Unbeaten in 10 of its last 11, the Columbus Crew is back on the road Saturday night when it plays the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Three Things To Know
5 – The Crew enters Saturday’s match with plenty of momentum following last weekend’s victory over second-place New York City FC. It was a statement for a Crew side that had lost days earlier, and head coach Caleb Porter is hoping the attacking output will carry over into Colorado. Juan “Cucho” Hernández has five goals in his seven appearances, while Lucas Zelarayán has eight goals and 10 assists, including four goals in his last four contests. The Crew is fifth in the Eastern Conference standings – one point above FC Cincinnati – and four points below the New York Red Bulls.
2 – Luis Diaz provided two assists in the Crew's 3-2 win against New York City FC and played a key role in setting up the third goal. With the two assists, Diaz reached four helpers in regular-season action this year, equaling his single-season best in assists. This is the second time this season that Diaz has registered two assists in a match as the midfielder also provided two helpers in a road contest earlier this year against Chicago Fire FC (July 9).
2.2 – If recent history tells us anything, it’s that this match probably won’t finish as a scoreless draw. Even Porter said as much to the media earlier this week. The Rapids’ last two matches have included 16 goals. On both occasions, Colorado won. It beat the Red Bulls 5-4 and followed that thriller up with a 4-3 win over Minnesota United FC. The Rapids have allowed 22 goals in their last 10 games, which equates to 2.2 goals conceded per match. That sounds like the perfect opportunity for the Crew to continue its attacking onslaught of the past month.
When They Last Met
It’s been three years since these clubs last met. The location was the same, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and the result was 3-2 in favor of the Rapids. On that occasion, Pedro Santos and Gyasi Zardes scored the goals for the Black & Gold.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids
When: Saturday, Aug. 13 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
How to Watch: Bally Sports Great Lakes, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ (Outside of Market)
How to Listen: 97.1 The Fan (English), ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)
Current Standings: Columbus Crew – Fifth in Eastern Conference; Charlotte FC – 10th in Western Conference
Bring your Crew
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