COLUMBUS, Ohio – CF Montréal will face the Columbus Crew for the first time this season on Saturday at Lower.com Field starting at 7:30pm EDT (MLS Season Pass, RDS, TSN, BPM Sports, TSN 690).
After collecting four points from a possible six in their last two games at Stade Saputo, the Montrealers will play back-to-back games abroad, first heading to Ohio to take on the defending 2023 MLS Cup champions, before heading to Nashville SC the following Saturday.
Montreal has an overall 9-13-5 record against Columbus and a 3-10-2 road record. On their last visit to Lower.com Field, the Montrealers fell 2-1 on MLS Decision Day. Sunusi Ibrahim scored the only goal of the game for the visitors.
After surpassing the milestone of 13,000 minutes played in the MLS regular season last Saturday, midfielder Samuel Piette stands to break another record this weekend. The Quebecer is on the cusp of playing his 187th match (all competitions) with the Club, meaning he would overtake a trio of former players in this regard: Adam Braz, Eduardo Sebrango and Hassoun Camara. Piette currently ranks ninth among players (all-time) for the most games played in the Club's history. His next start will also be his 150th in the MLS regular season. He would then become the first field player to reach this total for the Bleu-blanc-noir.
Montreal will be looking to stop an opponent that is unbeaten at home in its last 26 meetings in all competitions. The Crew's last defeat at Lower.com Field dates back to April 29, 2023, against Inter Miami CF. In their most recent MLS outing last Saturday, the Crew managed to salvage a point (2-2) after falling behind twice to Portland.
Additionally, Wilfried Nancy's team is currently competing on two tables, pursuing its 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign in the semifinal round. Wednesday evening, Columbus hosted the first leg against CF Monterrey of LIGA MX, earning a 2-1 win. The second leg is scheduled for May 1 at Estadio BBVA in the Mexican state of Nuevo León. Columbus stands alone as the final MLS representative in the continental tournament.
