COLUMBUS CREW SC vs NEW YORK RED BULLS
- MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
- July 4, 2015 (WEEK 18, MLS Game #179)
- 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: MSG)
- #CLBvNY
- 2015 Records:
- NY: 6-5-5; 2-3-3 on the road
- CLB: 5-5-6; 5-2-2 at home
All-Time Series: NY leads 27-25-9
Last meeting: Red Bulls won, 2-1 at MAPFRE Stadium on March 28, 2015
The New York Red Bulls traveled to Columbus on Friday ahead of a match against Crew SC on Saturday, July 4. Kickoff at MAPFRE Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. (TV: MSG)
The Red Bulls are back on track as of late, snapping a four-match league losing streak with back-to-back wins over Real Salt Lake (1-0) and New York City FC (3-1). New York is also winners of four of the last five overall, including two wins to advance to the quarter finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Red Bulls won a second NY Derby in four days by defeating the New York Cosmos in the Open Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Bradley Wright-Phillips notched his sixth goal of the season last weekend against NYC FC, getting the tying goal in the 46th minute that sparked a second-half comeback at Yankee Stadium. Wright-Phillips leads the team in scoring, and his four assists are also a team-high.
Chris Duvall and Matt Miazga each scored their first MLS goals against NYC FC, bringing the total for New York goal scorers to nine for the year. In all of 2014, only nine different players scored at least one goal. Four players have each contributed three assists - Sacha Kljestan, Lloyd Sam, Mike Grella and Felipe. Earlier this week, Duvall was sidelined after breaking his tibia in the Open Cup match against the Cosmos.
New York is also outpacing last year's squad in the results column. The 2014 Red Bulls side that made a run to the MLS Eastern Conference Finals didn't earn its sixth with until August 2.
Crew SC enters just two points behind New York in the standings, and coming off of a 2-0 loss to fellow MLS side Orlando City SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match. In its last league outing, Columbus drew with Real Salt Lake, 2-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah.
Kei Kamara leads all of MLS with 12 goals through 17 games, while Ethan Finley also leads the league with 10 assists.
Columbus has been particularly tough to play in the Buckeye state this season, with all five wins and 17 of 21 points coming at MAPFRE Stadium.
The Red Bulls took the first meeting of 2015, 2-1, on March 28 at MAPFRE. Sam opened the scoring before Grella earned the game-winner with a sublime chip of Crew SC 'keeper Steve Clark moments after entering the game as a substitute.
The two will meet for the third and final time in the MLS regular season on October 3 when Columbus visits Red Bull Arena.
