2019 MLS Regular Season – Week 26
Columbus Crew SC vs. Chicago Fire
MAPFRE Stadium – Columbus
August 31 – 7:30 PM ET
STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada
Fresh off an emotional Hell is Real win over FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew SC return to MAPFRE Stadium needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive against a Chicago Fire side in the same boat Saturday night.
After squandering three high-quality scoring chances in the first Hell is Real derby, Gyasi Zardes was making sure he wasn't missing the mark this time around, burying a first-half brace and Luis Diaz added a goal in first-half stoppage time to give Crew SC (8-15-6) a three-goal halftime edge. Kekuta Manneh finally gave the sellout crowd at Nippert Stadium something to cheer about, but his goal came in the 89th minute and the three points were lone decided.
Sitting three points ahead of Columbus in 10th place in the East, and four points below the playoff line, are the Fire (8-12-9), which suffered a devastating 2-1 loss at New England Saturday. Francisco Calvo canceled out Wilfried Zahibo's opening strike with a 41st-minute equalizer, but Gustavo Bou scored the decisive goal four minutes from full time.
This is the second meeting this season with the teams sharing the points in a 2-2 draw at SeatGeek Stadium July 19. Zardes and Romario Williams struck for leveling goals in the second half after Djordje Mihailovic and CJ Sapong gave the hosts the lead in each half.
Columbus vs. Chicago
Saturday, August 31 at 7:30 PM ET
MAPFRE Stadium
Columbus Crew SC
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Federico Higuain (M) - right knee injury
- OUT: Milton Valenzuela (D) - right knee injury
- OUT: Hector Jimenez (D) - left knee injury
- OUT: Waylon Francis (D) - left thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Aboubacar Keita (D) - left thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Luis Diaz (M) - right thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Josh Williams (D) - right thigh injury
- Suspended: Jonathan Mensah (D)
- Suspended after next caution: Alex Crognale (D)
- International duty: None
Chicago Fire
- Injury Report:
- OUT: CJ Sapong (F) - ear injury
- Suspended:None
- Suspended after next caution: None
- International duty: None
Series Matchup at Crew SC
- Crew SC: 13 wins, 58 goals
- Fire: 10 wins, 39 goals
- 8 draws
Officials
- Referee: Drew Fischer
- Assistant Referees: Jason White, Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
- 4th Official: Yusri Rudolf
- VAR: Rosendo Mendoza
