Record-Breaking Victory Propels Columbus Crew to MLS Playoffs

The Columbus Crew clinched a significant victory on Decision Day, defeating CF Montreal with a 2-1 scoreline. This triumph also marked a historic moment for the club, as it set a new record for the most home points earned in a single season. Furthermore, the victory carried immense importance for this year's team, as the New England Revolution secured a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union, enabling the Crew to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Securing the third seed means that the Crew will enjoy home-field advantage in the first round of the MLS playoffs. In this round, they will face Atlanta United FC in a best-of-three series scheduled to run from October 28 to November 12.

Crew coach Wilfried Nancy expressed his satisfaction with this achievement, stating,

"It's a really good moment because they achieved the challenge that we gave them. Yes, to finish third, but also to grow. This is what they did because when I see this kind of game tonight, we should have scored more goals... but we finished the game in a good way."

The game's decisive moment came when Darlington Nagbe scored the game-winner in the 50th minute. Nagbe received a pass from Malte Amundsen and executed a right-footed shot that found the bottom right corner of the net, eluding goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. This goal also allowed Nagbe to tie the Crew's single-season record for goals scored, matching the team's total from the 1997 season. Nagbe emphasized the importance of their performance against Montreal, especially at home, stating,

"The more games that we can have here and put ourselves in a position to have potentially more games at home throughout the playoffs increase our chances to achieve what we want to achieve, which is to get a trophy at the end of the season."

Notably, the Crew displayed resilience in this match, particularly because Diego Rossi was unavailable due to a thigh injury. Rossi had been limited in training sessions before the game, but the team's decision to give him more time to recover proved wise, as he would be available for the Crew's playoff run.

Montreal took the lead when Zachary Brault-Guillard, marked by Malte Amundsen, delivered a cross that found Sisnusi Ibrahim unmarked, and Ibrahim netted the game's opening goal. Cucho Hernandez later equalized for the Crew after a pass from Steven Moreira. Hernandez's goal was his 25th in his MLS career.

The Crew dominated the first half, outshooting Montreal 11-2, with Hernandez's goal being the only shot on target. The Crew accumulated 21 shots in total, including five on target, compared to Montreal's six. Additionally, the Crew had nine shots blocked during the game.

Substitutions were made in the 71st minute when Ramirez and Julian Gressel were replaced by Mo Farsi and Jacen Russell-Rowe. Alex Matan left the game in the 82nd minute for Yaw Yeboah, and Rudy Camacho was substituted in the 90th minute by Yevhen Cheberko.

This win marked the Crew's second victory against Montreal this season, with a previous win of 4-2 on the road on September 2. Montreal had not defeated the Crew since August 2022.

The Crew concluded their regular season with their 14th consecutive sellout at Lower.com Field in MLS play, setting a single-season club record. Defender Sean Zawadzki believes that this home-field advantage will continue to boost the team's performance in the postseason.

As for the exact date and time of the Crew's first playoff game at Lower.com Field against Atlanta, it has not been announced yet. Additionally, the Crew has secured a spot in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup by finishing fourth in the Supporters' Shield standings.

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