24
With Justin Meram and Federico Higuain each recording their first MLS Cup Playoff goals in the first leg against New England, they join a club of 24 members of the Black & Gold to score in the postseason. In total, the Crew has scored 51 all-time goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Brian McBride paces the way with nine goals, closely followed by Stern John’s eight tallies. Other current active MLS players to have scored for the Crew in the postseason include Chad Marshall, Robbie Rogers, Brad Evans and Steven Lenhart.
11
In order to advance to the Eastern Conference Championship without invoking the away goals tiebreaker, the Crew needs to win by three or more goals, or win by two goals while scoring at least five times. All-time, the Crew has achieved this type of result on the road 11 times in club regular-season history, including this season’s 3-0 win at D.C. United (March 8). To send the match to extra time, the Black & Gold need exactly a 4-2 road win: something they have done three times in club regular-season history.
8
Steve Clark became the eighth goalkeeper to appear in a postseason match for the Black & Gold in making his MLS Cup Playoffs debut in the first leg against New England. Clark joins the following group: Brad Friedel, Juergen Sommer, Mark Dougherty, Tom Presthus, Jon Busch, Andy Gruenebaum and William Hesmer. Clark made five saves against the Revolution, continuing the trend that each goalkeeper to ever appear in a postseason game for the Crew has, at one point, notched a five-save performance for the Black & Gold in the Playoffs.
