Columbus Crew SC faces Orlando City SC for the third time this season on Tuesday night, but this time it’s in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. With it being a knockout-style tournament, the two clubs will battle in the Citrus Bowl for a spot in the Quarterfinals.
The Black & Gold defeated the Lions 3-0 at MAPFRE Stadium on April 18, then played to a 2-2 draw at the end of May in the Sunshine State. In both encounters, the away team played a man down for the majority of the match due to red cards.
Crew SC defender Chad Barson said he expects a similar level of physicality on Tuesday.
“I’m sure it will be a physical game with a lot of energy,” Barson said. “I feel like we match up very well against Orlando. We play similar styles, and it’s always an entertaining game.”
Some of the hype will likely come from the environment the Citrus Bowl has created in its inaugural season.
“I think they’re going to come to play,” Barson said. “They always have a great atmosphere at their stadium and with it being their first year and doing well in the Open Cup, I imagine they’re going to put a team out on the field that they expect is going to compete and win. We need to bring our A-game.”
Forward Adam Bedell brought his game in the Fourth Round of the Open Cup, his first start of 2015, where he notched a brace to lead his team past the Richmond Kickers with a final score of 3-1.
“It was fantastic,” Bedell said. “When you see the ball go into the back of the net as a forward, you play with more confidence; you feel good about it. That was my first chance this season and I took it. I’m hoping tomorrow [Tuesday] I can do the same thing.”
Major League Soccer’s (MLS) tallest player at 6’7” says he hopes to take that confidence with him not only to Orlando, but through the rest of the tournament as well.
“I want to win this tournament,” Bedell said. “For a lot of us, it’s our first chance to really show what we can do. In the Richmond game, [for] a lot of us, it was our first minutes of the year, so we want to continue that and make a run at the Open Cup. Four more games and we win it, so that’s the goal. One at a time and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
Bedell says one of the things he’s looking forward to is his first experience at the Citrus Bowl.
“I’ve only seen it on TV, but it looks amazing,” Bedell said. “They bring a lot of guys out to their game and their support’s very good. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but at the same time, we rise to it. It amps us up, as well, to hear them cheering, whether it’s for you or against you, so we’ll be ready.”
Crew SC Head Coach and Sporting Director Gregg Berhalter echoes Bedell’s sentiments on his team’s preparation.
“We’re going to put a group on the field that we believe can win a game,” Berhalter said. “We believe in all these guys, every guy on the roster. Whoever’s on the field, we expect to put a good performance in and compete.”
The challenge is greater for the Black & Gold as they will play four games in 11 days, while the Lions come off of six days of rest. But, Berhalter and Barson say that doesn’t change things.
“At this stage, it is what it is and you don’t make excuses for your group,” Berhalter said. “You keep plugging away, keep having a good attitude, working hard, and focusing on the process.”
“At the end of the day, everyone needs to go out and compete, so it doesn’t matter sometimes if you’ve had longer rest, or you’re coming right out of a quick turnaround,” Barson said. “It’s whoever goes out and competes on the day.”
Crew SC and Orlando City will have that opportunity Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
