Massive Predictions: Rapids at Crew SC

After two games on the road in the last week, Columbus Crew SC returns home to MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday night for a game with the Colorado Rapids. Putting it nicely, the Rapids are a bad team. Colorado sits in 11th place in the Western Conference with just six wins on the season. The Rapids have lost four consecutive games, failing to score in any of those contests.

This is all to say that the Black & Gold should get out of Saturday’s game with a full, and much needed, three points. But will they? Let’s see what our staff thinks.

Collin Johnson

One point from two road matches against (likely) playoff-bound opponents is not great, but Crew SC have a chance to grab all three points against Colorado and complete a four-point week. The Rapids are not a good team. They’ve scored a league worst 31 goals and have a defense that looks like it’s ready for the season to be over. This is an absolute must win for Columbus. A loss would not knock the Black & Gold out of the playoffs but it would be a devastating blow.

Crew SC should be near full strength after some deft squad rotation this week. With a rested Federico Higuain, Justin Meram, Gyasi Zardes and Jonathan Mensah, there is no excuse but to grab all three points.
Columbus Crew SC 2 Colorado Rapids 0

Eliot McKinley

Colorado is not a good team. The Crew need a win here to stay ahead of the Philadelphia Union in the race to host a home playoff game and they will get it.
Columbus Crew SC 3 Colorado Rapids 1

Ralph Schudel

The Rapids come into Saturday’s match at MAPFRE Stadium in a slump. It’s been 368 long and painful minutes since Colorado found the back of the net and things don’t appear to be improving anytime soon. The Rapids appear to have “shut up shop” and are content with playing out the rest of the season as is and don’t have a chance to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Coming off a decent performance in Portland, Crew SC remain hungry to distance themselves from the Philadelphia Union. The Black & Gold proved they don’t need Gyasi Zardes to score goals, but the striker does help. Colorado’s back four appear to be in disarray and Tim Howard doesn’t have the flair of previous years. I think the flood gates open at MAPFRE Stadium and I think it’s a massive win.
Columbus Crew SC 3 Colorado Rapids 0

Sam Fahmi

This team really needs to secure three points at home and it wouldn’t hurt to do it in spectacular fashion against lowly Colorado. The Crew can do itself a major favor in securing a playoff spot early, and three points on Saturday would go a long way in doing so.
Columbus Crew SC 3 Colorado Rapids 1

Guilherme Torres

This is a game Crew SC should win and this team should actually do it comfortably. The Rapids are not only eliminated from playoff contention, but are also winless in five matches, having lost the last four and not scored a single goal in any of them. This is as struggling a team as it gets and the Black & Gold should take advantage of the situation to cement their spot in the Eastern Conference top-four.

With five of its most important starters likely returning after taking Wednesday night off in Portland, the Crew should have all the tools to build a solid win in front of its fans at MAPFRE Stadium. Columbus got just one point out of its last two matches but the team had decent road performances in both of them and it should only take smartness, organization and good execution to grab all three points against the Rapids
Columbus Crew SC 3 Colorado Rapids 1

Patrick Murphy

Talk about a must win for Crew SC. If the Black & Gold want to be in the top four come the end of the regular season, this is a game that needs to end with all three points going to the home side. Not only does Columbus face a bad Rapids side that is already looking forward to the offseason, but the Philadelphia Union are now only one point back in the push to host a home knockout game in the first round of the playoffs.

It’s been a busy week for Crew SC but Gregg Berhalter rested enough starters on Wednesday that getting a win shouldn’t be an issue for the Black & Gold.
Columbus Crew SC 2 Colorado Rapids 0

There you have it. Do you feel as confident as our staff? Let us know in the comment section below.