The Columbus Crew have suddenly made this late run matter. They have won four of their last five matches and climbed to one point below the playoff line, turning a season that once looked lost into a live playoff chase with four games left for most teams.
That is why Toronto FC and Columbus meet with so much on the line this weekend. Toronto FC are level with eighth-place Red Bull New York and ninth-place Cincy after taking seven points from their last three matches, and they beat Red Bull New York 2-0 over the weekend with Josh Sargent, Djordje Mihailovic and Niklas Dorsch all in the starting lineup.
For Columbus, the surge has come after a year that included a fired first-year head coach, a season-ending injury to a Designated Player and a series of changes to a roster that had won multiple trophies. But the results now are what matter. The Crew’s last three wins came against Inter Miami, Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati, and they also beat CF Montréal during the run.
There has been resistance inside that progress. Columbus beat Charlotte 2-0 midweek before losing to FC Cincinnati, then were outshot 23-3 in that 2-0 win over FC Cincinnati. That is the kind of split that makes the playoff picture harder to read: the Crew are winning enough to climb, but not enough to make the margin comfortable.
Toronto FC’s own push carries a different edge. Their three Designated Players starting together against Red Bull New York has been rare this year, which helps explain why seven points from three matches has arrived only now. A healthier lineup has changed the look of their attack, and this weekend in Columbus is the kind of test that can decide whether that momentum holds.
The schedule leaves little room for either side to waste the points they have found. Toronto FC still have D.C. United, Atlanta and Philadelphia after Columbus, while the Crew’s critical match this weekend may play a deciding role in whether they reach the playoffs. The edge is thin, the table is crowded, and Columbus has gone from chasing relevance to needing one more step to make this surge count.
