The Crew are hoping to upset the red hot Revolution.
The New England Revolution and Columbus Crew used to be two of the top examples for the old MLS. They didn't spend much money, had modest crowds and barely registered nationally.
That has all changed this season. The Revolution signed Jermaine Jones and added him to a bright young core that includes Diego Fagundez and Kelyn Rowe. Toss in the emergence of Lee Nguyen as one of the league's best players and you have a team that is as fearsome as there is. They went 8-1-1 since signing Jones, their only loss being to Columbus, albeit with Jones not starting. Not coincidentally, bigger crowds have followed and they're starting to make the rest of the country take notice.
The Crew also surged late in the season, going 6-1-1 down the stretch. Federico Higuain made his case as one of the best players in the league, again, and Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani gave them a great central midfield, while the addition of Michael Parkhurst solidified their defense.
Now two of the hottest teams in MLS are set to clash with a spot in the Eastern Conference final on the line. With the way both finished the season, the winner may very well be the favorite in the next round too. D.C. United was the East's top seeded team, but the Revs and Crew are the hottest and there's an argument to be made that they are the best.
Team news
Neither team has any major injuries. The biggest question is of Jairo Arrieta, who made his first league start since July 12 last weekend and may start again against New England. The Crew would be taking a chance in starting a player whose fitness is somewhat limited, but he brings so much quality that even if he starts on the bench, he will make an impact as a substitute.
Diego Fagundez's layoff wasn't as long as Arrieta's, with his start last weekend being his first since September 20th. He played well and all indications are that he will start this weekend, which is a huge boost. The Revolution will also have Andy Dorman available, which gives them another option off of the bench.
Projected lineups
Columbus Crew: Steve Clark; Waylon Francis, Tyson Wahl, Michael Parkhurst, Eric Gehrig; Justin Meram, Wil Trapp, Tony Tchani, Ethan Finlay; Federico Higuain; Jairo Arrieta.
New England Revolution: Bobby Shuttleworth; Chris Tierney, AJ Soares, Jose Goncalves, Andrew Farrell; Jermaine Jones, Daigo Kobayashi; Kelyn Rowe, Lee Nguyen, Diego Fagundez; Charlie Davies.
Key questions
1. Can Columbus keep Jermaine Jones in check? To this point, nobody has been able to keep Jermaine Jones from dominating a match. He can sit back and shield the defense, press high and force giveaways without the ball, while making the outlet pass from deep, running forward with it or even playing the key pass in the final third with the ball. He does as much, if not more than any player in the league. He's everywhere, impacting everything, and that's tough to stop because it's not a job for one or two people. It takes an entire team to slow down just Jones and that's a big ask for anyone.
2. Will Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp continue their pinpoint passing? Nobody would have guessed that Tony Tchaniand Wil Trapp would make for a dominant holding midfield pairing before the season, but here we are. Not only do they have great range and cover ground, but they have been excellent with the ball. They spark the Columbus attack from deep, especially with the deep ball. Both have done an excellent job playing the ball early and over the top, unlocking defenses before they can even get men back.
3. Lee Nguyen or Federico Higuain? In almost any other season, Lee Nguyen would be the runaway MVP candidate. He has 18 goals and five assists, while also playing a handful of other passes that led to assists, as part of one of the better seasons MLS has ever seen from an attacking midfielder. Meanwhile, Federico Higuain continues to dazzle and led the Crew's late season push and made an impact far greater than his 11 goals and seven assists can show. With both the Revolution and Crew features stupendous attacking midfielder, which makes the biggest impact could determine the first leg, and the tie.
Prediction
The Crew have done a great job turning around a club that seemed to be going nowhere and Gregg Berhalter deserves a lot of credit for that. Federico Higuain has been tremendous too, while Wil Trapp may be the best youngster in the league. But as many nice things as you say about Columbus, the Revolution have been too good since signing Jermaine Jones to pick against them. This one has 1-1 draw written all over it, with New England happy to win the tie at home in the second leg.
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