A week after losing traction in the race to win the Eastern Conference, the Columbus crew welcome the top team in MLS to Crew Stadium in an attempt to maintain their spot in the standings.
Columbus (11-10-8, T-1st Eastern Conference) hosts Los Angeles (16-3-10, 1st West/Overall) in hopes of snapping a four-game winless skid. The game starts at 7:30 and will be broadcast locally on ONN as well as 106.7 FM and in Spanish on 103.1 FM.
-What's at Stake
The Crew need to start picking up points to stay ahead of hard-charging Kansas City and Philadelphia. While they've been at the top of the Eastern Conference for the better part of the season, they'll need to break out of their funk to ensure they'll even have a spot at the dance. Los Angeles, however, sitting 7 points clear of Seattle (the next best team in MLS), has already clinched their spot in the playoffs. They're well on their way to winning their second straight Supporter's Shield.
-Matchup History
In these teams' other meeting of the season, the Crew fell 1-0 to the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center on the strength of Sean Franklin's first career goal. The career matchup is tilted in the favor of Columbus to the tune of 15-12-8. They've been two of the most successful teams over the last few years, combining to win the last three Supporter's Shields.
-The State of the Crew
The Crew are winless in their last 4, with three of those being losses. Their most recent match was a 1-0 road loss to Philadelphia, in which the offense didn't look especially threatening. Captain Chad Marshall is recovering from a hip injury that caused him to miss the last match.
-The State of the Galaxy
Los Angeles has won 2 straight and 4 of 5 in MLS play, but fatigue from midweek Concacaf Champions League games may be catching up with them, as they played to a 1-0 loss against Alajuelense in Costa Rica. They will be missing star midfielder David Beckham.
-The Outlook
Los Angeles has outplayed most of their opponents this year, and a skidding Crew will need to play very well to flip the script. They have, however, had an entire week of rest while LA is dealing with a short turnaround. Columbus would do well to attack the tired legs of Los Angeles early on, as they've had trouble scoring in normal circumstances lately. If Los Angeles is able to deal with the lack of rest, the Crew will have their hands full and will probably be happy with a draw.
-Other Games to Watch
With prime rivals Kansas City and Philadelphia idle after playing last night, the day's most important other game for the Eastern Conference features 4th-place Houston on the road against FC Dallas. A Houston loss would give the Crew a little more breathing room in hopes of clinching a playoff spot.
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