Following Wednesday night’s stunning 2-1 victory at Philadelphia, the Columbus Crew returns home for an important match against the surging expansion side Montreal Impact this Saturday, September 1. The match is the sixth in the busy seven-game stretch as the Crew (11-8-6, 39 pts.) has a playoff spot in its sights.
Saturday’s match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be televised live regionally in high definition on FOX Sports Ohio, with Dwight Burgess and Duncan Oughton calling all the action and Ashleigh Ignelzi reporting from the sidelines. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com with Neil Sika and John Bluem on the call, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo behind the microphones.
The match comes on the heels of the shorthanded come-from-behind win at Philadelphia in which Josh Williams recorded his first professional goal, and Eddie Gaven notched the game-winner in thrilling fashion in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Crew Homegrown goalkeeper Matt Lampson earned his first start in place of the injured Andy Gruenebaum, recording four saves and keeping the Black & Gold in the game during the final Philadelphia onslaught. Williams will not be available for selection after he received a red card in the match for an off the ball foul on Philadelphia’s Antoine Hoppenot.
This is the third and final regular season match between the clubs with the series tied at one win each. The Crew took the first match in its home opener on March 24, with a 2-0 win, behind goals by Milovan Mirosevic and Olman Vargas. The Black & Gold visited Stade Saputo on July 8, succumbing to the Impact 2-1 after taking the lead with Mirosevic.
Since the last meeting, Montreal (12-13-3, 39 pts.), have posted a 6-2-0 record, most notably with back-to-back wins against San Jose (3-1 on August 18), and D.C. United (3-0 on August 25). The Impact is led by Patrice Bernier and Felipe Martins who have posted nine goals and nine assists respectively. The have recently exchanged goalkeepers with the Portland Timbers, sending Donovan Ricketts to Portland and acquiring Springfield, Ohio native Troy Perkins. The Impact has also acquired Serie A and Italy standout Alessandro Nesta, and is undefeated when Nesta plays.
The Black & Gold is unbeaten since beginning this busy stretch posting a 3-0-2 record in the last five games. The Crew will look to carry the positive momentum back into Crew Stadium as it enters the tail end of its busy stretch.
The Crew will only have a four day turnaround as it travels to New England on Wednesday, September 5, at 8 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
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