This MLS season has been disappointing for both the Columbus Crew and CF Montreal, but the clubs hope non-league success this week will provide momentum for their match Saturday in Canada.
The Crew (6-14-5, 23 points) defeated Orlando City 2-1 in the semifinal of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday and will host St. Louis City on Oct. 21.
Columbus sits 13th in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind FC Cincinnati for the final playoff spot with nine matches left.
CF Montreal (5-14-6, 21 points) are 15th and last in the East and looking at an 11-point deficit. Their 2-1 victory Wednesday over Vancouver for a 3-2 series aggregate win advanced them to the Canadian Championship final against Canadian Premier League side Forge FC on Oct. 21. That likely will be their lone hope for a trophy this season.
“I’m just happy for the team,” Montreal forward Prince Owusu said. “We suffered in the season many times. This is the last chance for us to give something back to the fans, to the club, to the city,”
It’s been a trying season but Owusu has been a bright spot. He scored both goals against Vancouver and leads the team in MLS play with 13 goals.
CF Montreal has been on the skids for months. They entered the Aug. 19 match at Columbus with an eight-game winless streak and came away with a 2-1 win. However, they have a tie and four straight losses since to give them a 1-7-6 mark in their past 14 MLS matches.
The Crew have not been much better, wallowing in a 1-6-1 stretch in league action.
Yet, they were encouraged by Wednesday’s result, especially getting a goal from Josef Martinez. The sixth-leading goal scorer all-time in MLS with 130, he is goalless in seven league matches since joining the team in July.
“I’m excited for what I saw,” Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen said. “I saw players turning the page (from MLS play), players with a goal in mind and players taking a step forward.”
-Field Level Media
