The Columbus Crew looks to push its unbeaten streak to five matches on Saturday night when the Black & Gold travel down south to face Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium.

Three Things to Know 

4 – Thanks to the Crew’s 98th-minute theatrics this past Saturday night, the Club is unbeaten in its last four matches and comfortably sits fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference standings. Before the 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution, the Crew rattled off three-consecutive wins, and the team’s 10 points from the last four matches is the best return of any Eastern Conference side during that time span. It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Wilfried Nancy approaches Saturday’s match, not just because the Crew enters the match in better form than Charlotte, but also because the Black & Gold have their first midweek match four days later. On April 26, the Crew hosts USL Championship side Indy Eleven in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Lower.com Field. 

+9 – Much of last Saturday’s match was dictated by the Revs being reduced to 10 men, but the Crew’s push for an equalizer reiterated the Club’s attacking tenacity through the first quarter of the season. The team’s 18 goals scored leads the Eastern Conference, and the 2.25 goals per match is second only to St. Louis CITY SC, which averages 2.5 goals. Columbus’ +9 goal differential also leads the conference and ranks third in the league. The takeaway here is players are converting their attacking opportunities at a dangerous rate for opposing backlines. Plus, head coach Wilfried Nancy said Cucho Hernández is progressing toward his first appearance since Mar. 11 at Toronto FC. 

14 – As mentioned previously, Charlotte is off to a slower start this season, with six points from eight games. The home side has one point from its last four games and has lost three-of-its-last four. Charlotte FC, which joined MLS last season, is still seeking its first home win of 2023. 

90% – Throwing any extra number into our three things to know because, well, it’d feel like a disservice not to. Don’t shoot the messenger, but the Weather Channel says there’s a 90% chance of scattered thunderstorms in Charlotte on Saturday. Here’s to hoping the storms clear out in time for kickoff, but this ain’t our first rodeo with the weather in that Carolina city.

When They Last Met

How could you forget? The last meeting between the teams started in July and ended in October. On July 30, 2022, the Crew and Charlotte kicked off a match and played 16 minutes before an inclement weather delay ultimately suspended the game for the night. The rest of the match was continued – with the same lineups deployed – on Oct. 5. Part two finished 2-2, as Lucas Zelarayán and Luis Díaz got on the scoresheet, but Charlotte scored an equalizer in stoppage time. The last time they played a standard 90-minute match, the game finished level at 1-1 thanks to an Erik Hurtado goal. That was June 18, 2022 inside Lower.com Field.

Match Overview

Who: Columbus Crew at Charlotte FC

When: Saturday, Apr. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Bank of America Stadium

How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app

How to Listen: 97.1 HD3/The Fan Stream, La Mega 103.1 FM

Current Standings: Columbus Crew – Fourth in Eastern Conference; Charlotte FC –14th in Eastern Conference

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