Club legends returning to a full house, a celebration of 20 seasons in Major League Soccer, and a playoff spot on the horizon – this weekend is filled to the brim with excitement for Columbus Crew SC.
In the first of just two regular-season matches left at MAPFRE Stadium, Crew SC is hosting the Portland Timbers, a tough team that is coming to town with a chip on its shoulder.
“We’re extremely focused,” Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter says. “We’re not taking anything for granted. We know that the Portland team is a very good team, and we know that they’re going to have a little bit of desperation in their game, because of their position. They need to win this game and it’s going to make an interesting game.”
The Timbers are just above the red line in the Western Conference with 41 points in 29 matches. Their 11-12-7 record with a game in hand is good for sixth in the West, but San Jose is only a point behind.
“It’s crunch time for them,” midfielder Wil Trapp says. “I think they’re going to come at us. They need to win the game, so I think that might play into our hands well. But they have some key and dangerous pieces that we have to take care of, and just do our homework and be strong in our preparation.”
One of those “key and dangerous pieces” is Fanendo Adi. The second-year forward has registered 10 goals this season, and has slightly altered Portland’s overall style of play.
“They have been playing a little bit more direct this year with the addition of Adi, as a target point, and he does a great job,” Berhalter says. “He’s physical, he’s difficult to get a hold of and they have some good runners off of him as that first ball is played up to him. So, we have to be careful of that.”
Crew SC and Portland play similar styles, using a 4-2-3-1 formation, applying pressure to force turnovers, favoring possession and stressing organization.
“They’re going to play. They’re not going to sit back—that’s not in their DNA,” Berhalter says. “They’re going to come out and attack us, and that’s going to be great for us. We like playing in games like that. It’s going to be an exciting game for the fans as well.”
Crew SC anticipates its largest crowd since adding the stage on the northern end of MAPFRE Stadium in 2008. Among the spectators will be club legends Mike Clark, Brian Dunseth, Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk, Stern John, Brian McBride, Alejandro Moreno, Duncan Oughton and Gino Padula. They are participating in a celebration of the club's 20th season in Major League Soccer and the reveal of the top five moments in Black & Gold history.
“We’re excited about the crowd,” midfielder Justin Meram says. “We’re going to need them for sure, because Portland’s going to try to come in and give everything they have to try and steal some points from us and get their playoff hunt going. We just need to stick to what we’ve been doing, especially on the road. And if we can get those results, I’m sure it’s going to be even more entertaining at home.”
The Black & Gold are returning to MAPFRE Stadium after two road wins in Philadelphia and D.C., which put Crew SC in position to clinch a playoff spot this weekend. A win or draw on Saturday would do it for Columbus, which would also book a playoff ticket if Orlando City fails to defeat the New York Red Bulls on tonight.
Regardless of Friday’s result in New York, the Black & Gold will go for the three points vs. the Timbers in their push for the top of the Eastern Conference table. Crew SC has had success against Portland in Columbus, winning both matches played in the Capital City.
The history between the two teams is brief, as the Timbers’ inaugural season was just four years ago. With former University of Akron coach Caleb Porter at the helm since 2013, the Western Conference club has done well.
“[Porter] is going to have his guys fired up and ready to go,” Trapp says about his former college coach. “I don’t know exactly how he’s going to prepare against us. Things have changed since I was with him four years ago at Akron, but he’s always going to have his boys ready.”
The Black & Gold will be fired up and ready to go as well, as they continue riding their hot streak. They’ve won four of their last five matches, and four in a row on the road.
“I think we’re really confident right now,” Trapp says. “I think two huge road wins against Eastern Conference opponents put us in a good mood. But we know going forward, every game matters, especially the game at hand this Saturday against Portland.”
One of the challenges Columbus will face is Portland’s resilient backline, which has recorded the most shutout in MLS this year with 12.
Crew SC’s plan to break down the Timbers’ defense?
“Kei Kamara,” Meram jokes.
The striker has 21 goals to his name this season, leading the Golden Boot race ahead of Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco (19). The only current MLS team Kamara hasn’t yet scored against in his career is Timbers FC. Should he find the back of the net on Saturday, he would become the first player in League history to score against 21 MLS teams.
Crew SC has yet to lose a match this season when Kamara scores or assists, and the striker has helped make the Black & Gold a contender for the Supporters’ Shield and the top spot in the East.
“It’s a tight race in the East, so we need to be confident,” Meram says. “We need to be sharp in front of goal and capitalize. I think if we take advantage early, we can kill the game off and be successful.”
Crew SC and the Portland Timbers are set to kick off at MAPFRE Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Catch the action on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, CD 102.5 or La Mega 103.1
