Columbus Crew take on the Vancouver Whitecaps, who will be making only their second visit to Lower.com Field. Columbus suffered a significant drop in the Eastern Conference table after a 5-1 defeat to Inter Miami, while the Caps returned to the top of the Supporters' Shield thanks to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.
Columbus Crew cling to away record for this match
With two weeks off, Wilfried Nancy's side can finally try to get back to winning ways in order to become more competitive in the second half of the season after a sharp drop in regularity, with six games without a win in the league and just three points above the playoff line.
Despite this, it's worth noting that the Columbus Crew are unbeaten in their last four MLS home games in 2025, suffering just one defeat, against Inter Miami. Against their rivals from the West, the record is positive with unbeaten records in the last four regular season games.
Columbus Crew could not count on goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who suffered an abdominal problem in the previous match. In addition, the medical department was full with Sean Zawadzki (knee pain) and Rudy Camacho (sidelined with a thigh muscle strain). Finally, Nicolas Hagen is with Guatemala for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Vancouver Whitecaps back to full strength after humiliation
The Vancouver Whitecaps managed to bounce back with a good win over the Seattle Seahawks after the 5-0 defeat they suffered in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Cruz Azul, the only game in which they conceded goals since April. With that, the MLS record is positive, with two consecutive clean sheets.
In addition, the Vancouver Whitecaps are the only unbeaten away team in the league in 2025, having conceded just one goal or less in six games. Another important mark is their defensive solidity, having conceded just 12 goals (the lowest in the league) so far, only four of which have come as visitors.
Captain Ryan Gauld missed another game for the Caps last weekend as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Another key absentee is Sam Adekugbe, who is out for the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White will be with the USA this weekend for the Gold Cup, while Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed are with the Canadian national team for the competition.