Columbus will play the second leg of its Eastern Conference semifinal with New England in a less-than-ideal situation Sunday night. After the Revolution won the first leg in Columbus 4-2, the Crew face unlikely, but not insurmountable, odds.

The simplest way for Columbus to advance to the conference final is to win by at least three goals. The Crew did just that in its season opener, winning 3-0 at the East’s eventual regular-season champion D.C. United; they also had three wins by the same margin at home. Columbus could also advance with a two-goal win, but because of the away-goal rule, the score would need to be 5-3, 6-4, etc.

This is the fifth match of 2014 between Columbus and New England, with the Crew taking the first two matches, but the Revolution have won the last two meetings, including the first leg last Saturday. If Gregg Berhalter & company are going to advance to the East final, they’ll likely need a quick start, particularly from the two leading scorers, Federico Higuain and Ethan Finlay. Justin Meram, who found the net in the first leg, will also be viewed as a key factor in the Crew’s fortunes.

This is the third professional sports team from Columbus to make a postseason in 2014. The Blue Jackets and the Clippers each lost in the first round of their respective playoffs, so can the Crew find better luck and move forward in the MLS playoffs? Leave a comment below on who you think will progress to the conference final.