New York City FC Eastern Conference Semifinal Preview

After a week-long layoff, New York City FC will begin their quest for the MLS Cup when they take on the Columbus Crew in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Where: Mapfre Stadium – Columbus Ohio

When: Tuesday, 10/31 at 8:00 pm ET

How to Watch: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 05: The starting lineup for New York City FC is seen during a MLS soccer match between New York City FC and Orlando City SC at the Orlando City Stadium on March 5, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /

Squad Overviews:

Although they had a shaky finish to the season, New York City FC found a way to lock up the second seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round bye for the second consecutive season. The bye was definitely needed considering NYCFC’s late-season dip in form and the extra rest just might be what the club needs to regain their dominance.

Despite their low seeding, the Columbus Crew are arguably the most dangerous team in the playoff field. The Columbus side sports a 6-0-5 record in their last 11 matches, including their dramatic Knockout Round win over Atlanta United, and all six of their victories during that stretch have come at home. Needless to say, the Boys in Blue will have their hands full.

ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 05: David Villa (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /

Three Questions Fans Should Ask Going into the Match:

Will NYCFC Finally Score a Playoff Goal? In their first quest for the MLS Cup last season, NYCFC was absolutely dominated by Toronto FC and unceremoniously eliminated from the postseason on 7-0 aggregate. Granted, it’s an incredibly small sample size to work with, but the Boys in Blue had some serious scoring troubles as the season wound down and the Crew have only conceded 17 goals at home this season. Considering how vital away goals are, the Boys in Blue need to find their scoring touch once again and put at least one in the back of the net if they want to be in a good position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Can the Defense Finally Buckle Down and Contain the Crew? Matches between NYCFC and the Crew have a tendency to be high-scoring affairs and it definitely makes sense considering the attacking power that both sides sport. The two sides have played each other seven times and have combined to score a whopping 32 goals, and there hasn’t been a single shutout recorded in this young rivalry. Naturally, a strong defensive performance will be vital if the Boys in Blue want to perform well on the road, but considering NYCFC’s tendency to concede, it’s more likely than not that the Crew will break through at some point.

Who Else Will Provide a Much Needed Creative Spark? As good a scorer as he’s been all season, David Villa is even better distributing the ball. The Spanish international has nine assists this season and is at his best when he drops into the midfield to help build the attack. However, as good as Villa has been, he can only do so much by himself. Someone like Jack Harrison or Maxi Morález will need to step up and establish themselves as a threat with the ball at their feet in order to open up the field and allow Villa to focus solely on what he does best: scoring goals.

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First Leg Prediction: Columbus Crew 3 – New York City FC 2

Like I said before, matches between these two sides tend to be high scoring and I definitely expect that trend to continue. The Crew have been absolutely dominant at home since late July and it would be an absolute shock if they were to lose at home. However, NYCFC will definitely find the back of the net at least once in this match and should come back to New York with at least one vital away goal in-hand for the second leg of the Semis.

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