TOP STORIES MENU 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 EXTERNAL RELATED NEWS NEWS IN SPORTS CATEGORY Former UNLV teammate on Kevin Kruger: 'He's Lon, Part 2' LAS VEGAS SUN • 12 MINUTES AGO Former UNLV teammate on Kevin Kruger: ‘He’s Lon, Part 2’When it comes to the subject of new UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger, there may not be anyone (aside from his father, of course) who has seen him from as many different angles as Curtis Terry. “I think Kevin is the right guy and has the right makeup not just to lead UNLV basketball but to lead a basketball program. “In a way he reminded me of coach [Lon] Kruger,” Terry said. “Honestly, I think he’s going to be Lon Kruger part two,” Terry said. I think he’s very meticulous in his preparation, like Lon is. Category: Sports Tags: Kevin Kruger Curtis Terry Francois Gary Sanchez is ready to wash off the stink of 2020: 'You gotta leave that in the past' THE MORNING CALL • 19 MINUTES AGO “Possibly before (spring training is) out, but it’s not imminent,” Boone said of Andujar returning to Grapefruit League action. “He is doing better, dealing with just the soreness and nerve inflammation in there that has seemingly got a little bit better each and every day. He’s been on the field doing defensive work without throwing though, the last couple of days. He’s not hitting yet. So, having now been down probably at least a week, if it leaks into a few more days and you got to have a little bit of a ramp up for him. Category: Sports Tags: Gary Sánchez March Madness live: 2021 NCAA Tournament basketball scores, bracket updates for Round 2 on Monday CBSSPORTS.COM • 32 MINUTES AGO 1 Gonzaga improved to 28-0 and advanced to the Sweet 16 by beating No. But the Zags blasted OU late behind a career-high 30 points from Drew Timme, securing its 27th double-digit victory of the season. For the Bulldogs, the win awards them their sixth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. 14 seed Abilene Christian, the Bruins became the fourth double-digit seed to advance to the Sweet 16. All times Eastern2021 NCAA Tournament TV scheduleCBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every second round game on Sunday. Category: Sports Tags: Isaiah Livers Chaundee Brown livers injury twitter isaiah livers injury status isaiah livers michigan injury isaiah livers michigan injury update Tsineke leads South Florida past Washington State 57-53 YAHOO SPORTS • 36 MINUTES AGO “They just made a couple more game winning plays at the end,” Washington State coach Kamie Ethridge said. Washington State pulled even by the end of the third quarter, not by shooting well but by limiting South Florida to three baskets and seven points. “You’re up nine and we knew they weren’t going to go away,” South Florida coach Jose Fernandez said. But that record included four big Pac-12 wins over UCLA, Arizona and Oregon State twice, elevating Washington State to the No. Tsineke leads South Florida past Washington State 57-53 originally appeared on NBCSports.com Category: Sports Tags: Mary Camille Ethridge José Fernández Bulldogs open CBI play Monday vs. Coastal Carolina THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL • 1 HOUR AGO Bryant was invited to take part in the College Basketball Invitational for the second time in program history and tips with Coastal Carolina in Daytona Beach, Florida. Coastal Carolina was bidding for a first NCAA appearance since making back-to-back trips in 2014 and 2015. ; PPG; RPG; Coastal Carolina; Ht. Coastal Carolina fell, 64-61, largely thanks to a 3-for-20 finish from 3-point range and 22 turnovers against just 11 assists. ... Coastal Carolina plays top-45 defense against opposing shooters from both 2-point range and 3-point range. Category: Sports Tags: Northeast Conference Daytona Beach Belt Fairleigh Dickinson University Bill Koch 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.