In the season opener, mere weeks ago, Columbus were lucky just to scratch out a draw against the Fire. Much has changed since then.
Columbus Crew
Today, Columbus tops the MLS table, entering the match in fantastic form having rattled off three wins in a row. One of those wins coming against MLS Cup-favorites Portland Timbers, Columbus has reasserted themselves as early MLS playoff contenders.
The forward momentum hasn’t been lost on Coach Gregg Berhalter who traded for attacker Kekuta Manneh last week. Learning from the Crew’s underwhelming start to the 2016 season, this is an aggressive move to reinforce an already formidable attack.