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Columbus Crew SC began the 2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup with a lackluster 1-0 win against Phoenix Rising FC in the first match of the tournament. The Black & Gold have a chance to build on that against Major League Soccer competition, facing the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night.
After playing a strong lineup over the weekend, the Crew are expected to go with a reserve-heavy lineup in the midweek matchup to rest before the preseason closer on Saturday night against the Houston Dynamo.
Columbus is unbeaten during the preseason. The club kicked off their slate of warmups against USL League 2 Ventura County Fusion, 5-1. The Crew then faced off against fellow MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps, battling to a 1-1 draw to close out January. The Black & Gold canceled their first game in Cancun, Mexico, against Orlando City SC, due to poor field conditions before beating the San Jose Earthquakes to close out the Mexico swing. The team opened its stay in Tucson against a young Sporting Kansas City team with a win.
Preview and Lineup notes:
This will be a reserve-heavy lineup for the Crew. It will be the first time fans get a chance to see offseason acquisitions in forward Fanendo Adi, winger Derrick Ettiene Jr., midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris and defender Chris Cadden for an extended time in black and gold. It’s also another chance to see Caleb Porter’s press- and counter-heavy tactics that it appears the team will employ this year.
The game will be closer to a regular season tempo, as New York is in the same situation preparing for the year. After a subpar open to the Sun Cup, this will give the coaching staff a chance to adjust, albeit with a mostly second-choice lineup.
Standings:
Standings after Matchday 1
| POS. | TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | DRAWS | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS. | TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | DRAWS | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Columbus Crew | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Real Salt Lake | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Phoenix Rising | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Injuries & Suspensions:
Columbus Crew SC: None (and the team hopes to keep it that way)
New York Red Bulls: N/A
How To Watch:
Date: Feb. 19th, 2020 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern
Venue: Kino North Stadium - Tucson, Arizona
TV: N/A
Radio: N/A
Stream: columbuscrewsc.com/Tucson
If you can not get a hold of the stream, stay tuned to us on Twitter (@MassiveReport) where we will provide you coverage!