Impact-Crew Preview

The Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Impact are returning to where their season ended a year ago.

They were knocked out of the MLS playoffs by the Columbus Crew and return to Ohio for the first time since that dramatic series Saturday night.

Montreal (4-3-2) won the first leg of last year's playoff series 2-1 at home. That set the stage for a dramatic second leg in Columbus, with the Crew tying the aggregate score in the 77th minute at 3-3 on a goal by Ethan Finlay and winning it in the 111th on Kei Kamara's second goal of the match.

The Impact earned a measure of revenge April 9 at home with a 2-0 victory on goals by Hassoun Camara and Kyle Bekker. They won despite playing without injured star striker Didier Drogba, who may have something to prove since he was held without a goal in last year's playoff series.

Drogba is healthy now and has started the last three matches - in an eight-day span - but Montreal went 0-1-2. That stretch was capped by last Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Colorado, as Drogba and Maxim Tissot scored for the Impact.

"We have to pull ourselves together," defender Wandrille Lefevre told the club's official website. "But a good challenge awaits next week, and we've already gone and won points on the road."

The Impact are 2-2-1 on the road, although they are 1-6-0 all-time at Columbus.

This matchup features Argentine stars Ignacio Piatti of Montreal and Federico Higuain of Columbus. Piatti leads the Impact with four goals to go with two assists.

"I know him, he is a very good player, maybe one of the best players in this league," Higuain said. "I hope we are ready to stop him and the rest of the guys with Montreal."

Higuain is more of a playmaker than a scorer, although he has no goals in his last seven matches. He came up empty on four shots in last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Seattle, and Columbus (2-4-2) doesn't want him to lose his confidence.

"In soccer sometimes you make them, sometimes you miss them so it's not getting too down, keep focusing on the next opportunity that you get," coach Gregg Berhalter said.

Crew top scorer Kamara has three goals and his status is unclear due to a knee injury.

Montreal's back line is in disarray since defenders Camara and Donny Toia will miss a second straight match with hamstring injuries.