Columbus Hosts Seattle For First Time Ever
With last Saturday’s 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy, the Crew became the first MLS team to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Now, the quest for a second straight Supporters Shield begins tonight against the expansion Seattle Sounders FC at 7:00 in Crew Stadium. Tonight’s matchup will be the first time that Seattle has ever come to Columbus to play in Crew Stadium, the first meeting of 2009 was a 1-1 draw on May 30th, in which the Crew played in front of the biggest crowd they’ve seen in this MLS season (29,126).
Also, tonight will mark the return of ex-Crew coach Sigi Schmid to Columbus for the first time. Last year, Schmid led Columbus to their first ever MLS Cup. The Crew haven’t focused much on his return to Columbus. “Our goal is to win the Supporters’ Shield right now and be in the Champions League,” head coach Robert Warzycha said. “They’ve already won the Open Cup, which is a huge accomplishment by an expansion team, but are trying to make the playoffs. Those are the most important things.”
Tonight’s Game By The Numbers:
483: Days since the Crew has lost an MLS game inside of Crew Stadium.
2-4-4: Record for Seattle FC in last 10 games.
+12: Goal differential for Crew in home games.
10-1-6: Columbus’s record in 2009 when scoring the first goal.
23: Fouls committed by LA Galaxy last week, the most by any opponent of the Crew all season.
0: Trips to Columbus by Seattle FC before today’s game.
