and adding some young blood to the roster, the Black & Gold look to keep pushing to lock a playoff spot down. Columbus sits in the pivotal 5th spot in the Eastern Conference.
Having the dynamic duo of Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez has played a significant role in the resurgence of the Crew since the international break. In just 7 games played for Columbus, Cucho has scored 6 goals. Meanwhile, Zelarayn has come alive over the last 3 games and now has 8 goals and 10 assist for the season so far. having those two stars up front now strecthes the opposing defense and opens windows for the likes of Derrick Etienne Jr, Luis Diaz, Pedro Santos Darliton Nagbe, and others to attack the opposing back lines.
With Atlanta United coming into town on Sunday, the Stripes look to rebound after a draw with Fc Cincinnati on Saturday and losing to the Red Bulls on Wednesday. in the last 6 games Atlanta's last 6 games they have gone 1-3-3 with the lone win coming against Seattle Fc. Coming off a historic day, Andrew Gutman scored the 20,000th goal in MLS history.
With both teams looking to make a playoff push, look for Atlanta to try to bounce back against the Crew and try to get them out of their comfort zone and press high frequently and try to the Black & Gold in the midfield and keep them infront of the backline.
As for Columbus, look for the Crew to continue to play their game and stretch the defense out. watch for Nagbe to get more touches and let the offensive attack run through his feet.
Tune in Sunday at 5:30pm to watch The Crew take on The Stripes in an Eastern Conference Showdown with heavy playoff implications on the line.
UPDATE: Kickoff is now slated for 6:48pm EDT due to inclement weather in the area.