The Black & Gold return to MLS action on Sunday evening when the Columbus Crew heads south when much more to face Eastern Conference side Nashville SC. Though final week paired Columbus against the conference’s best group, this weekend it is the second-spot side that Wilfried Nancy and his group will play against.
ten vs. ten – No large deal, but Sunday night’s matchup could function two of the league’s best talents: Lucas Zelarayán and Hany Mukhtar. We all know about Lucas, who has a target or help in 5 of his final seven MLS games. The Armenia international has scored in consecutive games and has six targets and 3 assists currently to his name in 2023. But then there’s Hany, who was dubbed the 2022 Landon Donovan MVP. Mukhtar is up to eight targets and six assists by means of in 12 league appearances this season. Though Crew fans are generally treated to watching good quality attacking players, the battle in between these two on opposite sides of the pitch is the headline story for this match.
13 – Following Wednesday night’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup departure against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, the Crew can regroup Sunday evening when the club travels to Nashville’s GEODIS Park for the initially time. With the Open Cup in the rear-view mirror, the Black & Gold will only have league matches for the subsequent two months till the Leagues Cup begins July 23. For the previous month, Nancy has heavily rotated his squad to compete in two competitions. Other than a Wednesday evening house date subsequent week against the Colorado Rapids, the Crew does not have a midweek match on its calendar till Independence Day. Though this implies there could be significantly less rotation in the squad, it also implies we’ll have a greater thought of Nancy’s preferred XI getting into the midway point in the season.
9 – Nashville SC, when a Western Conference foe, is now in the Eastern Conference following St. Louis CITY SC joining MLS this season. Nashville’s accomplished properly in the east to date and is presently positioned second in the conference standings. Nashville also lost its U.S. Open Cup match this week — a two-1 loss at Inter Miami CF — and enters Sunday evening unbeaten in its final six league matches. As talked about above, Mukhtar is the largest attacking threat, but the club’s backline also deserves praise. With only nine targets permitted by means of 14 games, Nashville’s defense has been the finest across the league.
Columbus was defeated, 1-, when the clubs clashed at Reduced.com Field on April two, 2022. In the final meeting in Tennessee, the match completed level, 1-1. That evening — Oct. 20, 2021 — Zelarayán scored in the 75th minute prior to Mukhtar created the equalizer two minutes later.
Who: Columbus Crew at Nashville SC
When: Sunday, Could 27 at 7:30 p.m.
How to Listen: 97.1 HD3/The Fan Stream, La Mega 103.1 FM
Present Standings: Columbus Crew – Eighth in Eastern Conference Nashville SC – Second in Eastern Conference
