Columbus Crew SC returns to MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday, July 21 to host Orlando City SC. The Eastern Conference match up kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Last Saturday, Columbus suffered a late loss against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. Despite many solid offensive chances and some key defensive plays from the Black & Gold, NYCFC came out on top in a 2-0 defeat for Columbus.
â–º#CLBvORL Training Photos at MAPFRE Stadium
Orlando snapped a nine-game losing streak last Saturday, topping Toronto FC 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium. The Lions found a goal in each half, while Toronto responded in second-half stoppage time but could not solidify an equalizer.
In their last meeting, Crew SC took home three points at Orlando in October 2017 with playoff-seeding implications on the line. The game’s only goal came from Ola Kamara in the 66th minute. Kamara sliced into the 6-yard box with a one-touch finish off Hector Jimenez’s low, driven cross from the left side.
"They will definitely have a good picture of what we are able to do. Knowing those guys' tendencies is important for us," said Wil Trapp when asked about playing some familiar faces on Saturday. "I think the game is about us. It's about how we want to control the tempo, control the ball and, both offensively and defensively, how we deal with transition will be important."
Despite a favorable 6-2-3 record at MAPFRE Stadium this season, Crew SC defender Jonathan Mensah remained focus on the importance of Saturday's results combined with Orlando arriving on the heels of a 2-1 win over the 2017 MLS Cup champions.
"[Orlando] won their last game so they're gonna have something to stand on, to play for. So, we are at home, and we have to do anything we can to win the game."
Crew SC heads into Saturday looking for a win after two consecutive losses on the road. Saturday's match marks the first of two regular-season meetings between the two clubs, while overall, Crew SC holds a 4-2-2 all-time record against the Lions.
Next up, the Black & Gold head East to face the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, July 28 in a 7 p.m. ET kickoff before returning home to host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, August 11.
