This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sandy • Despite the remaining sting of losing an MLS Cup final at home last December, the Columbus Crew entered the 2016 season set for the long haul. With an ideal blend of burgeoning young talent and high-profile veterans, the road to the Eastern Conference crown seemed destined to once again go through Mapfre Stadium.

At least it seemed that way in early March.

Since then, the Crew have endured a lackluster, injury-filled, controversial first three months to its campaign. That was punctuated by an on-the-field dust-up between striker Kei Kamara and attacking midfielder Federico Higuain over a penalty kick two weeks ago. Afterward, Kamara bluntly voiced his displeasure with the situation to the media.

Five days later, Kamara was traded to the New England Revolution in a deadline deal that sent away from Columbus a striker who buried 27 goals in 41 appearances with the Crew. Kamara's exit still looms over a team that is 2-4-5 and sits a mere point ahead of the last-place team in the East, the Chicago Fire.

As the Crew adjust to life without their star forward, they'll also be without starters Harrison Afful (Ghana) and Cedrick Mabwati (Democratic Republic of Congo) who were called into national team duty. And on Monday, The Columbus Dispatch reported that center back Gaston Sauro would miss the next four months after suffering a torn knee ligament in the 0-0 draw at Toronto FC last weekend.

RSL (6-3-2, 20 points) gets its lone crack at Columbus in 2016 Saturday night at Mapfre Stadium at 5:30 p.m.

"They haven't had some good results as of late, they've had some issues in the team and whatnot, but they're still a capable team," right back Tony Beltran said. "This is a team that got to the MLS Cup final last year, and for good reason. I expect them to be dangerous and also I expect them to be very hungry."

The Crew will have dynamic wingers Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram featured alongside Higuain, who RSL coach Jeff Cassar singled out as a starting point to the club's gameplan.

"We have to be defensively sound," Cassar said. "It's another team that we think we can get at, and the chances will show themselves, for sure. It's what we do with them."

Trips to Columbus haven't been fruitful for RSL. The club is 1-7-1 all time on the road against the Crew.

Staying East

Once RSL wraps up its fourth match of this five-game-long road trip Saturday night in Columbus, the team will travel to New York City Sunday rather than return home. The final match of the six-week trek is at New York City FC next Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. Cassar and the staff decided last month that it didn't make sense to fly back to Salt Lake City for one or two days, only to have to hop on another cross-country flight.

RSL will stay and train in New York City next week in preparation for the club's first-ever match in the Bronx.

"There's positives and negatives to it," Beltran said. "But when you're going to string two East Coast games together, it makes sense. We'll get them both out of the way, I'm totally fine with that. Thankfully, we don't have to wait a full week until the next game."

The club's next match will be its fourth-round match-up in the U.S. Open Cup tournament on the newly-installed grass field at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday, June 14. RSL will face either the Wilmington Hammerheads or Miami FC.

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew

P Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

TV • KMYU