Crew sets sights on improving seed

Last August, after a decisive 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy, an excited coach Gregg Berhalter told his team to “keep climbing.”

“We look up from now on,” he said during a speech in the Crew locker room.

The Crew ascended for the rest of the season, going 4-0-3 to comfortably qualify for the MLS playoffs and finish within a goal of claiming the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Sitting fourth in the East with an 11-8-7 record, the team has set a similar goal in 2018 of climbing in the standings between now and its Oct. 28 regularseason finale.

“I think the stage we’re in right now, we want to try to attack the top, whatever that means. Atlanta’s pretty New York City FC at Crew SC When: 8 p.m. Saturday TV: Ch. 53, Spectrum Sports Radio: WWCD-FM (102.5)

far ahead, but if we can go after spots ahead of us, it’ll be great,” Berhalter said. “We have eight games left and there’s 24 points on the table, and we want to try to attack the top and it starts on Saturday.”

A Saturday visit from third-place New York City FC (14-66) carries additional weight because a win represents a potential six-point swing — three points earned by Crew SC, three not earned by NYCFC — and because it’s the Crew’s final game this season against a top-three Eastern Conference team.

“They’re above us and we want to get into that second, third position, so it’s a team we have to catch and it’s one of those six-point types of games where you can really make up ground,” midfielder and captain Wil Trapp said.

In its first five games against top-three Eastern Conference opponents — Atlanta United, the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC — Crew SC is 1-3-1 but has been competitive in every game except a 2-0 home loss to Atlanta United. The Crew outplayed New York City for much of their first meeting, on July 14, before allowing two goals in the last 10 minutes of a 2-0 loss.

Berhalter said how the Crew hurt NYCFC and created chances is something to consider in preparing for Saturday’s game, but those thoughts are balanced by New York playing the July 14 game on short rest and without key players such as David Villa and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.

“We’re going to take in all the information but we’re going to be confident going into the game because it’s a home game, we’re good at home and we’re excited to play New York City,” he said.

The 2018 Crew is likely to make the playoffs, but a higher seeding could significantly help its chances to advance once it gets there. Saturday is the team’s last opportunity to have a direct impact on its climb.

“That message we’ll make clear to the group,” Berhalter said. “We’ve already talked about it but it’s a good point. It won’t be in our hands anymore after Saturday.”