Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew Match Preview
Columbus received disappointment in midweek when they lost the US Open Cup final to Seattle. The Crew’s focus will now return to their quest for the MLS Cup where they have clinched a playoff berth, but are in a tight race with the New York Red Bulls for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Crew have not won in their last four MLS games, and will need to change that to avoid the road to the MLS Cup final going through Red Bull Arena.
The Crew will go into the game on Friday night without Emilio Renteria and Shaun Francis, who are both away on international duty. They will have the services of former league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who has three goals and four assists in nine career games against Chicago.
The Chicago Fire need just about a miracle to make the wild card spots, and anything less than a win here will guarantee that they are mathematically eliminated from contention. The Fire have lost four of their last five games and need results to put a positive slant on what has been a miserable season for them.
Starting goalkeeper Sean Johnson will miss the game for the Fire, having suffered an eye injury this week. Backup Andrew Dykstra will play and told the MLS website he expects a tough game. “You can’t mess up against the better teams like Columbus because they are going to take advantage of it.”
PREDICTION: Chicago Fire 0 Columbus Crew 1. The Crew to snap a winless skid and keep the pressure on New York in the race for top spot and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
