Seattle Sounders FC vs. Columbus Crew SC | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Columbus Crew SC
2018 MLS Regular Season – Week 10
CenturyLink Field – Seattle
May 5 – 4 pm ET
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Columbus Crew SC head to Seattle feeling a little better about themselves after a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes that snapped a four-match winless streak, while the Sounders return home feeling hard done following a 1-0 loss to LAFC.

The Crew have won three of their last four meetings with the Sounders in league play, scoring multiple goals in all three victories while getting shut out in their one loss, per Opta.

Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle (1-4-1) were hoping to be party poopers at Banc of California Stadium; instead they suffered a second 1-0 defeat this season to LAFC with Laurent Ciman scoring the game’s lone goal on a stoppage-time free kick that went in off of Stefan Frei’s hands, a rare gaffe for one of MLS’ top goalkeepers.

Brian Schmetzer was forced to make four changes to his starting XI following a 3-1 win over Minnesota United FC because of injuries to regular starting central defenders Roman Torres and Chad Marshall. Gustav Svensson partnered with Kim Kee-Hee with Alex Roldan slotting in for Svensson in the midfield and Clint Dempsey returning to the starting XI.

“The effort was there; if the team plays with that effort, we’re going to win more games than we lose,” Schmetzer said after the game. “That’s without question. We just have to make sure that we collect points.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: F - Jordan Morris (torn ACL), M - Victor Rodriguez (right knee sprain), D - Roman Torres (right hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: M - Harry Shipp (right ankle sprain), D - Chad Marshall (neck sprain), D - Waylon Francis (right hamstring strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Frei — Kelvin Leerdam, Kim Kee-Hee, Gustav Svensson, Nouhou Tolo — Osvaldo Alonso, Alex Roldan — Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Cristian Roldan — Will Bruin

Notes: Dempsey took part in 24 duels in last weekend’s match with LAFC, his most ever in a MLS match. … The Sounders have scored just five goals this season, fewest in the league. However, this is 4.2 goals fewer than their expected goals total, the third-largest differential in MLS.

Columbus Crew SC

It seemed their winless streak was going to continue. But then Mike Grella came off the substitute’s bench — making his Columbus and 2018 debut — and provided the late-game heroics to help lift Crew SC to their first win since March 24.

Grella, who missed nearly a year of action with a knee injury, scored his first goal since Oct. 16, 2016, settling a Pedro Santos cross before finishing inside the near post in the 84th minute.

Harrison Afful opened the scoring for Columbus (4-3-2). It was ironically his first regular-season goal since that same game in which Grella tallied for the Red Bulls in 2016.

“The whole group is extremely proud of him,” Crew SC coach Gregg Berhalter said of Grella. “I think it’s a testament to him as a person and as an athlete that he’s been out this long, and comes back and can make that type of impact.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: GK- Ben Lundgaard (left thumb surgery)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Zack Steffen — Harrison Afful, Jonathan Mensah, Lalas Abubakar, Milton Valenzuela - Wil Trapp, Artur — Niko Hansen, Federico Higuain, Pedro Santos — Gyasi Zardes

Notes: Wil Trapp attempted 103 passes in the Crew’s 2-1 win last weekend, completing 90.3 percent of those passes. He is the 13th player to attempt 100+ passes in a match this season. … Columbus have been held scoreless in three straight road games (2L-1D). They have not been shut out in four straight since Oct. 14, 2006-May 19, 2007 (180 regular-season road games played since then).

All-Time Series

Overall: Seattle Sounders FC 5 wins, 19 goals … Columbus Crew SC 4 wins, 15 goals … 3 ties
At Seattle: Sounders FC 2 wins, 10 goals … Crew SC 2 wins, 8 goals … 2 ties
Last meeting at Seattle: Seattle Sounders FC 1, Columbus Crew SC 0 (April 30, 2016)