Columbus play their third game of the season at home tonight as they host DC United. Game Start: 7:30 PM EST. Word is sales have been good but critical Home Blue Jackets game starts at 7:00 PM. Will be interesting to see how the stands look.
::GAME NOTES::
-Crew looking to make a couple starting lineup changes after a few lackluster results.
-For the 2nd week in a row, Crew facing team at bottom of table.
-DC hasn't gotten a point in last four, last win was 5 games ago.
-2012 Allstar and DC team leader Chris Pontius is out (or taking break).
::PREDICTIONS::
Starting off with Win Draw Win's 'Your Vote' section and it has Columbus, assuredly. 56% on Crew win, 30% draw, with the remaining 12% going to DC.
Going with Adam Jardy, who is on the Crew beat here in town, early here. He is a little unsure how things might turn out. Surprising if you are an outsider looking in but not so much if you follow this team. Jardy from today's paper; "Trying to get an accurate read on either of these teams is difficult."
Drew Epperley at WV Hooligan thinks "the Crew have the offensive muscle" to pull this on out 2:1 over DC.
For the third week in a row the dudes at MLSsoccer.com like the Crew. In fact it is an overwhelming six out of six that pick the Crew this week. Amazing.
Looks like Matt Doyle is still on top with 50% accuracy. Everyone else is 41% or below. Andrew Wiebe still pulling up the rear at 35%. Same guy that wrote the now edited comparison of MLS to other top leagues using basic statistics. Interesting note on that article is that the word "eurosnob" has been removed. Here is the full note on the edit:
EDITORS' NOTE: Due to a miscalculation of MLS's 2012 stats from an outside contractor, a previous version of this article displayed some errors in the statistics, including goals per game and passes attempted. They have been corrected.
They got it wrong, didn't triple check numbers then blamed the contractor. The maturity level here is astonishing.
Next up is our friends at BET365 who likes the Crew. A lot. Better than even for Crew at 8/11 (13/5 Draw and 15/4 DC). Interesting it is so heavy.
Patrick Guldan at the best Crew place (and the one of which I like contributing) thinks that Higuain will get the space he needs for the Crew to pull this out 2:1 by the end.
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::MY PREDICTION::
I think that, real injury or not, Pontius being out actually helps DC a bit in that it makes them a new team to plan for. So much goes through him that it'll be interesting to see what DC United does tonight.
But it is another week and another 'should win' for the Crew. A loss at home to this DC team would be devastating and hard to spin off of for the club. In the previous two home games the Crew only have two points. Not great, at all but they can take that up to 5 pts in three tonight and right the ship, somewhat.
I like the Crew tonight but I have a great deal of hesitancy with that prediction. DC didn't do their homework last time they met earlier this year and came inches from a least a draw.
Whatever the result, it is beautiful here in Columbus today. Get out and watch the Crew instead of sitting in that cooped up hockey arena.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend.
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