When the Crew last faced Nashville SC in March, Columbus was coming off its first loss of the season, and the 2-2 result on the road started a five-game draw streak. Going into their upcoming meeting, the Crew are riding the momentum of their most recent performances after outscoring opponents 9-1 in their past two games.
Following a loss in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, the Crew used June to raise their ranking in the Eastern Conference standings, making up for the stretch of losses and draws that started the game before the first Nashville matchup and lasted until mid-May. Columbus went 4-1-0 in June during MLS play, improving its record to 9-6-3 with 33 points, putting the Crew in fourth in the conference despite being behind most teams in games played.
In that time, Nashville has undergone a major change, firing coach Gary Smith on May 16. It was announced Wednesday that Nashville’s new coach will be BJ Callaghan, an assistant coach from the United States national team. His first game with the club will be July 22.
MLS All-Star:Cucho Hernandez, Darlington Nagbe among five Crew players selected for MLS All-Star Game
While Nashville is without its new coach and will still be led by interim Rumba Munthali on Wednesday, the Crew have high expectations from their opponents.
“They have a style of play that they like to hit teams in transition,” said Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. “They’re very good, organized defensively, and they have really good players that can make plays and can score goals at any time. So we just got to be ready for balls in behind, runs in behind, as well as them trying to be dangerous in transition.”
Follow along for live updates from the Crew’s game against Nashville at Lower.com Field:
(30′) Christian Ramirez scores header goal off assist from Cucho Hernandez, Crew lead 1-0
Crew striker Cucho Hernandez found forward Christian Ramirez from the right side of Nashville’s box. Hernandez made a pass to Ramirez, who was in the center of the box near the goal line and sent a header shot into the net off the pass. The Crew lead against Nashville 1-0.
(17′) Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki evaluated by medical staff after rough landing, but stays in game
Nearing the 15-minute mark, Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki went down following a hit near midfield, by the Crew’s bench. Zawadzki was holding his right knee and medical staff was needed to evaluate the injury.
Zawadzki was able to walk off the field on his own and after two minutes on the sideline, re-entered the game.
Nashville SC availability report vs Columbus Crew
Here is who is unavailable for Nashville vs Crew:
- Julian Gaines (ankle): Out
- Anibal Godoy (lower body): Out
- Brent Kallman (lower body): Out
- Randall Leal (hip): Out
- Lukas MacNaughton (ankle): Out
- Jacob Shaffleburg (international duty): Out
- Sam Surridge (lower body): Out
Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC new kickoff time
The Crew vs Nashville is now set to kickoff at 8:45 p.m. following a weather delay. The game will overlap with the Red, White & Boom fireworks, but nothing about the game will change due to the fireworks.
Columbus Crew availability report vs Nashville SC
Here is who is unavailable for Crew vs Nashville:
- Evan Bush (arm): Out
- Jacen Russell-Rowe (international duty): Out
Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC delayed
The Crew-Nashville match has been delayed due to weather conditions near Lower.com Field. There is no official kickoff yet.
Weather warning at Lower.com Field
Due to lighting in the area, there is a weather warning at Lower.com Field ahead of kickoff. Fans at Lower.com Field are being asked to wait on the concourse for their safety.
It is expected that the original 6:30 p.m. kickoff time is pushed back due to weather conditions, but there has yet to be an official update
Nashville SC starting lineup vs Columbus Crew
Here is the starting 11 for Nashville vs Columbus:
- GK: Joe Willis
- DF: Daniel Lovitz
- DF: Jack Maher
- DF: Josh Bauer
- DF: Walker Zimmerman
- MF: Hany Mukhtar
- MF: Dru Yearwood
- MF: Alex Muyl
- MF: Brian Anunga
- FW: Tyler Boyd
- FW: Forster Ajago
Columbus Crew starting lineup vs Nashville SC
Here is the starting 11 for Columbus vs Nashville:
- GK: Patrick Schulte
- DF: Malte Amundsen
- DF: Rudy Camacho
- DF: Steven Moriera
- MF: Max Arfsten
- MF: Mo Farsi
- MF: Darlington Nagbe
- MF: Sean Zawadzki
- FW: Cucho Hernandez
- FW: Christian Ramirez
- FW: Diego Rossi
Who are the referees for Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC?
Here are the officials for the Crew vs Nashville on Wednesday night:
- Referee: Joe Dickerson
- Assistant Referee 1: Kevin Klinger
- Assistant Referee 2: Kali Smith
- Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauiziere
- VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
- Assistant VAR: Mike Kampmeinert
Columbus Crew overall record vs Nashville SC
The Crew are 3-2-3 overall against Nashville SC.
How to listen to Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC radio broadcast
The Crew vs. Nashville English-speaking radio broadcast will be on Alt 105.7 FM and available via the iHeartRadio app. Columbus’ regular radio broadcaster Chris Doran will be on the call.
The Spanish radio broadcast can be found on La Grande 102.5 FM and the La Grande radio app with Juan Valladares doing play-by-play.
Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC streaming information
The Crew-Nashville match will be available on Apple TV, but to watch, an MLS Season Pass subscription is required. Here are the broadcast teams for tonight:
- English broadcast: Steve Cangialosi (play-by-play), Danny Higginbotham (analyst)
- Spanish broadcast: Jorge Perez-Navarro (play-by-play), Marcelo Balboa (analyst)
When is the Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC match?
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 3 at Lower.com Field.