Come Sunday, the Columbus Crew looks to cap off a current five-match unbeaten streak with a win at Toronto FC, as the Black & Gold search for their fifth road victory as part of the regular-season finale at Toronto with Trillium Cup honors on the line.
Should Crew SC top Toronto, it would mark the Club’s largest regular-season road win total since 2015 (6).
That said, playoff-bound TFC lacks no motivation as the 2017 MLS Cup champions sit on the outside-looking-in of securing a home MLS Cup Playoffs match.
Toronto currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, two points back of fourth-place D.C. United, who plays last-place FC Cincinnati at home, and fifth-place New York Red Bulls, who travel to ninth-place Montreal.
For Crew SC, the Black & Gold have only seen one loss in their last 12 games, while each of the Club’s four road wins has featured at least two goals, with seven total goals coming in the last three road matches overall.
The Crew’s last regular-season loss to Toronto came on May 27, 2017, though the last match-up overall featured a disappointing 2-2 draw less than two months ago at MAPFRE Stadium. Pedro Santos and David Accam both tallied for Columbus before Altidore headed in a stoppage-time equalizer.
â–ºHIGHLIGHTS: Columbus Crew 2 - 2 Toronto FC - Aug. 17, 2019
Toronto’s most recent home loss came in a 3-1 defeat vs. Houston on July 20. The Reds have conceded the fourth-most home goals in regular-season play while tying for the fewest home clean-sheets (2). The Crew have conceded in 15 straight road games, but has lost just one of seven (3W-3D), the Club’s joint-longest road streak with only one defeat since 2005, per Opta.
Gyasi Zardes needs a brace to become just the second Crew player since 2010 to record 15+ goals in consecutive seasons (Ola Kamara 2016-17).
Toronto is riding a nine-match unbeaten run into Sunday following a 2-2 draw vs. Chicago last Sunday. The match featured an opener from Altidore and an 80th-minute equalizer from Omar Gonzalez.
Columbus, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 29, with Eloy Room recording his first Club shutout and Youness Mokhtar registering his first goal for the Crew.
Kickoff on Sunday is slated for 4 p.m. ET on SportsTime Ohio & 97.1 FM The Fan.
