It's do or die time for the Columbus Crew as they travel to Livestrong Sporting Park for the first time to face Sporting Kansas City in a battle of the teams tied for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus (11-11-8, T-2nd East) plays Kansas City (10-9-11, T-2nd East) in an immensely important matchup as they try to win for the first time since mid-August. The game starts at 8:30 (7:30 Central) and will be broadcast locally on ONN as well as 610 AM and in Spanish on 103.1 FM.
-What's at Stake
Level on points with 4 more matches to play each, this game is of utmost importance to both teams. If there is a winner, the victorious club will slide into first place in the East as both clubs sit a single point behind leader Houston. If neither team cashes in on three points, both teams will step into a three-way tie with Houston for first, muddying an already tight Eastern conference race. With Philadelphia sitting one point below both teams with a game in hand, a loser of this game would be in serious danger of dropping out of one of the three automatic playoff spots out of the East.
-Matchup History
These teams last met in April, with the Crew taking a 1-0 home victory on the strength of a 2nd-minute Robbie Rogers goal. Columbus leads the all-time series to the tune of 20-17-5.
-The State of the Crew
The Crew have lost 4 of their last 5 and have been outscored an incredible 14-6 over that stretch. They're coming off a 1-0 home loss to a shorthanded Los Angeles Galaxy side that featured a stoppage-time winner. The Crew have been missing starting forward Emilio Renteria to injury but he is expected to start tonight.
-The State of Sporting KC
Kansas City has been the picture of mediocrity over their past six matches, going 2-2-2. However, in a down year for the Eastern Conference, such a record is good enough to keep them in the mix for a top spot. Their most recent result was a 1-1 home draw with fellow East battlers Philadelphia in which they seemed to get the better of chances but had to settle for a point. Like the Crew, their record is noticeably better at home than on the road.
-The Outlook
The Crew have been backsliding fiercely over the last month, but they seem to be learning a little bit from their continued losses, very nearly coming away with a point (or more) from Saturday's game against LA. The short turnaround from an emotionally crushing loss would seem to work against them, but the Crew have done pretty well this season (3-2-1) in weekday games. The states of both teams suggest a draw may be in the offing, but how the Crew respond to their sudden position of desperation could give either team the advantage.
-Other Games to Watch
Aside from 3 CONCACAF Champions League matches, the only other MLS game tonight features surging Chicago on the road against Real Salt Lake. The game is unlikely to have a direct impact on the Crew's season, though if Chicago keeps winning and Columbus keeps losing, they could be a dark horse challenger for a wild-card playoff spot with the Crew. A loss by Chicago, however, would all but eliminate them from playoff contention.
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