The Black & Gold return home to host the Chicago Fire for the second time this season. This will be the third and final meeting between the Midwestern rivals. The match is set to kick off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Here are some storylines to read up on before Saturday's match:
Sweet Home, Columbus
After three long weeks on the road, Crew SC are finally back home at MAPFRE Stadium, where they are unbeaten against the Fire (4-0-2) in their last six meetings. The Black & Gold have also scored multiple goals in five of those six matches.
In their first cross-conference clash with Chicago the Black & Gold opened the 2017 season with a 1-1 draw at MAPFRE Stadium on March 4, before falling 1-0 to the Fire in Bridgeview on April 8.
On Fire
Chicago’s Designated Players, Nemanja Nikolic and David Accam, have had a red-hot performance so far this season. The duo has combined for a whopping 28 goals — Nikolic with 16 and Accam with 12. Both forwards are also in the running for the League’s Golden Boot race – Nikolic in second and Accam in fourth. The pair, who each netted a goal in the first two meetings against Crew SC earlier this season, will again prove to be a threat to the Black & Gold.
Third Time’s the Charm
The Midwestern Rivals will meet for the third and final time this season. Saturday’s match will be the 60th meeting overall, with the Black & Gold holding a 17-24-17 record against the Fire, and an 11-10-7 record at MAPFRE Stadium. Both teams are currently sitting above the red line and hungry for some vital points in the race to Playoffs.
