Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew SC | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Matthew Doyle

Orlando City SC vs. Columbus Crew SC
2017 MLS Regular Season
Orlando City Stadium - Orlando, Florida
Saturday, August 19 – 7:30 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE

Nobody's claimed any playoff spots for sure just yet, but Columbus can go a long way toward improving their postseason hopes – and even further toward ending Orlando City's – on Saturday night in central Florida. Crew SC have spent most of the season above the playoff line despite some inconsistent play, and a win in on the road in this one would create eight points worth of cushion between themselves and the Purple Lions.

So that means it's desperation time for the hosts, who've won just twice in their last 17 regular season games and are without their suspended star, Kaká.

Orlando City SC

Suspended: Kaká (red card)
International Duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Jonathan Spector (knee injury); DAY-TO-DAY: D - PC (adductor injury)

Projected Starting XI (4-4-2, left to right): Joe Bendik – Donny Toia, Tommy Redding, Jose Aja, Scott Sutter – Yoshi Yotun, Antonio Nocerino, Cristian Higuita, Will Johnson – Dom Dwyer, Cyle Larin

Notes: Orlando have won only one of their last 10 league games (5L-4D), and been outscored 18-9 in the process... Carlos Rivas has three goals in his last eight MLS appearances. He had five goals in his first 63 MLS appearances.

Columbus Crew SC

Suspended: None
International Duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Gaston Sauro (left PCL surgery), M - Ben Swanson (right ankle surgery); QUESTIONABLE: M - Federico Higuain (right knee sprain), M - Niko Hansen (thigh injury), M - Kekuta Manneh (left ankle sprain)

Projected Starting XI (3-4-3, left to right):Zack Steffen – Jonathan Mensah, Alex Crognale, Lalas Abubakar – Waylon Francis, Wil Trapp, Artur, Hector Jimenez – Justin Meram, Ola Kamara, Kekuta Manneh

Notes: Crew SC have lost six of their last eight road matches in MLS play (1W-1D), and have been outscored 19-7 in those eight games... Wil Trapp leads MLS with 1,531 successful passes entering last Wednesday. The next closest player had 1,373 successful passes.

All-Time Series

Columbus have dominated this series, winning three of the teams' six all-time meetings – including a 2-0 win back in April – and losing just once. This is the second of three meetings on the season, with the final one scheduled for the second-to-last weekend of the season on October 15.