Columbus Crew host the Colorado Rapids at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Saturday night.
Matchup | Columbus Crew vs. Colorado Rapids |
Competition | Major League Soccer (Round 23) |
Date | Saturday, September 5th, 2026 |
Kickoff Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Location | ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus, OH |
TV Channel | Apple TV |
The surging Colorado Rapids travel to Ohio this weekend with four wins in their last five MLS matches. With another win, Matt Wells' team could enter a four-way tie with the San Jose Earthquakes, FC Dallas, and St. Louis CITY on 34 points. The Rapids are currently seventh in the Western Conference with 31 points.
The Columbus Crew, on the other hand, are struggling at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Crew have earned only 20 points in 22 games and have lost four in a row. The team is looking for a much-needed spark to turn the tide on their season, and new transfers could provide the boost they need.
Columbus Crew Lineup Predictions
Coach: Laurent Courtois
Formation: 4-4-2
CF | CF | ||||
LM | RM | ||||
CM | CM | ||||
LB | RB | ||||
CB | CB | ||||
GK | |||||
The Columbus Crew will finish the season without USMNT winger Max Arfsten, who finds himself amongst multiple American stars at Middlesbrough in the English Championship. Diego Rossi has also completed a move to Liga MX this summer.
To add quality and depth to the squad, Columbus have signed defender Eric Bailly, attackers Brais Méndez, Josef Martínez, and Santiago Rodríguez, in addition to adding winger Anass Zaroury and forward Gonzalo Tapia on loan for the remainder of the season.
For the match against the Rapids, Bailly, Méndez, and Martínez are expected to start, while the others could feature as substitutes.
Rudy Camacho (muscle), Jamal Thiaré (knock), and Sekou Bangoura (ankle) are all unlikely to be fit for the match due to injury. Wessam Abou Ali is also still out for a significant period with a knee injury.
Colorado Rapids Lineup Predictions
Coach: Matt Wells
Formation: 4-2-3-1
ST | |||||
LM | AM | RM | |||
CM | CM | ||||
LB | RB | ||||
CB | CB | ||||
GK | |||||
The Colorado Rapids have also been busy in the transfer window this summer, selling star defender Lucas Herrington to Hull City in the Premier League for a club-record fee, in addition to sending star forward Rafael Navarro to St. Louis.
With the significant funds raised from those two sales, the Rapids have signed midfielder Youssef Maziz, winger Ibrahim Sadiq, winger Morgan Whittaker, forward Sayed Abu Farkhi, and defender Loïc Williams.
Williams and Maziz have already made their Rapids debuts, while the rest of the new signings could potentially make their first appearances in burgundy and blue this Saturday.
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen will miss the match while recovering from a shoulder injury. Mamadou Billo Diop (knee) and Ted Ku-DiPietro (shoulder) will also be unavailable for selection.
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