OBETZ — Columbus Crew SC did not have time to rest on their laurels at the EAS Training Center at Obetz in the wake of Wednesday night’s convincing 3-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC at MAPFRE Stadium. The Black & Gold were already occupied with preparation for a match halfway across the country against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening on only three day’s rest.
The match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park is set for a 9 p.m. ET kickoff time.
Moving the needle
This past week has been an interesting one for Crew SC, to say the least. After a difficult Trillium Cup loss in Toronto last Friday, Columbus responded with a big victory over the Sounders at home. Forward Adam Jahn described the team’s resilience and morale over the past few days after training on Thursday in Obetz.
“We came back after the day off and we were ready to just learn from that game [in Toronto] and leave it behind us and focus on Seattle," Jahn said. “I think it showed. It was a complete performance just dominating the game in every regard, so that was a great response.”
Jahn and his Crew SC teammates hope to take their momentum into Colorado and flip the script from where it was just under a week ago.
“Now we’re looking for another three points in Colorado and if you think about it — six points in a week — people would never have thought that after Friday night,” Jahn said. “But that’s the way the league is, so we’re excited. It’s another opportunity.”
A change of pace
After the Black & Gold’s match against Colorado on short rest, they do not have another Major League Soccer match scheduled until June 17 in Atlanta. The long break is unconventional for Crew SC but it may be beneficial. Columbus goalkeeper Brad Stuver is in favor of the rest and sees value in the change of pace after Colorado.
“Right now, the focus is definitely on Saturday,” Stuver said. “And then as soon as the game is over on Saturday it’s going to the complete opposite way, just shutting everything down for a couple of days. The season is so long, you need these little breaks just to turn your brain off and forget about soccer and focus on other things.”
‘It’s not going to be easy’
The Rapids will be without goalkeeper Tim Howard on Saturday — due to international duty for the United States Men’s National Team. The absence of the well-known veteran is not lost on Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, as he seems to have Howard’s replacement, Zac MacMath, well scouted.
“The way I look at Howard, he’s a great goalkeeper,” Berhalter said. “I think MacMath has played a lot and has continuity. Howard is clearly the No. 1 there but I think MacMath is probably the best second goalie in the league, in terms of what he’s doing.”
Berhalter also acknowledged that the Black & Gold aren’t the only team with momentum entering the match in Colorado.
“They have strength going into this game,” Berhalter said. “They have a lot of their guys and they have confidence that they just beat a tough Kansas City team at home. It’s going to be a difficult game. It’s not going to be easy.”
Saturday’s game will be the lone matchup of the 2017 MLS Regular Season between Crew SC and the Rapids, much like the Black & Gold's Wednesday match against Seattle. Berhalter said Thursday that he enjoys the change of pace against unfamiliar Western Conference opponents.
“I like it,” Berhalter said. “It feels like we’ve been playing the same two teams for the past six weeks now, New England and Toronto. It’s nice to finally look at some other team. It’s nice to see what the other conference is doing, what they’re like and have to prepare in a little bit of a different way.”
(They said it)2
Thursday night marks the start of the highly-anticipated NBA Finals matchup between Ohio’s own Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The budding rivalry has extended to a degree to the Crew SC locker room, where Jahn — a California-native —and Ohio-native Stuver have differing takes on what the eventual outcome of the series will be.
“Warriors in five. They’ll take the fourth game in Cleveland and win back in Golden State. Just like it was supposed to be a couple years ago.”
►Crew SC forward Adam Jahn
“I say Cavs in seven. That’s what my heart says. My brain says that the Warriors are going to win, but I can’t root against the Cavs, so I think Cavs in seven.”
►Crew SC goalkeeper Brad Stuver
After Crew SC's midweek 3-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC, Columbus will travel to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, June 3, with a 9 p.m. ET kickoff. A June 17 match in Atlanta against MLS-expansion side Atlanta United comes next with a 7 p.m. ET kickoff. Crew SC next plays the Montreal Impact at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday, June 24 with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Enjoy half-off select beers (for supporters ages 21-and-over), Pepsi products, brats and pretzels through the 15th minute.
concession items subject to change
The Black & Gold welcome German Bundesliga-side and DFB Pokal-finalist Eintracht Frankfurt to MAPFRE Stadium for an international friendly on Monday, July 17. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
