Columbus Crew Face Inter Miami in Best-of-3 MLS Playoff Series

Columbus Crew Face Inter Miami in Best-of-3 MLS Playoff Series

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The Columbus Crew will face Inter Miami CF in a best-of-3 first-round MLS playoff series, beginning Nov. 21 in Miami, according to dispatch.com.

The Crew secured their postseason spot by winning their final regular-season match in Chicago on Nov. 7, avoiding the need for a wildcard game. This victory capped a late-season surge for the club, which climbed from last place in the Eastern Conference in September. 1 to a seventh-place finish by the end of the season.

The upcoming matchup pits the seventh-seeded Crew against the defending MLS Cup champions. Because Inter Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference, the series begins with a 6 p.m. kickoff in Miami on Nov. 21.

Watch the series on Apple TV and FS1

The competition will shift to Columbus for the second game, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start on Nov. 27. If the teams remain tied after two matches, a third deciding game will take place in Miami on either Dec. 1 or Dec. 2.

Fans can watch the entire series on Apple TV. The second game will also be simulcast on FS1.

Columbus crew v inter miami cf

The winner of this series will advance to the second round to face either the No. 3 seed, New England, or the No. 6 seed, Philadelphia.

A rivalry shaped by recent tension

The Crew enters the playoffs having already faced Miami twice this season, resulting in one draw and one victory. On Aug. 1, the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Miami after Mendez scored a late goal off a free kick during his debut for the Crew.

In their Sept. 27 rematch in Columbus, the Crew won 2-1 following a stoppage-time goal by Jamal Thiare. That match was marked by friction, including an incident where Lionel Messi stepped on the foot of midfielder Santiago Rodriguez. Miami also received fines for violating the league’s mass confrontation policy as coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez and several players protested officiating decisions.

Columbus Crew Face Inter Miami in Best-of-3 MLS Playoff Series

The intensity of that encounter may carry over into the postseason. Crew interim coach Laurent Courtois noted that the team’s ability to avoid the immediate wildcard game provides a strategic advantage.

“It means a lot to [not] play right away [in the wild card game],” Courtois said. “We’re going to be able to recover properly, to plan 10 days of training, which is insane for us this year, and have a three-game series against Miami. It’s what we want.”

Despite the difficulty of facing the Miami squad, Courtois expressed confidence in his roster.

“Yeah, they’re incredible,” Courtois said, “but I like us a lot, so we’re going to keep working on us.”

The Crew’s path to the playoffs was defined by a high-performance stretch where they went 9-2-0 in their final 11 regular-season games.

Metric Value
Crew record in last 11 games 9-2-0
Crew regular season climb Last to 7th in East
First playoff game date Nov. 21

The first game in Miami is set for Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.

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