The Columbus Crew looks to secure 4th place in the standings on Decision Day

Photo via the Columbus Dispatch

The Columbus Crew have had a successful 2023 regular season campaign, and they can put a cherry on top by securing home field advantage for the playoffs first round with a positive result against CF Montréal.

Columbus and CF Montréal played last month in Montreal, with the Crew handing the home side a 4-2 defeat. The match was never close as Columbus twice held a three-goal lead. Star forward Cucho Hernández scored a hat trick to lead the charge, and Coach Wilfried Nancy’s group defeated his former club handily.

Playoff Scenario

The Crew is currently in 4^th place with 54 points and only needs a draw to secure home field advantage. The Philadelphia Union are 3^rd with 55 points and the New England Revolution is 5^th with 52 points. New England is hosting Philadelphia on Decision Day. If the Crew loses their match against CF Montréal, the Revs will still have to defeat the Union to overtake Columbus and drop the Crew to drop into 5^th place. In retrospect, the Crew’s 2-1 win at New England two weeks ago was truly a massive win.

CF Montréal is currently in the playoff picture and trying to hang on, sitting in 8^th place with 41 points. There are four teams within striking distance, however, including two teams within a single point (New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC). If CF Montréal can’t earn a point on Saturday against the Crew, it’s likely they will be on the outside looking in when the smoke clears.

Starting Lineup

Columbus should be well rested for this match, their first since October 7^th. Based on recent lineups, Patrick Schulte should get the start in goal. Nancy has been starting Cucho, Diego Rossi, and Alexandru Matan at the forward positions with Christian Ramírez coming off the bench. Team Captain Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris should get starts in the midfield with Yah Yeboah and Julian Gressel on the wings. A lineup like this would likely have Malte Amundsen, Steven Moreira, and Rudy Camacho on the back line, leaving Mo Farsi, Sean Zawadzki, and Yevhen Cheberko as available substitutes off the bench.

Lower.com Field

The Crew’s home finale on Saturday at Lower.com Field is also the 14^th consecutive sellout for a regular season game, a club record. The team has responded to the fan enthusiasm, posting an 11-1-4 record at home leading up to this match. The only home loss was in April to Inter Miami (before Messi!). The Crew’s home record speaks to the importance of home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, a best-of-three series. The Crew only needs a point on Saturday to accomplish this.

The Columbus Crew should dominate CF Montréal and win the match behind a boisterous, celebratory crowd anxiously awaiting the first Major League Soccer playoff game ever at Lower.com Field.