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Columbus Crew in dire straits ahead of MLS Cup final rematch with Seattle Sounders

The MLS resumes this weekend as Inter Miami attempt to continue their resurgence and Columbus Crew look to halt Western Conference leaders, Seattle Sounders.

Inter Miami Find Winning Touch

Inter Miami were last in action on Wednesday as Phil Neville's team rallied to beat Chicago Fire 3-2.

Indiana Vassilev, who is on loan from Aston Villa, found the back of the net in the 34th minute to open the scoring.

Fire hit back and led 2-1 at the break before Richie Robinson tied the game in the 62nd minute. The match was heading for a draw until Rodolfo Pizarro scored a dramatic winner, three minutes into stoppage time.

Inter Miami get to stay at home for the week as they welcome Toronto FC to South Florida on Saturday night. This will be the second ever meeting between the two clubs, with Toronto reigning supreme in the first thanks to a 2-1 win in November.

Gonzalo Higuain is what makes Miami go. The Argentine was involved in each of the last two goals on Tuesday and leads the Herons with eight goals and four assists this season.

Neville's squad has been more aggressive since adding Vassilev and Kieran Gibbs in the summer window, plus they've got Robinson, Pizarro, and Higuain back to full fitness..

According to Planer Sport Bet, Miami are Evs to win on Saturday. Toronto FC, meanwhile, are 23/10 while the draw is 11/4.

Crew Host Sounders in Title Rematch

In December, the Columbus Crew lifted the MLS Cup with a 3-0 home win over Seattle Sounders. Those teams meet again on Saturday in a nationally televised game, but the teams are headed in opposite directions.

MLS Golden Boot leader Raul Ruidiaz was on the mark again last Wednesday night with his fourth goal in three games as the Sounders won at FC Dallas.
While Seattle lead the Western Conference and have a +17 goal differential, this has been a disastrous summer for the Crew.
The club have lost five games in a row and if the season ended today, they would miss the playoffs and a chance to defend their title.

To make matters worse, they lost USMNT striker Gyasi Zardes to a first-half hamstring injury on Wednesday night. As a result, they were shut out and lost 1-0 for the second game in a row, this time at New York Red Bulls.

The Crew has scored more than one goal in a game just once since July 9. What's more, four of their last six goals have come through corner kicks or penalties.
Pedro Santos has three of those goals from the spot, but Lucas Zelarayan and Darlington Nagbe have been uncharacteristically quiet in recent affairs.

According to Planet Sport Bet, Crew are 11/8 to win at home. The Sounders, who have won three in a row on the road, are 2/1 while the draw is 23/10.

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