As the game against Montreal came to a close at TQL last week, murmurs could be heard in the stands from those holding their phones and watching other outcomes unfold: we were destined to face Columbus.  When I composed the first article of the season in mid-February, could any of us have predicted how the season would play out and where we would stand now?  Maybe the outcome in the standings could have been foretold, but not the cast of characters. But where are the teams in their respective journeys?  Who will be available to play?

The Crew

Columbus finished the regular season with a clear and paced domination of New York Red Bulls, a team Cincinnati had just visited the week prior, claiming a perilous 1 – 0 victory themselves on a 12th-minute goal by Kévin Denkey.  Those two outcomes against New York are likely to be pored over by the respective coaching staffs.  Like Cincinnati, Columbus is benefiting from player transfer activity throughout the season, with names like Wessam Abou Ali (acquired 7/26), Dániel Gazdag (4/11), and Ibrahim Aliyu (4/23) appearing in the scoring column in the closing frame of the regular season.  However,...