This will be the first meeting between Orlando City Sc and the Columbus Crew SC in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The only previous knockout match between the sides since Orlando City SC joined MLS came in the fifth round of the 2015 US Open Cup, a 2-0 home win for Orlando City SC.
Orlando City SC has won eight of its last 10 matches against the Columbus Crew SC (D1 L1), including winning all six meetings in Orlando in that time. The six-match run is Orlando City SC’s longest-ever home MLS winning streak over any opponent and the Columbus Crew SC’s longest road MLS losing streak against any opponent in 20 years.
Orlando City SC has won six straight matches dating back to the regular season, including its two-match sweep of Nashville SC in the first round, equaling the club’s longest-ever winning streak (6 straight in 2018). The only team of the five previous that entered an MLS Cup Playoffs match on a six-match winning streak (including breakaway shootout wins) to win the following match was the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996.
The Columbus Crew SC won both home matches but lost its road match against Atlanta United FC in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Columbus Crew have won each of their last seven home playoff matches but have not won any of their last 16 road playoff matches dating back to 2002, (D5, including two penalty shoot-out wins, L 11), the longest road playoff winless in MLS history.
Orlando City SC has kept five clean sheets in its last six matches after keeping just six in its previous 34 games in all competitions. Orlando City SC held Nashville SC without a goal in both meetings in the first round and could become the fifth team in MLS history, and the first since the Seattle Sounders SC in 2017, to open a postseason with three straight clean sheets.
Diego Rossi and Alexandru Matan each had a goal and an assist in the Columbus Crew SC’s 4-2 win over Atlanta United FC in game three of the first round. They are the third pair of Columbus Crew SC teammates to each record a goal and an assist in a playoff match, and he first since Ola Kamara and Justin Meram (vs New York City FC in 2017).
