It’s tough to imagine anyone overlooking the defending MLS Cup champions, but the Saturday afternoon matchup between Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew featured two teams going in distinctly different directions. After two impressive road victories, the Sounders were looking to finish off easily the toughest stretch of the season with a third away result before what would be a well-deserved mini-break for the All-Star Game.
For the Crew, well, it’s tough to call the 2021 season anything but a disappointment. Struggling to reach the playoff line isn’t where anyone thought they’d be 20 games into their season, particularly given the additions they made in the offseason.