It's official. Crew SC will face the Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Montreal defeated Toronto FC 3-0 in the Knockout Round and will welcome Columbus at Stade Saputo this Sunday for the First Leg of the semis. The Second Leg will take place at MAPFRE Stadium on Sunday, November 8. Kickoff times and broadcast info for both matches have yet to be released.
Crew SC and Montreal have met twice already this season—once in Canada and once in the U.S. But since those two summer matches, a lot has changed for both clubs, including Jack McInerney's move from Montreal to Columbus and the Impact's signing of Didier Drogba. Regardless, here's a look at our two previous meetings this season. Spoiler alert: Crew SC will hope for better results this time around.
July 11: 3-0 Loss
In their most recent meeting, Columbus conceded two early goals at Saputo Stadium. A second-half flurry of shots still left the Black & Gold empty-handed and Montreal capitalized on a second-chance opportunity within short time. You can watch the highlights here:
Read the match recap.
June 6: 2-1 Loss
In a strong offensive effort by the Black & Gold, 20 shots weren’t enough to beat the Blues at MAPFRE Stadium. Montreal put away both goals in the second half with a finish off a rebound and a counterattack goal. Crew SC kept up the pace and possession and Federico HiguaÃn cut the score in half in stoppage time. Check out the highlights of their initial meeting of 2015:
Tickets for Crew SC’s decisive Second Leg at MAPFRE Stadium on November 8, as well as a potential Conference Final at home, are already on sale. Get them here.