Fresh off Wednesday night’s win over Indy Eleven in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Columbus Crew returns to MLS action Saturday night when it hosts Inter Miami CF at Lower.com Field.

Stats on the Sellout

3 – Saturday’s match vs. Inter Miami is sold out, and limited Standing Room Only tickets are available. It’s the third sellout thus far in 2023:

• Home opener vs. DC United – The Crew’s first sellout in a home opener since 1999
• vs. New England – The third-largest crowd in Lower.com Field history
• vs. Inter Miami – The third sellout of 2023 season

1 – It marks the first time in club history that the Black & Gold have had capacity crowds for three of their first five home matches.

5 – The Crew have had 19,000+ fans at all five home matches this year. The only other time that has occurred in team history was in 1996, the club’s inaugural campaign.

Sensational Supporters

Crew supporters have created an incredible home atmosphere, and the club is at the top of multiple categories on their home turf this year.

2 – The Black & Gold have only allowed two goals at Lower.com Field this year, tied with four other teams for the lowest in MLS for home goals allowed.

11 – The Crew’s +11 GD through four home matches is a franchise record. The previous bests were +7 (twice, 2020 and 2015) and +6 (1997).

13 – Entering Matchday 10, the Crew lead the league with 13 goals at home.

Three Things to Know

2 – Both Columbus and Miami enter Saturday night having played a U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday night. For the Crew, it beat Indy Eleven of the USL Championship, 1-0, thanks to a late goal from Mohamed Farsi. As for Miami, it advanced on penalties past its crosstown rival Miami FC – also a USL Championship side. Given the quick turnaround, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any squad rotation in this return to league play. Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy said he likes rotating his team, so expect to see changes between the league and cup lineups. It remains to be seen what Phil Neville does with Inter Miami. It’s worth noting Miami’s Open Cup match ended in a penalty shootout after 120 minutes, so the visitors enter Saturday with more miles logged from their midweek match.

5 – Including Wednesday’s cup win against Indy, the Black & Gold are unbeaten in five-straight matches at Lower.com Field in 2023. Other than the last home league match – a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution on Apr. 15 – Columbus has won every home match by a combined 13-1. The upcoming clash with Miami comes at an opportune time, as it’s the first of three-straight home MLS matches. Between now and May 17 against the LA Galaxy, the Crew can solidify its home-field advantage and accumulate point to help its postseason push later this season. It’s too early to talk playoffs, but a nice stretch across the next few weeks can go a long way six months from now.

14 – Inter Miami CF enters Saturday night’s match 14th in the Eastern Conference with six points from its first eight league matches. All six points came from the first two games of the season. Against Columbus, Miami is hoping to snap a six-game losing streak and earn point on the road for the first time in league play. The club’s last win was Mar. 4 against the Philadelphia Union. Inter Miami twice scored late against Miami FC to force a penalty shootout, which it won, 5-3. Will the side enter Saturday night with some momentum, or was the extra effort from the cup match something Columbus can take advantage of?

When They Last Met

The Crew lost, 2-1, at Inter Miami when the teams last faced one another on Sept. 13, 2022. The Crew won the last meeting in Columbus, though, thanks to Luis Díaz’s second half finish to seal a 1-0 win on Aug. 31, 2022.

Match Overview

Who: Columbus Crew hosts Inter Miami CF

When: Saturday, Apr. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Lower.com Field

Tickets: Limited Standing Room Only Tickets Remain

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 – Fifth in Eastern Conference; Inter Miami CF – 14th in Eastern Conference

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