The Columbus Crew returns to Lower.com Field Saturday evening to host the Chicago Fire. Columbus has scored a goal in each of their three matches this season (including the Concacaf Champions Cup) and has allowed just one goal. The defensive staunchness is a relief as the Crew leaked goals last season, but this is a match where fans should expect to see the Black & Gold score more than one goal. 

Wing-back Mo Farsi returned to the lineup and started in the midweek match against the Houston Dynamo. The 24-year-old logged a solid 68-minute shift and looked to have recovered from an ankle injury sustained during the season opener against Atlanta United. Farsi’s return to the pitch is encouraging for the Black & Gold but midweek hero, midfielder Alex Matan, is out for this match due to a thigh issue suffered in training.

Expect a slight squad rotation once again due to the short turnaround between Saturday’s contest and a clash against Houston on Tuesday evening.

Here is how Columbus could lineup:

Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte seems to be taking big steps forward in his sophomore MLS season. Schulte has come up with at least one big save, if not two in each match this season. He has improved his one-on-one shot-stopping ability which has helped the Black & Gold see through games, claiming valuable points and wins in the process. 

Defender Malte Amundsen was able to rest midweek which should see him start in the match against the Fire. Alongside the Dane will be defender Steven Moreira and Sean Zawadzki who started as the left wing back against Houston. Defender Rudy Camacho gets to rest on the bench in this match but could make a cameo appearance if the Crew are holding on to a tight lead. 

Wingback Yaw Yeboah will start on the left after making a late substitution appearance in Wednesday’s match. Yeboah’s presence was missed against Houston as Zawadzki pinched into the midfield more instead of stretching the field which forced forward Diego Rossi to receive the ball farther back on the pitch. Farsi will resume his typical role as the right wingback during Saturday’s contest.

Midfielder and captain Darlington Nagbe will continue his incredible MLS match streak in the game while Aidan Morris rests for this match. Joining Nagbe will be the young homegrown midfielder Taha Habroune. It is best to play a young player when they are surrounded by veterans, and not making too big of a change in the lineup, this could be an opportunity to get Habroune meaningful minutes while Morris gets to rest his legs after taking a beating in the midweek match. 

Forward Cucho Hernandez starts alongside forwards Christian Ramirez and Diego Rossi. With Rossi logging nearly 80 minutes in Houston, expect the Uruguayan to see an earlier-than-normal substitution, potentially if defender Will Sands can rotate in with Yeboah pushing up. Hernandez will factor in the contest from the onset, collecting the start, and may give way to Jacen Russell-Rowe in the latter moments of the contest, especially if the Black & Gold has a lead.