New York Soccer Journal spoke with Patrick Murphy of Massive Report to learn more about the Columbus Crew, New York City FC's road opponent on Wednesday, July 22, the first MLS match for both teams following the league's break for the 2026 World Cup. Here is your NYCFC vs Columbus Crew preview.
• League Form: W-D-L-L-L
• Record: 4W, 4D, 7L | 16 points, 10th place in the Eastern Conference
• Scoring Leader: Diego Rossi, 6 goals
• Assist Leader: Max Arfsten, 4 assists
1. With Diego Rossi gone, vibes are low
New York Soccer Journal: Columbus Crew went into the World Cup break on a three-game undefeated streak in all competitions; two of those games were under new head coach Laurent Courtois. With the Crew playing for the first time in nearly two months after a positive end to the first half of the season, what’s the vibe amongst Columbus fans?
Patrick Murphy: I think most fans are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the club's prospects the rest of the season and what Courtois can accomplish. A lot of the supporters are pretty disappointed with how the season started and put more of the blame on the front office and general manager Issa Tall than former head coach Henrick Rydström. I think there's blame to go around.
