INTERNATIONAL DUTY
Two members of Crew SC are unavailable for selection for this match while representing their respective National Teams ... defender Waylon Francis is with Costa Rica for friendlies versus Paraguay and and at Panama ... midfielder Justin Meram is with Iraq for a pair of friendlies against DR Congo, with both being held in Dubai ... additionally, midfielder Wil Trapp is set to depart Columbus following this match to join the United States’ Under-23 side for a friendly at Denmark.
WELCOME BACK, KEI KAMARA
In the win over Toronto FC, Kei Kamara scored his first goal for Crew SC since June 30, 2007 in a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls ... the goal was Kamara’s 53rd all-time MLS tally and his sixth in a Columbus shirt ... it was his first in MLS overall since he scored a pair of goals for Sporting Kansas City on August 10, 2013 against the Revolution.
PASSING MACHINE: AS A TEAM ...
After the third weekend of regular-season MLS play, Columbus Crew SC leads the League in successful passes per match (427.5) ... Crew SC also leads MLS in total passing accuracy (84.07%) as well as passing accuracy in its own half (92.84%), passing accuracy in the opponent’ss half (76.8%) and passing accuracy in the opponent’s final third (70.78%) ... the Black & Gold have attempted 508.5 passes per match, which also leads MLS, edging out Orlando City SC’s 496.33 passes attempted per contest.
... AND ON THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
Among players that have attempted at least 50 passes in the current Major League Soccer season, Waylon Francis (1st, 95.12%), Mohammed Saeid (3rd, 93.22%) and Wil Trapp (8th, 89.93%) all rank in the top ten in passing accuracy ... Francis and Saeid are first and second in the League in passing accuracy in the opponent’s half, while the Costa Rican leads MLS in passing accuracy in the final third ... Trapp, meanwhile, is tops in MLS in passes completed per match (67).
