Streaking Crew can clinch playoff berth vs. Sounders

The Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew haven't met for more than three years, but they'll do so Saturday night in Ohio's capital city.

The Crew (14-4-7, 49 points), who sit in third place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory.

Columbus has won seven straight matches in all competitions, including defeating Los Angeles FC 3-1 for the championship of the Leagues Cup. The Crew have defeated host Philadelphia 1-0 and visiting New York City FC 4-2 in their return to league play, scoring twice in second-half stoppage time in the latter last weekend. Diego Rossi had a goal and an assist.

"This is another way to win. I'm really proud of that," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "This is what I told my players, I said, ‘Yes, I was frustrated a bit by the fact that we didn't control the game the way we wanted to do it, but we found ways to score goals.'"

Rossi has 10 goals and a career-best 11 assists, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to reach double-digits in both categories in a season.

The Sounders (11-9-7, 40 points) are eighth in the Western Conference, currently in a play-in spot for the postseason. They're coming off a 1-0 loss last weekend in Portland in which goalkeeper Stefan Frei had to leave in the eighth minute after getting kneed in the head. Coach Brian Schmetzer said Frei remains in the concussion protocol and will be unavailable Saturday.

"We're all mad we just lost to Portland, but a lot of the rhetoric (in the locker room) is positive," Sounders midfielder Josh Atencio said. "Or trying to be positive. The guys, especially the leaders of the team, looked at everybody and said, ‘(Expletive) like this happens.' We have to move forward, especially this late in the season."

The Sounders also lost 1-0 to LAFC in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, leaving them scoreless in their past two matches.

"On the road, you've got to just make the most out of the few chances that you're going to get," Schmetzer said.

--Field Level Media