It’s a quick turnaround for the Columbus Crew, one of the quickest possible in Major League Soccer. After collecting their fifth win in six games in a 2-1 against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Lower.com Field, the Black & Gold are back on the road to face Eastern Conference opponent Inter Miami for a Fourth of July contest.

Miami comes into this match at the bottom of the East table with 16 points through 19 games played. Inter has had its share of injury troubles, with six players out for this game. Two players, defenders Kamal Miller and DeAndre Yedlin, are both out with the Canadian and United States national teams, respectively, at the Gold Cup. Midfielder Gregore and defender Franco Negri are both instrumental to the way Miami plays and will not be available for the game against Columbus.

A likely starter in striker Josef Martinez is always dangerous, as he leads the team with five goals this season. Midfielder Ben Cremaschi, who has three assists on the year, is also likely to start for Inter.

Just like the last game, the Crew is as healthy as possible with only wing back Will Sands on the injury report after tearing his ACL earlier in the season against Nashville SC. Midfielder Aidan Morris recently departed from the USMNT Gold Cup camp due to personal reasons but is not back with the Black & Gold yet.

Can Columbus continue the team’s recent dominant form against Miami? Our Massive Report Staff gives their predictions for this holiday matchup

Tyler Fisher

Columbus rides a six-game unbeaten streak while performing as one of the best teams in MLS. Sure, the standings don’t reflect that to this point, but head coach Wilfried Nancy has turned this team around. From missing the playoffs the last two years, to fighting for a top two spot in the East, Columbus is certainly a team that is a force to be reckoned with.

While the Crew was riddled with injuries, the team’s last time out saw the injury report be a clean slate (excluding Will Sands who is out for the season) and the return of Milos Degenek, who played 13 minutes in the last outing against Inter Miami CF.

While Miami is struggling, Columbus is rolling. The Crew sits in fifth place in the East, while Miami is scraping the bottom of the barrel in the conference.

The Black & Gold will need to keep a close eye on Bennie Cremaschi and Josef Martinez. Both guys are playmakers and could be the problem that causes the Crew’s makeshift backline IF Degenek doesn’t get the start.

But Columbus has threats of its own, which will look to produce more magic and continue to shine. Although the game is in Miami, the Crew should easily walk away with three points.

Columbus Crew 3 Inter Miami 1

Patrick Murphy

This will not be an easy game for the Crew. Throw out the standings, which see the Black & Gold well within a playoff spot while Inter Miami only hopes Lionel Messi can save the season. Throw out the last result, which saw Miami hand Columbus its only home loss of the year and Inter’s only away defeat. This game is more about scheduling.

Why MLS decided to have teams play Saturday-Tuesday just to get games on the Fourth of July is beyond me. It will make for an ugly contest in the Fort Lauderdale heat. I expect some rotation from the Crew, which may disrupt some of the recent chemistry that has been built during the six-game unbeaten run. Still, I believe the Black & Gold can return home with something out of this game.

Columbus Crew 2 Inter Miami 1

Drew McDaniel

A team near the top of the table in the Crew travels south to take on Inter Miami, who languish at the bottom of the table. The turnaround is quick and so both teams will likely rotate a bit. This is a classic trap game for the Black & Gold, and I do not see the Crew winning. After a hard-fought victory with plenty of running against the New York Red Bulls, a trip to muggy Fort Lauderdale in 90-degree weather will produce suboptimal results for Columbus. Nancy will need to focus on rotation as a few injuries this year were due to a lack of rotation.

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Adam Miller

The Crew travels to Miami on the Fourth of July, looking to continue the team’s hot streak. The Black & Gold have been steadily climbing the Eastern Conference standings in the last month and can continue to make a climb with a win in this match. I think this game could be a bit ugly as both teams played Saturday and Miami in July isn’t exactly a desirable place to run for 90 minutes. However, I think this plays in the Crew’s favor as the team with more quality to give an edge in a match like this. Lucas Zelarayan will score a second half winner and give the Black & Gold three points. 

Columbus Crew 1 Inter Miami 0

Collin Johnson

The April 29 match between the Crew and Inter Miami is still one of the more baffling games of the season. The match was in Columbus and the hometown team outshot the visiting Miami side 20-8 (8-5 on goal) but somehow still lost 2-1. That match remains the only home loss in a season that has seen Lower.com Field become a nearly impenetrable fortress for the Black & Gold. Despite the short rest for both teams, you can count on revenge being on the minds of Columbus. That said, with three matches in eight days, you can also expect some significant rotation in Miami. I still expect the Crew to bring a win back home from South Florida because the Black & Gold’s depth is significantly better than Inter’s.

Columbus Crew 1 Inter Miami 0

Caleb Denorme

The Crew has now won five out of its last six, while Inter Miami has not won a game in the team’s last eight tries in MLS. The heat down in Florida will be a factor, but I see the Black & Gold coming out on top. I think Cucho Hernandez will continue his good form and get on the score sheet, with Christian Ramirez banging in another goal to seal Miami’s fate. With Columbus getting healthier and going on this unbeaten streak, this is going to be a hard team to beat down the stretch.

Columbus Crew 2 Inter Miami 0

Ryan Schmitt

Inter Miami is currently in the running for the wooden spoon award and the Crew is flying high. However, the Black & Gold going into an away game, which is a typical downfall for the team. The Florida humidity is no joke, especially when the players are used to a week’s worth of rest. I think the Crew edge this game out, but not without struggles. Hopefully, the Milos Degenek cameo on Saturday was a sign he can start or sub in for meaningful minutes against Miami.

Columbus Crew 2 Inter Miami 1