Columbus Crew SC announced plans on Monday to expand MAPFRE Stadium’s capacity ahead of the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday (5 pm ET; ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLS LIVE), with a sellout rapidly approaching.
“As of this afternoon, all of MAPFRE Stadium’s lower level is already sold out and as such, the Black & Gold are adding temporary general-admission bleacher seating on MAPFRE Stadium’s stage on the north side of the venue to accommodate extra supporters,” explained the club in a statement. “The majority of the upper-level seats for the match are already sold out.”
The seating for the Nordecke, Crew SC's main supporters' group section, will also be expanded to include the entirety of Section 102, which has already sold out.
Columbus also announced that the stadium will offer a half-off discount on all beers in the first half for supporters aged 21 and over on Sunday.
Crew SC's first home postseason match this year, the second leg of their Conference Semifinal matchup against the Montreal Impact on November 8, drew 19,026 supporters, Columbus' second-largest home postseason crowd in venue history and its largest since September 22, 2001. This weekend's match marks Crew SC's sixth trip to the Eastern Conference Championship, and their first since 2008.
