D.C. United kick off their 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs against the Columbus Crew on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 8 PM ET at Audi Field. United finished the regular season in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Columbus Crew locked up the No. 5 spot. If the Black-and-Red can keep their unbeaten streak at home alive, they will move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and move one step closer to their ultimate goal: MLS Cup. Here's a breakdown of the Black-and-Red’s first playoff opponent.
Recent Matches
The Columbus Crew fluctuated down the final stretch of the regular season. The Crew went 14-11-9 overall in the regular season, going 2-2-1 in their last five games. In their regular season finale, Columbus put together a convincing 3-2 win over Minnesota United thanks to a hat trick from Gyasi Zardes, but prior to that the Crew suffered two bad losses against the Montreal Impact and Orlando City SC. Columbus have struggled to win on the road this year, with a record of 3-9-5 when they are traveling, and United will look to make the most of their home-field advantage over the visitors.
Players to Watch
Gyasi Zardes showed the edge he can give the Crew with his hat trick last weekend, and the forward leads the team with 19 goals this season. Federico Higuain is Columbus' second leading scorer with six goals on the year, but Zardes will be the biggest threat for United's back line to contain.
The Crew's back line earned 10 shutouts throughout the season, including one in their last five games. However, they allowed Orlando City to come back with a stoppage-time PK, and allowed two goals from Minnesota after Zardes gave Columbus a 2-0 lead, showing their defensive fortitude can be spotty.
Head-to-Head
The Black-and-Red and the Columbus Crew met twice early on in the regular season, but have not faced each other since April. On March 24 the Crew took all three points with a 3-1 win at MAPFRE stadium. United got their revenge in an April 14 win at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, though, when Ulises Segura scored the game-winning goal and the Black-and-Red's back line held on for the clean sheet.
