[dropcap]S[/dropcap]aturday night will feature the Columbus Crew facing off against MLS Eastern Conference foe Montreal Impact in the first meeting between the two clubs this season. The match also continues a string of three home matches in eight days for the Crew as they look to gain some momentum.
“We need to go out there, be prepared and we need to work hard,” said Crew defender Michael Parkhurst earlier this week. “It will be another test. Montreal’s not in great form either and I know it’s a team we are going to battle with for the playoffs.”
The Black and Gold (4-7-8, 20 points) haven’t faced Montreal (3-9-5, 14 points) since September 14 last year, when they won 2-1 on the road. Overall, Columbus has won the last two contests between the clubs with a 4-1-1 all-time record against the Impact, including win all three contests in Columbus.
In all six battles, the Crew have scored at least one goal to average 1.67 goals per game all-time, making it the highest goals-per-game average by the Crew against all other active MLS clubs. This statistic narrowly edges out their 1.66 goals-per-game mark against San Jose.
Steve Clark is starting in goal for the Crew. Of all the goalkeepers that have played 18 or more matches in 2014, Clark ranks within the top three in save percentage in the MLS at 67.53.
“We need to recharge the tanks and we need to be ready because we need to win that game,” Parkhurst said.
Parkhurst said the match Saturday is not a must-win in terms of getting two points to make the playoffs but that the Crew needs to turn things around, fast.
“I think just for the confidence of the group and the overall feeling of the group, we need to get that winning feeling back,” he said. “We’ve lost that and when you’re stuck in a rut like this, things go bad and you don’t catch the breaks and we just need to turn the fortune around.”
