.The Columbus Crew closed the rough month of May out with a 2-1 win over Atlanta United and went into the international break with some momentum.
Winning on the road for the first time this season, the Black & Gold had time to recuperate for injuries and international call ups.
This Saturday the Crew are back in action at Lower.com Field to take on the newest member in MLS, Charlotte FC.
With this break, it gave Caleb Porter time to reassess rotations, formations, and set piece scenarios. With several key players out such as: Lucas Zelerayan, Pedro Santos, and Marlon Hairston with thigh injuries, Kevin Molino and Will Sands with knee injuries, and Artur with a leg injury and the captain Jonathan Mensah with concussion suffered in his AFCON match, as well as others, all of whom are questionable for the match against Charolette on Saturday.
The good news is, Kevin Molino is available for selection
Charolette FC comes into Columbus having won 3 out of 5 games played in the month of May and are coming off a 2-0 win over the Red Bulls.
With the firing of their head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez and Christian Lattanzio taking over as interim head coach, Charolette looks to keep their momentum and continue to rise in the standings and looks to remain humble and attack the season with focus and ambition in their inaugural season.
What to watch for?
Columbus
Look for Columbus to continue to press high and get the wings involved early and put pressure on the backline of Charolette. Also look for the Crew to continue to play stingy on the defensive side and cut down on turnovers in the Crown's territory.
Keys to victory:
Clear the box of second chance shots. If Columbus can keep the box cleared that will allow Eloy Room to remain sharp and able to see when shots are coming at him. Cut down on costly turnovers and bad fouls. In all the Crew's loses this season they have committed bad fouls at critical moments of the game and also have given up the ball at crucial times during the game. If they can cut down the turnovers and bad fouls, then they will find success.
Charlotte
Look for Charolette to come out strong and try to catch the Crew off guard. The Crew haven't played a game in almost three weeks, so look for Charolette to take advantage and strike first.
Keys to victory:
The Crowns are currently sitting in the 6th position in the standings. if they can remain humble and continue to play their style of playing, they can match up with Columbus. Look for Charlotte to find holes in Columbus' defense and try to use the Crew's own strengths against them and attack. In all of the Crown's six road loses this season they have conceded the first goal. If they can score first, it will allow them to stay in the game against the Crew. The stadium will be pack, if the Crowns can block out the noise at Lower.com Field and not allow it to get in their heads then will be able to pick up their first road win of the season.
How to watch the game?
You can catch the game at 7:30pm on Saturday June 16th live on Bally Sports, ESPN+. Tune in as these two Eastern Conference rivals meet for the first time this season.