OBETZ, Ohio – For Columbus Crew SC, the reward for pulling an improbable playoff upset on the road comes three days later in the form of the first of two games against the team that just logged the best regular season in MLS history.
Columbus host the New York Red Bulls Sunday in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals after their penalty-shootout win over D.C. United Thursday. And in their familiar underdog role, Crew SC know they have their work cut out for them.
“They broke the record for most points in a season, so what are we talking about?” head coach Gregg Berhalter said at training Friday. “Last year, you guys were talking about Toronto as the greatest team ever in the history of MLS. Now, Red Bull has broken that record. So why aren’t you guys telling me that’s the greatest team of all time? By points, it is. So it’s going to be a tough game, a tough series.”
That doesn’t mean Columbus are shying away from the challenge, however.
Federico Higuain said he and his teammates love this time of year and having the opportunity to play against the best teams.
“We look at the next game with a big [opportunity] to play the best team in this league,” he said. “Red Bulls are an amazing team. We respect them; we know they respect us. It’s going to be another nice game to play.”
But Higuain and other members of Crew SC will have to overcome the wear of the least week. The 34-year-old Higuain and most Columbus starters played 120 minutes on the road Thursday, and played a tight 3-2 game against Minnesota United just four days earlier.
On top of the difficult turnaround, Columbus are unlikely to have Designated Player winger Pedro Santos available after the winger took studs straight to his ankle and had to come out of Thursday’s the game in extra time.
“We can’t change it,” Berhalter said of the circumstances. “We have to deal with it. And we will. … It’s just part of it.”
Crew SC players aren’t making excuses, and filled with confidence after Thursday’s win, they believe in the momentum they’ve generated.
“We’ve had a lot of adversity to deal with, and I think we’ve shown that we’re strong, mentally and physically,” Zack Steffen said. “This is the best time of year, and we all love it.”
Berhalter has always made his regard for RBNY clear, and said he and his team relish the opportunity to test themselves against the class of MLS.
“It’s a good team; you always want to play against good teams,” he said. “You always want to test yourselves against quality opponents. They always present something that challenges us, and it forces us to try to find solutions. That’s what it becomes. I have a lot of respect for what Jesse [Marsch] built there, and now what Chris [Armas] is doing. We think it’s going to be a difficult series.”
