YOUNGEST TEAM IN PLAYOFFS
Of the 12 teams that qualified for the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, Crew SC is the youngest team, with an average age of 26.0 years based on the 23 players that played in at least one or more regular-season matches for the club. Additionally, the Black & Gold also boast the youngest average age for their starting eleven, at 26.1 years. In 2017, the average age of players across the League is 26.8 years.
CREW SC TAKES ON ATLANTA UNITED FC IN KNOCKOUT ROUND
By virtue of finishing in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, Crew SC is set to open the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs against Atlanta United FC in a Knockout Round match on Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Should Crew SC defeat Atlanta United FC at Mercedez-Benz Stadium on Thursday, the Black & Gold would advance to the two-legged, aggregate-goal series Eastern Conference Semifinals.
10-MATCH UNDEFEATED STREAK
Sunday’s draw against New York City FC brought Crew SC’s undefeated streak to 10 regular-season matches (6-0-4), dating back to a 3-1 win against the Chicago Fire at MAPFRE Stadium on August 12. Over that span, Crew SC outscored its opponents 19-10. This is the second-longest regular-season undefeated streak in club history, behind only Crew SC’s 19-match undefeated streak from July 3, 2004 – April 4, 2005. Additionally, this is the longest stretch of consecutive regular-season matches that the Black & Gold have gone undefeated since Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter took over the team in 2014. Crew SC’s previous longest undefeated streak in regular-season action under Berhalter was four matches, which was achieved on six separate occasions: two times in 2014, three times in 2013 and once in 2016.
KAMARA RISES SCORING CHART
With his goal against New York City FC in Sunday’s match, Ola Kamara extended his Crew SC regular-season goal scoring total to 34 tallies, which takes him past Guillermo Barros Schelotto to take sole possession of eighth place on Crew SC’s list of all-time regular-season goal scorers. Kamara is now behind only Jeff Cunningham (64 goals), Brian McBride (62 goals), Federico Higuain (48 goals), Stern John (44 goals), Edson Buddle (42 goals), Justin Meram (37 goals) and Eddie Gaven (35 goals). Since joining Crew SC in 2016, Ola Kamara has made 59 regular-season appearances (53 starts), scoring 34 goals and providing five assists.
KAMARA & WILLIAMS: IN-FORM
Over Crew SC’s past five matches, no other Black & Gold players have scored more goals than forward Ola Kamara and defender Josh Williams. Both Kamara and Williams have scored three goals each over their past five matches, with Kamara scoring against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (September 16), Orlando City SC (October 15) and New York City FC (October 22), while Williams has scored against the New York Red Bulls (September 23), D.C. United (September 30) and New York City FC (October 22).
WILLIAMS TIES CAREER-HIGH IN GOALS
Defender Josh Williams scored his third goal of the 2017 MLS regular season in Sunday’s match against New York City FC. Williams’ goal came in the 58th minute, when he headed in a corner kick from Federico Higuain. With his tally against NYCFC, Williams has now equaled his career-best number of goals in a single regular-season, which he previously achieved in 2013. This was Williams’ seventh MLS career goal, all of which have come while playing for the Black & Gold. Following the match on Sunday, Josh Williams talked about scoring the second goal for Crew SC: “In my head I feel like I am going to score every game, so maybe I am determined, and Gregg tells us to beat your man to your spot. Little magic man [Higuain] put the ball where it needed to be.” In 2017, Williams made 22 regular-season appearances (19 starts) and scored three goals.
PIPA TO WILLIAMS: AIR MAIL
On September 23, 2017, defender Josh Williams scored a game-winning goal against the New York Red Bulls. This was Williams’ first goal since the 2013 MLS regular season, and Williams went on to score twice more in matches against D.C. United (September 30) and New York City FC (October 22) to equal his career-high number of regular-season goals (three) which he achieved in 2013. Additionally, Williams’ tallies against the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United were game-winning goals. Notably, all of Williams’ goals were headers that were assisted by midfielder Federico Higuain and came from corner kicks.
HIGUAIN REGISTERS 2 ASSISTS VS. NYCFC
Midfielder Federico Higuain registered two assists in Sunday’s contest against New York City FC, reaching 14 assists in the 2017 MLS regular-season. Higuain set up Ola Kamara’s goal in the 11th minute before providing the helper on Josh Williams’ 58th-minute goal. Federico Higuain provided seven assists over Crew SC’s last four regular-season matches, dating back to a 3-2 home victory over the New York Red Bulls (September 23) in which he assisted on all three goals. In 2017, Higuain made 26 regular-season appearances (all starts), scoring nine goals and registering an MLS career-high 14 assists. Since joining Crew SC in 2012, Higuain made 149 regular-season appearances (144 starts), registering 48 goals and 49 assists. In 2017, Crew SC has an undefeated record of 8-0-1 in matches in which Higuain has provided one or more assists.
STEFFEN & HIGUAIN ON TEAM OF THE WEEK
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen and midfielder Federico Higuain were both named to MLSSoccer.com ’s Team of the Week following their performances against New York City FC this past Sunday. Steffen made seven saves against New York City FC, including stopping a penalty kick attempt in second-half stoppage time, with Higuain providing the assist on both Crew SC goals in the match. This is the sixth time that Higuain has been named to MLSSoccer. com ’s Team of the Week and the third time that Steffen has earned the honor in 2017.
STEFFEN STOPS PENALTY, MAKES 7 SAVES
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen made seven saves in Sunday’s match against New York City FC, tying his career-high single-match number of saves which he achieved earlier this year in a 1-1 draw on the road against Toronto FC (August 19). Steffen’s saves in Sunday’s match included stopping a penalty kick attempt by NYCFC forward David Villa in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. This was Steffen’s third penalty kick save in 2017, having previously stopped penalty kick attempts against Toronto FC (May 10) and against the Philadelphia Union (July 26). When asked about Zack Steffen’s performance in an interview after Sunday’s match, Sporting Director and Head Coach Berhalter gave the following quote: “He did an excellent job. He is an excellent goalkeeper. He executed.”
STEFFEN TIES FOR MOST MINUTES PLAYED
In 2017, Zack Steffen was the only player to play every minute of every regular-season match for Crew SC, totaling 3,060 minutes. This ties him with Steve Clark for most minutes by a player in a single regular season in club history. Clark achieved this during the 2014 and the 2015 regular seasons.
YOUNGEST GK TO START IN PLAYOFFS
Should Zack Steffen be named Crew SC’s starting goalkeeper in the club’s match against Atlanta United FC this Thursday, October 26, he would officially be the youngest goalkeeper to play and start in an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs match for the Black & Gold. Steffen will be 22 years, 206 days old when Crew SC plays Atlanta United FC on Thursday night and would take the honor from Brad Friedel. Friedel became the youngest Crew SC goalkeeper to start in an Audi MLS Cup playoffs match on September 25, 1996 by starting in a match against the Tampa Bay Mutiny, at the age of 25 years, 130 days old. Should the Black & Gold also win and record a shutout in the match against Atlanta, Steffen would also become the youngest goalkeeper to achieve either feat for Crew SC in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Currently the youngest goalkeeper to record a win in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the Black & Gold is Brad Friedel, whose first win came against the Tampa Bay Mutiny on September 28, 1996 when he was 25 years, 133 days old; the youngest Crew SC goalkeeper to record a shutout in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs was Jon Busch, who shutout the New England Revolution on October 6, 2002 when he was 26 years, 49 days old.
