The Crew last night tied Toronto FC 0-0 before 21,289 "vocal and banner-waving fans" at Mapfre Stadium in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference final. The second and deciding leg will be played Nov. 29 at BMO Field (
COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/22). With Crew Chair
Anthony Precourt still planning to move the team to Austin, chants of "F*** Precourt" started "before the match and continued sporadically" (
THEATHLETIC.com, 11/22). The Western Conference final's first leg featuring Sounders-Dynamo drew a "record crowd of 22,661" to BBVA Compass Stadium. The Sounders won 2-0, with the second leg slated for CenturyLink Field on Nov. 30 (
HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/22).
Meanwhile, the Abbott property in downtown Columbus is "off the table as a possible site" for a new Crew stadium, "not that it was ever really on the table." Columbus Foundation President & CEO Doug Kridler had "pitched a series of ideas that included building a 21,000-seat soccer stadium on 17 acres," but he "never talked to Abbott officials about his idea" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/22).
