With their playoff lives on the line, CF Montreal travel to Lower.com Field on Saturday to face the Columbus Crew on the final day of the MLS regular season.
The Crew have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, playing to a 1-1 draw the last time out versus Atlanta United, while Le CFM are a point above the post-season line heading into Decision Day, following a 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers.
Match preview
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For the first time since capturing the MLS Cup in 2020, the Columbus Crew are in the playoffs and will close out the regular season on a five-match domestic unbeaten run.
The first season as head coach for Wilfried Nancy has been a smashing success, with the Frenchman guiding Columbus to 54 points thus far, just three shy of equalling their single-season MLS club record from 2008 when they collected 57 points in 30 games.
Throughout the 2023 domestic season, the Crew have been a significant handful for opposing defences to contain, scoring a league-high 65 goals, 19 more than a year ago and just two back of their highest total in one MLS campaign set in 1998.
While this team can finish no worse than fifth in the Eastern Conference, a victory this weekend would ensure they begin the playoffs at home.
A win might also eliminate Montreal from the playoffs, a club Nancy was a part of for over a decade, guiding them into the post-season a year ago before moving to Columbus.
One area Nancy will want to see his side improve on heading into the post-season is their ability to kill off a game, with just one win in their last four MLS affairs, despite scoring first in two of those instances (1-1 draw versus Dallas and 1-1 draw with Atlanta United).
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Montreal appeared to be in free fall for weeks, winless in seven successive MLS fixtures, before coming to life against the Timbers the last time out.
Le CFM may be a little fortunate to be above the playoff line, but as streaky as they have been in 2023, this team seem to come up big when needed.
The job for Hernan Losada's men on Saturday is simple, win, if they can do that, Montreal would qualify for the Wild Card round, while a draw or loss would open the door for the New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire to overtake them in the standings with both sides just a point behind them, though Le CFM hold the first tiebreaker with two more wins than each of them.
While the task may be simple for them on Saturday, being able to earn three points away from home has proven to be exceedingly difficult for Le CFM this season, as they have the third-fewest MLS road victories so far (two) after leading the league in that category under Nancy a year ago (11).
Not only have Montreal lost the second-most away contests in MLS this season (12), but many of those defeats have been lopsided, with Le CFM losing seven road fixtures by three or more goals.
When this team can play vertically and stretch the field, they have proven to be dangerous, suffering just one domestic defeat all year when scoring multiple goals (4-2 defeat versus Columbus).
Team News
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Will Sands is the only injury concern for the Crew this weekend as he will not be available because of a knee sprain, Steven Moreira may not be ready either after being called up for Cape Verde in their friendly this week against Comoros, while Patrick Schulte and Aidan Morris were called up to the USA Under-23 squad, though journeying from Phoenix to Columbus will be a lot shorter.
Cucho Hernandez scored his team-leading 15th of the MLS campaign the last time out, while Diego Rossi has nine goal contributions in his 10 appearances since joining this team (three goals and three assists), though he failed to get on the scoresheet in Atlanta.
In their previous meeting with Le CFM, Hernandez picked up a hat-trick while an own-goal by Gabriele Corbo gave them an early 1-0 lead.
Montreal might be missing some key players in this critical encounter as Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and Aaron Herrera are dealing with ankle strains, Ahmed Hamdi hurt his leg and Robert Thorkelsson has an adductor injury.
They should have three other critical pieces to their roster back in time, as Romell Quioto helped Honduras advance into the last eight at the CONCACAF Nations League, while Samuel Piette and Mathieu Choiniere both featured for Canada in their 4-1 friendly defeat versus Japan, with the latter collecting his first international cap off the bench.
Choiniere was on the scoresheet in the previous Montreal encounter, as their team leader for MLS goals (five) and assists (five) this season had one of each against the Timbers, while the other goals came courtesy of Sunusi Ibrahim, Kwadwo Opoku and Mason Toye.
Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:
Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Vallecilla; Gressel, Nagbe, Yeboah, Zawadzki; Rossi, Matan; Hernandez
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Campbell, Waterman, Corbo; Choiniere, Wanyama, Piette, Lassiter; Ibrahim, Opoku, Quioto
We say: Columbus Crew 2-0 CF Montreal
Knowing that a win is likely what they need on Decision Day, we expect the desperation level for Le CFM to ramp up the longer this match remains tied, and that should play right into the hands of the Crew, who are deadly on the counter and can hurt you in a variety of ways.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
