Columbus Crew vs Vancouver: MLS Preview

Columbus come into this match on the back of a humbling 5-1 loss away to Inter Miami, a result that saw them slip to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite their recent struggles—winless in six straight league matches—they’ve shown some resilience, having taken points from losing positions in four of those games. Wilfried Nancy’s side remain tough to beat at home, going unbeaten in their last four outings in Columbus, where they’ve suffered just one league defeat all year.

The Crew have also fared well against Western Conference opposition this season, winning both of their most recent encounters by a 2-1 scoreline. Their attacking threats will look to rebound after being stifled last time out, with young defender Cesar Ruvalcaba Perez scoring the lone goal in Miami—his first in MLS play.

Vancouver, meanwhile, bounced back from a midweek CONCACAF Champions Cup thrashing at the hands of Cruz Azul with a commanding 3-0 win over Seattle Sounders. That performance reaffirmed their position at the top of the Supporters’ Shield race and showcased their defensive strength, with Yohei Takaoka earning his league-leading eighth clean sheet of the campaign.

The Whitecaps remain unbeaten away from home in 2025, conceding just four goals in seven road fixtures, and have allowed only one goal or fewer in six of those matches. They’ll be aiming to snap a near year-long drought without a win away to an Eastern Conference side, their last such victory coming against Toronto in September 2023.

On the injury front, Columbus may again be without goalkeeper Patrick Schulte (abdominal), Sean Zawadzki (knee), and defender Rudy Camacho (hamstring), while backup keeper Nicolas Hagen is away on international duty. Vancouver continue to manage the absence of captain Ryan Gauld (knee), with Sam Adekugbe out long-term due to an Achilles injury. Key contributors Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter are on Gold Cup duty, along with Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed for Canada.