The Columbus Crew are in Kansas today to take on Sporting KC. Kickoff is 4 PM EST, 3 PM CST. This afternoon's match will be on NBCSN (the only one for the Crew this year).
GAME NOTES
CLB: Bernardo Anor back from suspension
CLB: Lineup looks to stay similar
CLB: Still a healthy side, just about all players available
SKC: Aurelien Collin is suspended today
SKC: 2013 MLS Cup ring ceremony pre-match
SKC: Outscored Crew 6-2 in last two in KC
10 PREDICTIONS
Percentage accurate, Crew games only. Sorted in descending order.
57% WIN DRAW WIN ... SPORTING KC
Stake on 1-0 Home win with KC heavy in the "Your Vote" section (55%). Draw at 29%, Crew just 14%.
43% COLUMBUS DISPATCH ... n/a
Coverage has been light since Adam Jardy has taken some time for the birth of his first child. Longtime writer Tim May has been filling in but not on the prediction. "Staff Reports" thinks this one could go either way.
43% WHOSCORED.COM ... SPORTING KC
"With Sporting KC it's always a question of whether their frontline clicks. If they do the Crew will have a game on their hands," says Graham Ruthven this week. Prediction; 2-1 KC.
29% GOAL.COM ... DRAW (?)
No preview for this match today at Goal.com, which is strange for a NBCSN match. Looks like Sporting has the edge with the three readers that picked in the your vote section.
14% BET365 ... SPORTING KC
Heavy odds for the home team today (heaviest I've seen this year, even). 8/13 KC, 3/1 Draw, 4/1 Crew.
14% HOME TEAM ... SPORTING KC
Crew have played better on the road so far this year.
14% MLSSOCCER ... SPORTING KC
The gang over here picked KC 4 out of 6. The other two have a Draw.
14% WV HOOLIGAN ... SPORTING KC
League watcher says this one is "Game of the week as far as I am concerned." He likes Sporting to edge it out 1-0.
0% TABLE POSITION ... COLUMBUS CREW
Things are still sort of playing out, looks like.
0% MASSIVE REPORT ... n/a
Head on over to Massive Report to check out the latest from a hard working Patrick Murphy.
MY THOUGHTS
First thought is that we are a quarter of the way in the season and this match isn't getting the "top of the table clash" billing it might were it another league. MLS is strange this way.
Surprising that odds and pundits are in line today. Sporting being without Collin will open things up for the Crew in KC's back quite a bit. KC can sometimes play really aggressive and have had plenty of success beating up on a visiting Crew (6 GF, 2 GA in last two in KC). So, even though the new Crew style of play keeps opponents from getting a whole lot, I'd be lying if I didn't say KC could put a few past this Crew backline.
I don't have a preference on Jairo Arrieta or Dom Oduro for the Crew today because of that. I think Higuain likes Arrieta more (letting him take the penalty last week), so they should probably go with that.
A win for the Crew today would be huge. We see. Weather looks very warm down there today (80s). Should be a good one.
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