Caleb Porter's Columbus Crew Set to Face New England Revolution in MLS Eastern Conference Final on Sunday

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Caleb Porter's Columbus Crew set to face New England Revolution in MLS Eastern Conference final on Sunday

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL | 3 MONTHS AGO | 3 MINUTES, 46 SECONDS READ

The Major League Soccer Eastern Conference final Sunday at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus will feature several familiar faces for local soccer fans.

Former University of Akron men's soccer coach Caleb Porter and four players with connections to Summit County are set to be included in the action.

Porter will patrol the sidelines for the host Columbus Crew SC, which has a roster that includes former UA standout Darlington Nagbe and Copley High School and Cleveland State University product Josh Williams.

The third-seeded Crew will take to the pitch for a 3 p.m. kickoff against the eighth-seeded New England Revolution, which features former Zips stars Teal Bunbury and Scott Caldwell.

Although Porter said he does feel sentimental about seeing former UA players line up against his side, his main priority remains earning a win to advance to the 2020 MLS Cup.

"I try not to think about it too much, but there are times where I kind of reflect and go, 'These are my guys'," Porter said Saturday on a Zoom video.

"I want to win. I definitely don't want to lose to guys I know or guys I have coached. They know that. Scott and Teal know that. It is not like I am going to be hugging them up before the game, although I loved coaching them at Akron. I think they are great players, and I really appreciated coaching a lot of guys that have gone on to MLS."

Nagbe has appeared in 15 matches this season with 14 starts as a midfielder, and Williams has logged minutes in 12 matches with 11 starts as a defender.

"Josh was kind of a sweeper coming out of college and he has had a great career in this league," Porter said. "He is a real leader and is great on the ball. He is having, I think, one of the best years of his career. I told him that the other day.

"Darlington was a massive signing [for us in the offseason]. I know he has not done what LeBron James has done [by winning an NBA title in 2016 with the Cavaliers], but I kind of view that signing a little bit like when LeBron came back to Ohio. ... It is similar from the standpoint of championships. Darlington has won everywhere he has gone. He won at Akron, he won at Portland and he won at Atlanta."

Nagbe, who helped UA win the 2010 NCAA national championship, has contributed to two MLS Cup championships teams (the Portland Timbers in 2015 and the Atlanta United FC in 2018).

The Crew's leading scorers this season are Gyasi Zardes (12 goals), Pedro Santos (six goals) and Lucas Zelarayan (six goals).

Bunbury, a forward, is the Revolution's leading scorer with eight goals in 22 matches (19 starts). Adam Buksa has six goals for New England and Gustavo Bou has five goals.

"In studying them a lot since the playoffs started, I would say they're a very good team, one of the best teams in the league," Porter said. "I think the only thing that really has kept them from being a higher seed was [injuries]. ... Their front four is, I think, one of the best front fours in the league."

Caldwell, a midfielder, has played in 18 matches with 15 starts this season. He will forever be remembered in Zips soccer history for scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Louisville in the 2010 NCAA national final.

Path to Sunday The Crew's path to Sunday includes playoff wins over New York (3-2) and Nashville (2-0) this season, and the Revolution have earned tournament victories over Montreal (2-1), Philadelphia (2-0) and Orlando (3-1).

Admiration for Arena Porter also expressed his respect for Revolution second-year coach Bruce Arena, who has won a record five MLS Cup titles (1996, 1997, 2011, 2012 and 2014).

"Nobody is better than he is at navigating the playoffs," Porter said of Arena, who won five NCAA national championships in 18 seasons at the University of Virginia and was also the U.S. Men's National Team manager in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA Men's World Cups.

Porter described Arena as a "mentor" and "the best American coach ever." Arena's resume includes MLS records for regular-season wins (218) and playoff wins (35).

"He's a very experienced coach, especially in playoff soccer," said Zardes, who won an MLS Cup in 2014 with Arena and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"It'll be two of the best teams in the East playing against each other for the final."

Jacob Myers of the Columbus Dispatch contributed to this article. Michael Beaven can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.

CATEGORY: SPORTS TAGS: JOSH DUHAMEL MINNESOTA UNITED SCOTT CALDWELL OHIO COPLEY HIGH SCHOOL COLUMBUS CREW VS NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MONTREAL MADISON SQUARE GARDEN PEDRO SANTOS NEW ENGLAND VS COLUMBUS

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INFORMATION BOX

United StatesThe United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, 326 Indian reservations, and some minor possessions. [Wikipedia]

Darlington NagbeDarlington Joephillip Nagbe is an American soccer player who plays for Columbus Crew SC in Major League Soccer and the United States men's national soccer team as a midfielder. [Wikipedia]

Gustavo BouGustavo Leonardo Bou is an Argentinian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. In 2008 Bou began his professional career at the age of 18 with Diego Simeone's River Plate. During his career he has played in Argentina, Ecuador, and Mexico. [Wikipedia]

Cleveland State UniversityCleveland State University is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. [Wikipedia]

Summit CountySummit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,994. The county seat and largest town is Breckenridge. Summit County comprises the Breckenridge, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. [Wikipedia]

Joe NagbeJoe Thunder Armstrong Nagbe is a Liberian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has had at least ten years playing in Europe, starting off with Monaco then on to Nice. He played in Greece for three years. [Wikipedia]

Vanessa WilliamsVanessa Lynne Williams is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She initially gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984 in 1983. [Wikipedia]

PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, colloquially Philly, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous U.S. city, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,584,064. [Wikipedia]

BunburyBunbury is a coastal city in the Australian state of Western Australia, approximately 175 kilometres south of the state capital, Perth. It is the state's third-largest city after Perth and Mandurah, with a population of approximately 75,000. [Wikipedia]