The Crew’s Designated Player’s main talent lies in his ability to attack crosses with his head, which could cause problems for the Impact, who have had trouble defending on set-pieces this year.
As the Impact entered their playoff home-and-away series against the Columbus Crew in last year's Eastern Conference Semi-Final, the mood was positive for the bleu-blanc-noir. Having just thoroughly dominated their fiercest rivals, Toronto FC, in the knockout round, many fans were already previewing a Conference Final against the New York Red Bulls.
The Crew, after all, were seen by many as an inferior team to TFC, regardless of their higher place in the standings.