2015 records

• New York: 18-10-6, 6-7-4 on the road
• Columbus: 15-11-8, 9-4-4 at home 

2015 Series: NY went 2-1-0, including 1-1-0 at CLB

2015 postseason records

• New York: 2-0-0; 1-0-0 on the road
• Columbus: 1-1-0; 1-0-0 at home

All-Time Playoff Series: NY is 0-3-0 vs. Columbus; 0-1-0 at CLB

The New York Red Bulls open the Eastern Conference Championship series of the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs against Crew SC today 5 p.m., with coverage on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

The Red Bulls will also provide English and Spanish radio broadcasts through www.newyorkredbulls.com, and the English radio play-by-play will be available nationwide on Sirius XM Channel 85.

The Red Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship for a second consecutive season by defeating D.C. United, 2-0 on aggregate, in a conference semifinal matchup. New York took both legs by 1-0 score lines, winning the first leg at D.C. on a header from Dax McCarty and getting a late goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips in the second leg to put the series away.

McCarty finished off a set piece from Sacha Kljestan for his second career playoff goal, and first for New York. Wright-Phillips found himself with a tap-in opportunity in stoppage time after Gonzalo Veron stole the ball from a D.C. defender on the wing, cut in and played Wright-Phillips around D.C. 'keeper Bill Hamid.

Luis Robles, named Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year on Thursday, was only required to make two saves in the series, earning back-to-back shutout victories to become New York's all-time leader in career postseason wins (4) and shutouts (3).

The Red Bulls faced Crew SC three times this season, including two matchups at Columbus' MAPFRE Stadium. New York claimed an early season victory, 2-1, behind a PK goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips and a superb chip from Mike Grella.

New York then fell, 2-1, in a second trip to Columbus on July 4. Anatole Abang got New York on the board early, but Ethan Finlay struck twice to give Columbus a win. The Red Bulls took a third 2-1 decision at Red Bull Arena in October on goals from Lloyd Sam and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips has four goals in six career games against Columbus.

New York went 6-7-4 on the road in 2015, tied for second-most road wins in MLS. The Red Bulls scored 27 goals on the road this season, the most in MLS.

Columbus advanced to the conference championship round by eliminating the Montreal Impact. Crew SC dropped the first leg at Montreal, 2-1, but returned home and took a 3-1 decision to advance, 4-3 on aggregate, with an extra-time winner from Kei Kamara.

Columbus finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 15-11-8 record, and a 9-4-4 mark at MAPFRE Stadium.

Kamara finished the regular season with 22 goals, tied for the league-high with Sebastian Giovinco, and has two postseason goals in two games. Ethan Finlay led Crew SC with 13 assists in the regular season, and was second behind Kamara with 12 goals. Federico Higuain recorded eight goals and nine assists in the regular season, and has a goal and assist so far in the playoffs.

New York and Columbus have faced off on two separate occasions in the MLS playoffs - a two-game series in 1998, and in the 2008 MLS Cup Final. New York has never beaten Crew SC in the playoffs. In 1998, Columbus took a high-scoring affair at Ohio Stadium by a 5-3 final. The return leg at Giants Stadium was comparatively quiet, with the sides playing to a hard-fought 1-1 draw before Columbus eliminated New York in a shootout.

The teams wouldn't meet again in the postseason until a decade later, when they squared off in MLS Cup in 2008. Columbus defeated New York, 3-1, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. John Wolyniec scored for New York in the final to tie the game at one just after the start of the second half, but Columbus overpowered New York with two more goals.

After Sunday, the Red Bulls will host the second leg at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, November 29. Kick time and broadcast information have not been announced for that matchup.