Interim boss seeks answers after Montreal blow

The Columbus Crew's interim boss Laurent Courtois is eager to see "how we respond collectively and individually" following a poor run of form that has left the club languishing in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Crew are winless in their last three MLS games after a 2-1 defeat to CF Montreal on Wednesday. Despite an impressive run in the Leagues Cup, where they have reached the quarter-finals, their recent domestic struggles have dragged them down the table.

"I learn a lot about people when they are having a struggle," Courtois said. "Are they going to step back or are they going to lose their minds? I apply this to myself. My general thought to them was, 'I'm disappointed – we all are – but there are a lot of games, and we're going to learn a lot about each other in the next few weeks because you guys are the best group I'll ever coach, the best players and the best people'. Now we faced back-to-back challenges. Let's see how we respond collectively and individually. We're going to apply what we say, which is let's adjust, let's reset and let's talk about options."

Stern test awaits against conference leaders

Columbus face a stern test next against Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC, who sit seven points clear at the top after following up an impressive win over Inter Miami with a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

Maxwell Woledzi scored the winner in stoppage time for Nashville against the Red Bulls, with Cristian Espinoza providing the decisive assist.

Players to watch

Nashville SC – Cristian Espinoza: Espinoza assisted Woledzi's winning goal, timed at 91:39, on Wednesday. It was his third assist in second-half stoppage time in 2026, tied with Pavel Bucha for the most this season and tying him for the most in an MLS season since Opta began detailed data tracking in 2010.

Columbus Crew – Brais Mendez: Two of Columbus' four goals in MLS play this month have come from own goals. One of the other two was scored by Mendez, who created a team-high two chances against Montreal last time out.

Opta verdict favours Nashville

Nashville have won their last two meetings with Columbus, including a 1–0 road victory on March 14. Following their 1-0 victory over NYRB in their 20th match of the season, Nashville have collected 46 points (W14 D4 L2) – tied for the most points through 20 league matches in a season in MLS history.

Columbus, meanwhile, mustered an expected goals (xG) value of just 0.31 in their 2-1 loss to Montreal – the Crew's second-lowest xG tally in any MLS match over the last five seasons, besting only their 0.22 xG against Nashville earlier this season in March.

Opta's win probability hands Nashville a 55% chance of victory, with a draw rated at 23.3% and a Columbus win at 21.7%.