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New York City FC and the Columbus Crew will finally play this week after poor field conditions at Citi Field saw the initial match postponed. The teams were originally supposed to play on August 9. Now, over a month later, they will meet at a different venue, Yankee Stadium.
Currently, the Bronx side is in eighth place while the Crew sits in sixth. With two points separating them, NYCFC would jump over the visitors if they end the evening with all three points. Of course, Columbus has not been an easy side to face over the years. At the very least, the home side knows they can compete with some of the top teams in Major League Soccer. Plus, they stole a point on the road in Columbus earlier this season.
At the same time, the homefield advantage that NYCFC usually enjoys is missing in action in 2025. The Pigeons have a 9-4-0 record in Major League Soccer at home, and all four losses occurred at Yankee Stadium. Hence, it is critical that the Boys in Blue do not drop any more points at home. The team must capture the magic of some of their road results as of late, including against Chicago Fire FC. They must not repeat the loss against D.C. United in the last home fixture.
Like all of the remaining regular-season games, there is a lot on the line. Here is a preview of NYCFC’s match with the Columbus Crew.
NYCFC vs Columbus Crew preview
Date
NYCFC and the Columbus Crew will battle it out on Wednesday, September 17.
Time
The match will begin at 7:30 PM ET.
Location
The game will take place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.
How to watch
Fans can watch the fixture on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Weather
Wednesday will not be the greatest night for soccer. It will be around 67 degrees with the humidity above 80%. There is a 45% chance of rain, but regardless, there will be rain throughout the afternoon. As such, Yankee Stadium will be gross and muggy.
Injury report
Nico Cavallo (leg), Malachi Jones (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) remain unavailable for the Pigeons.
Players to watch
NYCFC fans should watch Matt Freese. He only made two saves against Chicago, but his work in the box was a big part of why the Pigeons returned home with three points. Plus, he had five saves in the opposite fixture against the Crew. The goalkeeper is expected to have a solid performance between the sticks, and it is vital that he has one of his best games of the season.
Fans should also pay attention to Wessam Abou Ali. The newest Columbus player has one goal so far in his first three games and could become one of the top strikers in MLS. He scored 38 goals with his last team, Al Ahly FC, so the Boys in Blue must be careful.
Prediction
The Crew has only won once in their last five games, but that win occurred over the weekend. So, they should have a higher confidence level entering this match. But NYCFC has done well against teams above them in the table. Therefore, the prediction is that the Pigeons will play a tight game, but end the night with a 1-0 win.