The Columbus Crew are back in league action against New York City FC away from home. Columbus currently hold the series lead 9-8-6 (W-L-T). To help us preview the matchup, Massive Report caught up with Matthew Mangam from Hudson River Blue to give us the inside scoop on the Pigeons.

Massive Report: 15 points out of their last five matches for NYCFC, what has been successful in that run? 

Matthew Mangam: It’s been a mixture of things going well, outstanding goalkeeping from Matt Freese, strong defense, and an offense that is finally consistent. NYCFC’s most recent win saw them win 5-1, with Alonso Martinez scoring a hat trick in 11 minutes. The road wins against Toronto and Philadelphia saw NYCFC rely on early goals as well as positive defensive performances to see out the wins. The win against the Red Bulls was a great performance, with NYCFC countering Red Bulls’s press with well-worked goals off the counter attack. The win over New England wasn’t pretty at all, but Keaton Parks was able to get the game-winner off a free kick. Overall, several aspects have led to these wins, but the team has been very consistent as well.

MR: Santi Rodriguez, a staple for the NYCFC squad that six goals and four assists in 16 games played. How important has he been so far this season, and what does he bring to the squad? 

MM: Santi Rodriguez has gotten better and better as NYCFC’s No. 10. He’s able to score and create, as well as win the ball off others in the midfield. He’s also able to shift to the wing, which helps with the return of Maxi Moralez (who will be primarily used as a second half sub as he is fresh off an ACL injury). Expect Santi to be the center of NYCFC’s offensive plays in this game. He’s very important to the squad and without him the team lacks a starting CAM. 

MR: Columbus is a possession heavy based team, ranking among one of the best in the league. How can NYCFC disrupt Columbus having the ball so much? 

MM: NYCFC will likely let Columbus have more of the ball, though it won’t be as dominate as a 60-40 percent type of possession game. NYCFC will just have to rely on their wingers and full backs to get up the pitch and get in behind to create chances. Even with less of the ball, NYCFC is the type of team that will create chances and find a way to threaten teams. Like mentioned earlier, expect Santi to be playing outlet passes to players such as Hannes Wolf and Malachi Jones. 

MR: Yankee Stadium has been a fortress. The last result Columbus got came in 2022. What is it about Yankee Stadium (besides it being baseball) that makes it hard to play in? 

MM: The tighter pitch. I’m not going to bash it or anything, but the pitch is definitely more compact and tighter than others. The size of the pitch passes the MLS’s regulation so it is officially big enough, but NYCFC is so used to playing on the pitch, obviously, which always puts them at an advantage. Some teams aren’t used to the tighter confines which affects their passes and spacing. NYCFC is able to capitalize off that and get their players in good spots to threaten the opponent’s backline. 

MR:  Players to watch for? Final prediction?

MM: Like mentioned earlier, Alonso Martinez should start this game after his hat trick two weeks ago. Santi is always capable of scoring. Rookie Malachi Jones is full of energy and passion, bringing a valuable spark off the bench. Maxi Moralez can come on in the second half and bring exactly what Santi brings, but a level above. Matt Freese has been exceptional this season but will have his work cut out for him against a dangerous Columbus attack. Final prediction: It’ll be a tough game for NYCFC, but I say they pull out a 2-1 win. 

We would like to thank Matthew for giving us a deeper look at NYCFC, and how the matchup will look like. For our answers on the Hudson River Blue site, click here to check out what Ty Fisher had to say about the Crew.

You can watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT.