New York City FC are set to travel to Ohio for their match against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday evening at MAPFRE Stadium.
Here’s the Keys to the Match, presented by Tri-State Ford…
Same Again
It's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks for NYCFC with midweek matches between weekend assignments through the last couple of weeks.
With a full week of training ahead, the City boys round the corner for their third match this week, once again on the road, vs. Columbus Crew SC.
For Head Coach Ronny Deila, repeating the performance his team showed in midweek vs. Orlando is what he's looking for.
Deila said: "It's good that we get six days after this one. I was very happy with the match vs. Orlando. I think it was a great achievement considering all the things around the game.
"We also showed what kind of quality we can have when at our best. This will be a tough test against a good team again. Although they haven't won for a while that can be tough too, facing a team who want to turn things around, but we want to continue doing what we did on Wednesday and hopefully get what we deserve - to win the game."
Maxi is Back
Ronny Deila and the Boys in Blue will once again be without the services of Héber, James Sands, Tayvon Gray, and Gedion Zelalem but there is some positive news on the injury front.
Following a month layoff, Maxi Moralez is now off the injury report and could be back on the pitch tonight in Ohio. Whether he's fit enough to start or not remains to be seen.
Deila said: “We haven’t decided yet. We have to talk with him... and we’ll see what we’re doing. But he looks very good in training.”
Columbus Form
With three losses and a draw, in their last four matches, Columbus have been on a losing streak including a 2-1 road defeat to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night. Columbus’ current standings leave them ranked in third for the Eastern Conference with 9W-4D-4L and 31 points.
Columbus Crew SC had a fast start this season holding the first-place spot in the Eastern Conference, however, have dropped to third after losing three of their last four matches with one draw. NYCFC must be on guard as Columbus looks to redeem themselves at home.
Head Coach Caleb Porter spoke ahead of their match against NYCFC, Porter said: “I think when you look at the two teams, we both have good players, and we’re both good teams. They’re kind of in a moment probably where they want to be better, where they had a good three games. We’re in a moment where we want to be better and I think it’s going to be a spicy game because I think they’re a team that’s good enough to be competing for things at the end and I believe we are as well once we get out of this rut.”
Last Time
This will be the team’s third meeting this season where both won their games at home by one-goal margins. Their last meeting was in late August where NYCFC defeated Columbus 1-0 at when captain Alex Ring scored a late goal in the second half.
Currently, Columbus City SC sit in third for the Eastern Conference, three spots above City who dropped down to sixth when the New England Revolution earned a point higher than them. Therefore, a win for the Boys in Blue could allow them to regain their place in fifth.
Four matches remain in Phase 2 of the MLS regular season restart. Hoping to add a win to their current standings of 8W-3D-7L and 27 points - a win for City will allow them to break their current tie against Columbus for most home wins in the MLS.
How to Watch / Listen
YES Network is once again the way to tune into NYCFC’s match, with radio commentary available in English and Spanish at NYCFC.com/Radio.
Join Ian Joy and Joe Tolleson for the pregame show at 5:30 PM ET as they countdown to kickoff at 6PM ET. Let’s get this W, For The City.
