(Photo credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images)

With nearly one-third of the schedule completed, the Columbus Crew and New York City FC find themselves in similar spots in a crowded Eastern Conference race.

Two teams with the identical records convene Sunday afternoon when the Columbus visits New York.

The Crew (3-5-3, 12 points) have scored more than two goals just once in their first 11 matches and are 3-2-1 in their past six matches since starting this season 0-3-2.

Columbus lost a two-goal lead after the 56th minute and took a 3-2 home loss to Minnesota United last weekend.

Taha Habroune scored in the 31st minute and Hugo Picard scored 25 minutes later before the collapse ensued. The Crew allowed a pair of goals off corner kicks in a seven-minute span and conceded the tiebreaking goal on a header in the 74th.

'We take steps, but you could also see -- that leads me into the second half -- that we are not by far done,' said Columbus coach Henrik Rydstrom. 'We have a lot of things we need to improve.'

NYCFC (3-5-3, 12 points) will also face the Crew in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match on May 20, but its first priority is stopping a seven-game winless skid in league play. NYCFC is 0-5-2 since starting 3-0-1.

Rydstrom's team has been outscored 15-8 in its slide and has not scored since a goal by Talles Magno in the 79th minute of a 4-4 draw with FC Cincinnati on April 22.

NYCFC followed up a 1-0 loss to Montreal on April 25 with a 2-0 setback to visiting DC United last weekend.

Magno did not play last week due to a calf injury, putting Malachi Jones in the starting lineup for the first time since breaking his leg in June 2024. Magno will be out for several weeks, and Jones will get a long look in the starting XI.

'I'm going to have to take them more often, and that's part of finding my boots again,' Jones said. 'Putting the team on my back a little bit and saying, 'I will go get us a goal if needed.' For me coming back, those are moments I got to take of care of and put away, because that's the standard that I have for myself.'

--Field Level Media