The Columbus Crew plays its penultimate match before the Leagues Cup break on Saturday night when New York City FC rolls into town for the second of two meetings this season.

Three Things to Know

7.1 – In case you haven’t noticed, things are going well for the Black & Gold. Columbus is unbeaten in its last seven matches and has moved into fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. During this unbeaten streak, the Crew has earned 17 points from a possible 21 and is averaging 2.29 goals per game (The club is conceding 1.29 goals per game). Head coach Wilfried Nancy has found success with his dynamic tactics, which include swift counter attacks, but also moments to maintain possession before the next attacking wave. Recently, those waves have been lethal. With 42 goals scored Columbus leads all of MLS. The next closest clubs have 39. There’s still room for growth, but there’s plenty to smile about through the first 21 games this season.

7.2 – Speaking of seven-game unbeaten runs, the visitors arrive in the Ohio capital with one as well. While that’s certainly commendable, it’s worth noting how different the unbeaten streaks are between the teams. For Columbus, it’s won five games since May 31. As for NYCFC, the Pigeons have six draws. Whereas the Crew has 17 points during this span, the opposition only has nine. It’s worth noting NYCFC earned a 1-1 result against Charlotte FC on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

5 – It’s been pretty hard snagging a ticket to a Crew games, and for good reason. The Black & Gold have won five-straight matches at Lower.com Field, dating back to May 17 against the LA Galaxy. At those matches, Columbus has outscored opponents 13-5 — which further reiterates the home-field atmosphere inside Lower.com Field this season. With Saturday being the last home match before the League Cup kicks off in a few weeks, it’ll be important to finish this portion of the season on a high note (The winning streak can certainly carry over into the Leagues Cup matches against St. Louis and Club América, too).

When They Last Met

If it feels like these teams just met, then your senses are correct. These clubs clashed last month in Yankee Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw (Consider the rematch extra innings). Christian Ramirez put Columbus in front until Gabriel Segal’s 94th-minute equalizer on June 17. The Crew won, 3-2, in the last Lower.com Field meeting. Cucho scored once while Zelarayán had a brace on Aug. 6, 2022.

Match Overview

Who: Columbus Crew New York City FC

When: Saturday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Lower.com Field

Tickets: Come Cheer For The Black & Gold

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; NYCFC – 11th in Eastern Conference

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