Here we go again: It's Matchday 27, and New York City FC are back at Lower.com Field to face Columbus Crew for the second time in two weeks.
In the last match on August 17, New York City and Columbus drew 1-1 in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals, with the Crew advancing on penalties and, eventually, winning the whole tournament.
NYCFC now heads back to Ohio for a rematch with a Columbus team that is unbeaten in its last six competitive matches and that has won inside 90 minutes in three straight games across all competitions.
• Matchday 27: Columbus Crew vs New York City FC
• Date and Time: Saturday, August 31, 7:30 pm ET
• Venue: Lower.com Field
• Forecast: Warm, rainy earlier, rising humidity 77F/25C
• Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
• Apple Broadcast Team: Keith Costigan and Maurice Edu (English), Bruno Vain and Andres Agulla (Spanish)
• New York City FC Radio: Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence (English), Roberto Abramowitz and Ariel Judas (Spanish)
• Officiating Crew: Ted Unkel (referee), Kyle Atkins and Ryan Graves (assistant referees), Calin Radosav (fourth official), Drew Fischer (VAR), Matthew Rodman (assistant VAR)
• Kits: New York City will wear the sky blue Interboro Kit; Columbus will be in the black VeloCITY Kit.
New York City vs Columbus H2H
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 43 | 0 |
There is a long, rich history between these two clubs. The 43 goals New York City scored against Columbus are the third-most over any club, trailing only the 45 goals scored against Orlando City and Toronto FC. At the same time, the 43 goals Columbus scored against New York City are the third-most allowed, trailing only the 46 scored by New York Red Bulls and Toronto.
Columbus has the historic edge, but recent matchups have been even, with three out of the last four games ending in a draw. Just two weeks ago, the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at Lower.com Field in the Leagues Cups Quarterfinals, but Columbus advanced on penalties and went on to win the tournament.
It might be cold comfort for New York City, but it was the only time that Columbus was held to fewer than three goals in 2024 Leagues Cup play: The Crew scored four against Sporting Kansas City, three against Inter Miami, three against Philadelphia Union, and three against LAFC.
New York City FC
• Player Availability: Malachi Jones (leg) and Andrés Perea (leg) remain Out. Justin Haak is one yellow card away from a suspension for accumulation.
• New York City's newfound starting striker is on a high right now. Alonso Martínez scored the fastest goal in NYCFC history, 14 seconds into the match, the last time these teams met in Columbus. More recently, he's coming off a brace in the 2-2 draw with Chicago and just got called up by Costa Rica.
•Will Santi Rodríguez and Maxi Moralez again be together in the Starting XI? Rodríguez has started out on the left-wing with Maxi reclaiming the central No 10 role in all of the last five NYCFC matches and in seven matches total so far this season. The 37-year-old Moralez has been in good form as he gets further removed from his ACL injury, with one goal and three assists in his last five appearances.
• NYCFC last won in Columbus on April 29, 2017, when Maxi was also in the lineup (and picked up an assist), but the goalscorers were Jack Harrison and Yangel Herrera. In the subsequent 10 trips to Ohio in all competitions since that win, New York City's record is 0 W-3 D-7 L, though the two most recent trips to Lower.com Field account for two of the seven draws.
Columbus Crew
• Player Availability: Goalkeeper Evan Bush (arm) is Out.
• Tragedy hangs over this match following the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau, of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, and his brother, Matthew. Crew supporters in the Nordecke are set to observe a moment of silence in the 13th minute to honor the late No 13 of the Blue Jackets, who was killed alongside his brother on the night before their sister's wedding by a suspected drunk driver.
• Wilfried Nancy's team is extraordinarily tough to play at home. Under Nancy since he took over at the start of the 2023 MLS season, Columbus has a record of 29W-12 D-2L with a +61 goal differential at home across all competitions.
• This Columbus team has reached two different cup finals, but they've also had record-setting form in MLS, with the 2024 squad's 46 points the most the club has ever earned through 24 league matches.
• Striker Cucho Hernández is having an MVP-caliber season: 19 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions, freshly named Best Player of Leagues Cup after scoring the Cup-winning goal at 90'+2' in the Final. Hernández's form has also earned him a Colombia call-up for two FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
• Besides Cucho, what else has made Columbus Crew so seemingly unstoppable this year? Tyler Fisher of Massive Report spoke to Matthew Mangam and shared 5 Things about Columbus Crew in our latest Oppo Research installment.
Matthew Mangam
