After a midweek trip to D.C. United earlier this week, Columbus Crew SC returns to Columbus for the first of two-straight clashes with the Chicago Fire this Saturday. But before kickoff from MAPFRE Stadium, here are three things to know about the Fire:
Series History and Last Meeting
The Black & Gold are 16-24-16 all-time against Chicago since the Fire joined Major League Soccer in 1998, including a record of 10-10-7 at MAPFRE Stadium. The last match in Columbus between these two rivaling clubs came on July 19, 2015, ending in a 3-1 Crew SC victory behind goals from Federico Higuain, Kei Kamara, and Ethan Finlay.
Rugged on the Road
The Men in Red — anchored at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings — have not made an appearance in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs since 2012, and a major factor in this postseason drought is their ability to win on the road. Since the start of the 2013 season, Chicago has recorded just seven wins away from Toyota Park — which marks the lowest in MLS for teams in the League over that entire span.
Rough Recent Results
The Fire fell to the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night, 1-0, on the road — but this is just where the negative results begin. Chicago has recorded just four wins since July 1 en route to limping to a 4-8-4 record in which it was outscored by its opponents 29-22.
