Columbus Crew SC had a down year in 2016, but the 2015 MLS Cup finalists have looked their old selves in the early stages of the 2017 season.

These two clubs are no strangers, and despite some new faces in the lineup, Toronto FC can expect more of the same from their Trillium Cup rivals this Saturday night in Ohio.

Formation– 4-2-3-1

Head coach Gregg Berhalter runs one of the more preferred formations in MLS, giving Columbus a nice balance throughout the park.

Their midfield is their strength with legitimate goal-scoring threats Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram out wide, Federico Higuain as their central playmaking option, and Ola Kamara as the prototypical number nine up top.

Especially at home, expect the Crew to put their stamp on the game through the battle for possession as they look to pick apart the TFC defense.

Key Player – Wil Trapp

Still just 24-years-old, Trapp is only getting better as he enters his fifth season in MLS. The twice-capped American international is coming off an All-Star campaign in 2016 that saw him truly shine as the metronome of the Columbus midfield.

Trapp has been amongst the busiest players in the league through six games, averaging the most passes per game (78.3) with Michael Bradley close behind (75.4).

His ability to not only stymie opposition attacks but also spring the counter the other way has made him an invaluable piece to the Crew. TFC will have to slow him down in order to take anything away from Saturday’s match.

Coach’s Quotebook

Greg Vanney: “They love to have the ball, they want to try to get you to spread out and play between you with their movement and rotations. Defensively, they’ve committed to getting closer together in their transition and minimizing the space for the opposition.

“They’ll be organized. It’ll be important for us to stay together as a group.”