Following a 1-0 win at the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night, the Black & Gold return to Lower.com Field on Saturday night when they face New York City FC for the second time in two weeks.
Numbers to Know
3 – Yes, the Black & Gold have been at Lower.com Field a lot in the past month, but this is actually the club’s first home league match since July 17 – a 1-1 draw with Charlotte FC. The Crew sit third in the Eastern Conference, but they’re making up ground – and have games in hand against second-place FC Cincinnati. Columbus has been electric recently. As we all know, the team just won Leagues Cup for the first time in club history, and now the side’s entering its stride with only 10 regular-season games remaining.
45 – With 45 points from 24 games, the Crew are off to their best start to a season in team history. During this run, Columbus holds a league-best 22 goals allowed, which is also the fewest the team’s allowed in 24 games in club history. As the only MLS team to average less than one goal allowed per match this year, it’s scary to think these are just the defensive stats. With 48 goals scored, the Crew average two a game and are second in the Eastern Conference, only to first place Inter Miami CF.
5 – NYCFC has had a nice season in 2024. Through 26 games, the side is fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points. Interestingly, though, the Pigeons have drawn their last four league games, including Saturday’s 2-2 home tie with Chicago Fire FC. Don’t forget NYCFC and Columbus were tied after 90 minutes when the teams met on Aug. 17.
16 - Alonso Martínez leads NYCFC with 10 goals and three assists in 18 league appearances this season. He scored both goals in New York’s draw with Chicago last week, and he scored against Columbus when they last met. Granted, the three goals were his only three in the last 10 games across all competitions. The Costa Rican has a tendency to score goals in bunches in 2024, so the leagues’ best backline will have a difficult matchup on Saturday night.
When They Last Met
*Enter late dramatics! After playing to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 17, the Columbus Crew advanced to the Leagues Cup semifinal after beating New York, 4-3, in a penalty shootout. DeJuan Jones sealed the Crew advancing when he made his attempt, sending Lower.com Field into a frenzy. In the last league match between the sides, the Crew won, 3-2, at Yankee Stadium on June 14.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew hosts LAFC
When: Saturday Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lower.com Field
Tickets: Come See The Champs
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app
How to Listen: La Grande 102.5 FM | Alt 105.7 FM | iHeart Radio app
