By virtue of its 5-0 victory earlier tonight over D.C. United, Columbus Crew SC has solidified the second seed in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference ahead of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. The club is set to play in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, decided by aggregate scoring over two matches, starting next weekend. Crew SC begins the Eastern Conference Semifinal on the road for the First Leg on Sunday, November 1 before returning to play its first home postseason contest – the Second Leg – on Sunday, November 8 at MAPFRE Stadium.
Timing and broadcast information for both legs are still to be determined, as is the Black & Gold's opponent, which is slated to be decided midweek via the Knockout Round of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Depending on the results of the Knockout Round, Crew SC could play the third-seeded Montreal Impact, fourth-seeded D.C. United or the fifth-seeded New England Revolution. The Knockout Round of the postseason takes place with matches on Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29. As the second seed, Crew SC is slated to play the highest seed that advances following the conclusion of the Knockout Round, with the New York Red Bulls facing the lowest advancing seed.
Tickets for the home leg of Crew SC's Eastern Conference Semifinal match-up, to take place on Sunday, November 8, are now on sale as Home Match A. Tickets for a potential Eastern Conference Championship match in Columbus, should the Black & Gold advance, are also currently on sale as Home Match B. Also currently on sale is the Playoff Plan, which includes tickets to both potential home postseason contests at MAPFRE Stadium through the Eastern Conference Championship at a discounted price over single-match tickets.
POSTSEASON TICKET INFO: http://bit.ly/PlayoffTicketInfo
Single-match tickets for the Eastern Conference Semifinal match (Home Match A) and a potential Eastern Conference Championship match (Home Match B) at MAPFRE Stadium begin at $25. Tickets can be purchased by calling 614-447-2739 or by visiting http://bit.ly/PlayoffTicketInfo. In the event Crew SC does not qualify for the Eastern Conference Championship, supporters would be fully refunded for any MAPFRE Stadium postseason tickets purchased for that match. All 2015 MAPFRE Stadium season-long media credentials and parking passes will be valid for the November 8 match and all regular-season stadium and media policies will be in place.
Crew SC's victory earlier today over D.C. United gave the club a final 2015 regular-season record of 15-11-8 (53 points), the second-most points that the Black & Gold have accumulated in a single regular season in club history, as well as the most since the record campaign of 2008 (17-7-6, 57 points), the year that Crew SC won the first professional championship for Columbus by capturing that season's MLS Cup.
The Knockout Round of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs begins with New England at D.C. United (7:30 p.m. ET) and the LA Galaxy at Seattle (10:00 p.m. ET) on Wednesday, October 28. The following evening, Toronto FC travels to Montreal (7:00 p.m. ET) while Sporting Kansas City visits Portland (10:00 p.m. ET).
