Written By Devin Weisbarth
Columbus is coming off a 3-2 Hell is Real Derby loss to FC Cincinnati Saturday evening. Before that, Columbus beat the LA Galaxy at Lower.com Field midweek, and will look to get their confidence back against USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
Last Round
Columbus beat USL side Loudoun United 5-1 in a game they dominated for 90 minutes. Isaiah Parente scored a brace, and Sean Zawadzki also got in on the action. Columbus outshot Loudoun 20-5, including 8-3 shots on target.
Pittsburgh comes into the Round of 16 on the heels of defeating MLS side New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium 1-0. Pittsburgh was outshot 12-10, but they outshot the MLS side 3-1 with shots on target. A 44th minute goal was the difference.
Last Results
FC Cincinnati 3-2 Columbus Crew
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-1 Las Vegas Lights
Head-to-Head
This will be the second ever meeting in a competitive match between these two sides, though they are regular pre-season opponents. Columbus beat Pittsburgh 1-0 in 2019, also in the U.S. Open Cup.
Injury Report
It’s the usual on the injury report. Milôs Degenek is out still, as are Kevin Molino and Josh Williams, though both are training and getting closer to returning. Luis Diaz and Will Sands are also both out.
Projected Starting XI
Expect a rotated squad from Wilfried Nancy. He has used this competition thus far to get young guys minutes, and to give minutes to guys who haven’t gotten much. I would, however, expect some of the first team guys to travel, just in case.
What to expect from Columbus
Coming off a rivalry week loss, expect the Black and Gold to bounce back. With young and fringe guys looking for MLS minutes, expect the guys to be ready to go. With the center back shortage, expect some of the first team guys to start as well.
Nancy will want to control the midfield and control the possession battle. If the Crew can do that, then they should not have a problem moving on to the quarterfinals.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds Scouting Report
Pittsburgh outshot the Lights 14-12 and scored on four of their five shots on target. They are having a decent start to their season and will look to knock out MLS opposition for the second straight round.
Game Information
WHO: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (4-5-2, 17 Points USL Championship) vs. Columbus Crew (5-3-5, 18 Points MLS)
WHERE: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WHEN: Wednesday, May 24, 7:00 PM ET
HOW TO WATCH: CBS Sports Golazo Network