FC Cincinnati โHosts Columbus โCrew in Decisive Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Game 3
CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati will host the Columbus Crew on Saturday in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinal.โค The series is tied 1-1 after Columbus wonโ Game 1 and Cincinnatiโ secured โคa victory on the road โขin Game 2.
The Crew’sโข lineup faces challenges with key players recovering fromโฃ injury. Forward Diego rossi, who โled the team with โค16 goals this season,โฃ played 75 minutes in Game 1 while continuing recovery from โคa hamstring injury that sidelined him forโ much โคof the regular โคseason’s final stretch. Designated Player striker Wessam Abou Ali โis out forโ approximately six weeksโ after sustaining a hairline โฃfracture in his right ankle during โฃaโค September โข20th match against Toronto FC,โค and will miss โขthis game,โ as confirmed by โขColumbus Head Coach wilfriedโ Nancy.
In the โabsence of Rossi and Ali,playersโฃ like jacen Russell-Rowe,Seanโ Zawadski,and Max Arfsten have stepped โฃinto larger roles,supported by veteran Darlington Nagbe. midfielder Dylan Chambost, who led the teamโข in โคminutes played โand assists (eight), has appeared in every match this season, โstarting 30 of 34.
Defensively, Steven Moreira has played 30 matches this season, loggingโ nearly 2500 minutes.Malte Amundsen hasโ been a key defender with Rudy Camacho, a 2024 MLS All-Star, recently making his first appearance โon the bench after being out for the season.
Columbus typically utilizes a 4-3-3โค formation with Nagbe as theโ central midfielder. Withโข Rossi and Ali unavailable, Russell-Rowe has โbeen starting as the central forward, flankedโค by Hugo Picardโข and lassi Lappalainen.
Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte,drafted ahead of the 2022 MLS โseason,has played 83 matches in three seasons,including 65 saves on 101 shots thisโฃ season,and recorded three clean sheets – both career lows.