Six days after being beaten 1-3 at home by New England Revolution, Columbus Crew return to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in no position to keep dropping points. Interim coach Laurent Courtois has now overseen five consecutive losses across all competitions, a run that has left the Crew 15th in the Eastern Conference on just 20 points from 22 games. Colorado Rapids arrive in a far better mood, seventh in the Western Conference with 31 points and four wins from their last five MLS outings.
What’s at stake
Columbus sit 15th in the East with 20 points from 22 games, five points below Toronto FC and DC United, who are both on 25 and currently outside the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference sends nine teams to the postseason, so the Crew are not yet mathematically eliminated, but the gap to ninth-placed Orlando City (25 points) is five points and closing fast. A loss Saturday would push Columbus deeper into a hole that is becoming harder to climb out of.
For Colorado, the picture is more comfortable. Seventh in the Western Conference on 31 points, Matt Wells’s side sits inside the top seven and is in line for a 1/8-finals berth. Three points on the road would give them a cushion over eighth-placed San Diego (30 points) and help consolidate their playoff position heading into the final stretch of the regular season. A defeat would not be catastrophic, but it would tighten the race behind them.
How they got here
Columbus’s form is the starkest in the Eastern Conference right now. Their last five matches read four defeats in MLS and one in the Leagues Cup: a 1-3 loss at home to New England, a 0-2 defeat away to Club America, a 2-3 loss at Nashville SC, a 1-2 home defeat to CF Montreal, and a 1-3 reverse at Charlotte. The goals-against column tells its own story: the Crew have conceded 39 in 22 league games, the second-worst record in the East. Colorado, by contrast, have won four of their last five in MLS. They beat Austin, Sporting Kansas City, Los Angeles FC, and Real Salt Lake, with only a 0-3 defeat at San Diego interrupting the run. The Rapids have conceded 28 in 22 games, giving them a tighter defensive shape than almost anyone chasing a playoff spot in the West.
Columbus are 15th in the Eastern Conference, five points adrift of the playoff line. Colorado are seventh in the Western Conference, one point ahead of San Diego in eighth. The Crew’s winless run stretches back five matches. The Rapids have lost just once in their last four MLS games.
Key battle to watch
Colorado’s defensive solidity will be tested by a Columbus attack that has managed just 31 goals all season but has been leaking at the other end. The key contest is likely to play out in central midfield: if the Rapids’ midfield unit can limit the Crew’s ability to build through the middle, they will force Columbus to go direct against a backline that has kept their goals-against total reasonable. Josef Martinez is the main focal point for Columbus in attack, and how the Colorado center-backs handle his movement in behind will go a long way toward deciding whether the home side can end their losing run.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
Columbus badly need to stop the bleeding and have home advantage, plus a head-to-head record that leans slightly in their favor. But five straight defeats point to structural issues that one match is unlikely to fix overnight, and Colorado are the better-organised side right now. Expect the Rapids to be hard to break down, with the match likely decided by a fine margin. Colorado’s defensive solidity and recent momentum give them a slight edge to take something from Ohio.