With the Concacaf Chanpions League behind them, Columbus Crew SC (0-0-2, 2 pts.) seeks its first regular-season win of the season as the Black & Gold host D.C. United for an early 1:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Historic Crew Stadium on Saturday, May 8 (Bally Sports Ohio, ESPN+, 97.1 FM The Fan).

D.C. United (1-2-0, 3 pts.) is coming off a 4-1 road loss to the San Jose Earthquakes after dropping a 1-0 decision to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. However, the Black-and-Red’s recent stretch of results against Columbus has been much more favorable, with D.C. winning three straight against the Crew, including a 1-0 win last October, marking D.C.’s first three-match winning streak over Columbus since 2006.

The Crew’s first two regular-season matches of 2021 came against last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners in the Philadelphia Union and CF Montreal, as the Club remains scoreless on the MLS calendar year. It’s the fifth time in MLS history a team has had no goals scored or allowed through two matches, with the Crew being the first team to do so twice (also in 2007). The only team to play three straight scoreless draws in MLS history is Colorado, who did so in their first three matches in the 2015 season.

Saturday’s match-up may play into the hands of Columbus, though, as D.C. has kept only one clean sheet in its last 16 matches in MLS play, allowing 34 goals in that time (2.1 per match), while the Crew is looking to bounce back from last weekend’s Montreal draw in which Columbus failed to hit a shot on target, the first time the Crew failed to register a shot on target in a match since July 2019 against Real Salt Lake.

Notably, set-piece defense will be key considering four of D.C. United’s last five goals have been scored off corners, including the last two in a row, dating back to last season.

COURTESY CREW SC COMMUNICATIONS