The Columbus Crew travel south to Monterrey, Mexico to take on Tigres in a high-stakes match that will see the winner advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The two teams tied in their previous match, 1-1. The Liga MX side holds the away goal tie-breaker so Columbus must score a goal if they hope to advance in the tournament. Any winning scoreline sees the Black & Gold advance while any tie of two or more goals will see Columbus also advance. A 1-1 draw would force extra time. The Crew must score the first goal in El Volcan. 

Both defender Rudy Camacho and midfielder Alex Matan were listed as questionable over the weekend, but neither made an appearance. Head coach Wilfried Nancy has spoken positively about their injury status and both could likely be available for this match. Sean Zawadzki will remain out as he recovers from a concussion while forward Christian Ramirez will have a prolonged absence with a leg injury.

Here is how Columbus could lineup:

Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte will continue to start for Columbus, he has made big saves this season but needs to progress more when covering crosses. 

Camacho returns in the middle of the center backs flanked by defenders Malte Amundsen and Steven Moreira. Defender Yevhen Cheberko has made Nancy’s starting left center-back position difficult to penetrate as Cheberko has been in good form, Amundsen continues to be rock solid, making game-saving blocks while also providing a spark to the attack.

Both wing backs Mo Farsi and Yaw Yeboah started the weekend match on the bench, resting to go a full 90 minutes if needed at altitude in Monterrey. The Black & Gold attack changed drastically when Yeboah was substituted after halftime, solidifying that he is the first choice left wing back. 

Midfielder Aidan Morris will be suspended for this match after receiving two yellow cards in the home leg of the series. With Morris out, midfielder Derrick Jones will step into the lineup to join midfielder and captain Darlington Nagbe. Frustration with how different referees have managed the game has led to players and coaches getting dissent yellows and letting loose frustration. Nagbe, as captain, must play a role in helping Crew players keep their cool even if they play against the referee again.

Columbus will look to their mercurial striker Cucho Hernandez to lead the attack. The Columbian did make the trip to Mexico even after putting the Black & Gold in a difficult position by earning a red card over the weekend. Since this match is in a different competition he is eligible regardless of his MLS suspension. Hernandez could use a good goal to reset and gain momentum.

Forward Diego Rossi scored his only goal of the season against Tigres, and getting on the score sheet again will help his confidence as Columbus will be without Hernandez when they travel to Salt Lake City. Forward Jacen Russell-Rowe will also appear in the Starting XI. The Canadian continues to get good opportunities when stepping on the field and last weekend was no exception. Russell-Rowe nearly scored minutes into the second half, but put the shot right at the goalkeeper. 

This is the biggest test for the Crew this year, and a positive result would be a load off the team’s shoulders after going winless in their last four.