The Seattle Sounders will take on Columbus Crew SC in their final match of the Carolina Challenge Cup on Saturday, Feb. 25. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the match:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. PT at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be live-streamed on SoundersFC.com.
HISTORY: The Sounders are 5-3-3 all time against Crew SC.
LAST MEETING: The Sounders won 1-0 on April 30 last season in their only regular-season meeting. Jordan Morris scored the game-winner in the 88th minute.
CREW SC 2016 FINISH: 9th in the Eastern Conference (36 points)
CAROLINA CHALLENGE CUP RESULTS: Seattle: 1 point (0-1-1); Crew SC: 4 points (1-0-1)
NEW SPONSOR: On Friday, Crew SC announced a three-year sponsorship deal with automaker Acura. It is the largest annual commercial transaction in club history.
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT: Crew SC will host German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in a friendly on July 17, a little more than a week after the Sounders host Frankfurt at CenturyLink Field.
RETURN OF THE BANANA KIT: Crew SC unveiled their new 2017 uniforms on Friday and have returned to their traditional head-to-toe gold look as their primary kit. Over 15 years ago, Crew SC broadcaster Dwight Burgess dubbed the all-gold look as “the banana kit” and the name stuck. After a few appearances last season, the kit is back in 2017.
CREW SC PLAYERS TO WATCH:
- Federico Higuain: The 32-year-old Argentine playmaker is entering his sixth season with Crew SC after storming onto the Major League Soccer scene as a midseason signing in 2012. Higuain, the older brother of Juventus forward Gonzalo, has recorded 39 goals and 35 assists in 123 regular-season matches.
- Ola Kamara: The Norwegian international forward joined Crew SC last season and was a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year. He scored 16 goals and added two assists in 25 games after joining Columbus from Norway’s Molde FK.
- Wil Trapp: A Crew SC Homegrown Player, Trapp is entering his fifth professional season at just 24 years old. The center midfielder logged over 2,500 minutes in 30 games last season for Columbus and should be another key factor in the middle of the park in 2017.
