The boys are back in town. After playing six-straight games on the road in the last six weeks, the Columbus Crew return to Lower.com Field on Saturday night to host Western Conference foe Sporting Kansas City.
Numbers to Know
6 – Saturday night marks the first time the Crew play in Columbus since Hell is Real on May 11. Since then, the Club’s played six matches away from home, including the Concacaf Champions Cup Final in Mexico. But now the Black & Gold play four-of-their-next-six games in the Ohio capital and have an opportunity to climb the Eastern Conference standings. Sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Crew’s 1.68 points per game average is third-best in the conference, however, the reigning league champions have a lower seeding simply because they’ve played fewer regular-season matches than everyone else.
9 – While the Crew lost on Wednesday night at Inter Miami CF, Cucho Hernández added to his goal total with a team-leading sixth goal – and eighth goal across all competitions. With two goals in his last two games, Cucho has produced 23 goals and four assists in his last 31 games across all competitions, a stunning return. With 41 career goals for Columbus, Cucho is ninth in team history. Crew supporters would have no problem with the Colombian closing in on the team record.
13 – It’s safe to say Sporting KC has struggled this season. Thirteenth in the Western Conference standings, the club had 14 points through 19 games – the second-fewest total in MLS. In terms of goals, 31 is one of the better outputs of teams in the Western Conference. However, the 40 goals conceded is second-most in the Western Conference and the league. With eight losses in the last nine matches, SKC’s 2024 league campaign has been disappointing. No need for the Crew to provide any favors on Saturday.
23 – Willy Agada is the SKC player to watch. Through 18 league appearances, the 24-year-old Nigerian forward has a team-leading five goals, as well as two assists. With 16 goals in 44 league appearances since 2022, Agada is a respectable attacking threat. He reiterated that Wednesday night by scoring twice in a 4-3 home loss to Real Salt Lake.
When They Last Met
The clubs produced a scoreless draw in their last encounter on April 23, 2022, which was on the road. However, it’s been a minute since the SKC came to the Ohio capital. In fact, the last trip was to Historic Crew Stadium on June 23, 2019, when the Crew lost, 1-0.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew hosts Sporting Kansas City
When: Saturday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Lower.com Field
Tickets: Welcome the Crew Home
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
How to Listen: La Grande 102.5 FM | Alt 105.7 FM | iHeart Radio app
Single-Match Tickets
Secure your seat to cheer on the reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field this season!
