Bring on another rivalry road match.
After a scoreless draw on Saturday night against FC Cincinnati in the Hell is Real Derby, the Columbus Crew remain on the road Wednesday night when they face northern neighbors Toronto FC in the Trillium Cup.
Numbers to Know
3 – The Black & Gold remain third in the Eastern Conference standings with 50 points from 27 games. More importantly, the side clinched a spot in the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday night, so the remaining matches are all about building momentum and trying to climb the standings. A Columbus win in Toronto could move the Crew to second place depending on Cincinnati’s road trip to Minnesota United FC.
28 – Saturday’s clean sheet provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the Columbus backline. Through 27 games, the side’s allowed 28 goals – the fewest in 27 games in Club history. If you eliminate the Seattle outlier match, it’s 24 goals in 28 matches. Just as the attack has been lethal this season, the defense has remained as sturdy on the road as it is at Lower.com Field. TFC has 38 goals through 29 games this season – the fewest of any team in a playoff spot. The home side will certainly know what it’s up against Wednesday.
8 – The Reds are in the thick of a chase for the playoff spot. Toronto sits eighth in the Eastern Conference with 36 points from 29 games. The eighth and ninth seeds have a play-in game, so there’s a heightened urgency for the Canadian club to bypass seventh-seeded Charlotte FC. TFC enters the match on the heels of a 2-1 home win against Austin FC this past Saturday. The Crew are used to playing multiple matches per week. Let’s see how Toronto copes.
10 – Federico Bernardeschi was a 2024 MLS All-Star and with good reason. Through 25 league appearances, the Italian playmaker leads TFC with eight goals and eight assists. Now in his third season with the club, he’s amassed 21 goals and 15 appearances in 69 MLS appearances. He’s never scored nine goals in a season, and let’s hope he doesn’t reach that tally Wednesday night against the Crew.
When They Last Met
Columbus won, 4-0, on July 6 at Lower.com Field. Cucho Hernández gave the Crew a first-half lead before Christian Ramirez, Mohamed Farsi and Diego Rossi scored three more in the second half. The sides drew, 1-1, when the clubs last met at BMO Field on March 11, 2023. Deandre Kerr gave Toronto an early lead before Jimmy Medranda scored the equalizer two minutes into his debut in the 75th minute.
Match Overview
Who: Columbus Crew at Toronto FC
When: Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app
Campeones Cup Meal Deal
Fuel up for matchday! Score a ticket, pizza, and drink for Campeones Cup starting at $39 on Septemeber 25th.
