Columbus Crew vs New England preview

United States flag 2026 Major League Soccer, United States
Lower.com Field
Major League Soccer
Columbus CrewCOL
New EnglandNER
KICKOFF :
Regular Season

CONTEXT

In the 2026 Major League Soccer regular season, Columbus Crew welcome New England to Lower.com Field for a league fixture. The home side currently occupies 15th place in the domestic standings, while the visitors sit in a strong 4th position. Power scores give Columbus Crew a narrow overall edge at 64.57 compared to 61.48 for New England, confirming them as the stronger team with a 3.1 point advantage. Form scores tell a different story, as New England lead with 16.11 against the hosts' 11.67. Detailed efficiency information is absent, and set piece metrics depend on proxy data with low confidence. Both sides enter without specified recent outing results or form records, setting up an analytical contest focused on positional strength and underlying metrics.

TL;DR

  • Structural: Columbus Crew sit 15th domestically while New England occupy 4th place.
  • Form: New England hold a higher form score of 16.11 compared to Columbus Crew's 11.67.
  • Squad: Columbus Crew are identified as the stronger team with a power score of 64.57 against 61.48.
  • Efficiency: Efficiency metrics are unavailable for both teams in this fixture.
  • Transition: Transition metrics are not specified in available data for either side.
  • Set pieces: Set piece data relies on proxy usage with low confidence for both teams.
  • xVariable: Columbus Crew hold a power advantage of 3.1 points heading into the match.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
Jan 25 vs Team A
Feb 1 vs Team B
Feb 8 vs Team C
Columbus Crew L. Courtois
L. Courtois
VS
New England M. Mitrovic
M. Mitrovic
1
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.79
0.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
Nashville SC Rank: 73 L
CF Montréal Rank: 57 L
Charlotte Rank: 65 L
Inter Miami Rank: 74 D
Cincinnati Rank: 69 W
New York City Rank: 67 L
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
1.33 i
Last 6 Opponents
New York City Rank: 66 D
DC United Rank: 57 W
Toronto Rank: 58 L
Houston Dynamo Rank: 65 L
CF Montréal Rank: 59 D
Atlanta United Rank: 57 W
3
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
3 - 0 - 2
2
No sidelined player data available.

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
64.57
61.48
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Columbus Crew
New England
Power Score
64.57
61.48
League Position
15
4
Global Rank
434
530

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Columbus Crew — Opponent-weighted form score
New England — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Columbus Crew New England

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 5 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Columbus Crew COL Home
5 matches
New England NER Away
Match Record
3
Wins
2
0
Draws
0
2
Losses
3
Goals
12
Goals Scored
5
5
Goals Conceded
12
+7
Goal Difference
-7
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-08-30T01:02:44+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-4-2
Match Formation 4-3-3
Pitch

General Information

Date & Time
Competition
2026 Major League Soccer, United States · Regular Season
Stadium
Lower.com Field
Capacity
20371
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Jon Freemon
Jeffrey Greeson
Jeffrey Swartzel
Carlos Rodriguez

Lineup

Referee : Jon Freemon

Starting XI ▼

28
Patrick Schulte
Patrick Schulte Goalkeeper
6.62
12
Cesar Ruvalcaba
Cesar Ruvalcaba Defender
6.76
18
Malte Amundsen
Malte Amundsen Defender
6.77
25
Sean Zawadzki
Sean Zawadzki Defender
6.73
31
Steven Moreira
Steven Moreira Defender
6.51
10
Brais Méndez
Brais Méndez Midfielder
7
16
Taha Habroune
Taha Habroune Midfielder
7
20
André Gomes
André Gomes Midfielder
6.88
23
Mohamed Farsi
Mohamed Farsi Midfielder
6.93
50
Tarun Karumanchi
Tarun Karumanchi Midfielder
6.78
46
Chase Adams
Chase Adams Attacker
6.77
Referee : Jon Freemon

Starting XI ▼

30
Matt Turner
Matt Turner Goalkeeper
7.2
2
Mamadou Fofana
Mamadou Fofana Defender
7.05
22
Ethan Kohler
Ethan Kohler Defender
6.9
23
Will Sands
Will Sands Defender
6.82
25
Peyton Miller
Peyton Miller Defender
6.97
8
Matt Polster
Matt Polster Midfielder
6.71
10
Carles Gil
Carles Gil Midfielder
7.51
14
Jackson Yueill
Jackson Yueill Midfielder
6.55
80
Alhassan Yusuf
Alhassan Yusuf Midfielder
7.08
11
Jack Harrison
Jack Harrison Attacker
7.65
99
Dor Turgeman
Dor Turgeman Attacker
6.88

CONCLUSION

Columbus Crew will look to leverage their slight power edge and home setting against a New England side that boasts superior league position and form. The matchup highlights contrasts between structural advantages and recent momentum, with limited supporting metrics on efficiency and transitions leaving room for on-field adjustments. Set piece elements carry uncertainty due to proxy reliance, potentially influencing key moments. Overall, the contest shapes up as a test of whether the hosts can convert their marginal strength into control or if the visitors' higher standing allows them to dictate proceedings through disciplined execution.