Blaise Mendez believes things can only get better for the Columbus Crew this season as they prepare to take on Inter Miami this weekend at Scotts Miracle Stadium.
The Crew kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Montreal in their last game, with second-half goals from Mohamed Falsi and Mendez sealing the victory for Columbus.
Laurent Courtois’ side are 13th in the Eastern Conference, six points behind ninth-placed FC Cincinnati, and their victory over Montreal ended a two-game losing streak.
Columbus will also host the U.S. Open Cup final on Oct. 21 against Western Conference high-flying St. Louis City.
Mendes has scored three goals in nine MLS games since signing a three-year contract with Columbus in July, including a stunning free-kick against Montreal.
Mendes revealed that he is still adjusting to his new surroundings, but he believes that if Columbus can maintain their winning momentum, they will be excited at the end of the season.
“Everything is a process, everything takes time, especially for me, getting used to my teammates, the club, the culture, the hot weather in Columbus,” Mendez said.
“The humidity is different than in Spain. I feel better now and more connected to my teammates. I’m happy to be able to help the team and be here. Great things are going to come. I’m sure of that.”
“I knew the goalkeeper thought I was going to pass the ball and I knew I could catch him off guard.
“That’s why I tried to put the ball as far away from him as possible so he couldn’t reach the far post. I hit the ball well and I scored.”
A step in the right direction for our team pic.twitter.com/scu1pWNLUA
— Crew (@ColumbusCrew) September 20, 2026
Columbus will face Miami, third in the Eastern Conference, after drawing 2-2 with San Diego FC last weekend, with Anders Dreyer equalizing the score in the 82nd minute.
Lionel Messi canceled out Dreyer’s opener and Luis Suarez turned the game in Miami’s favor in the 74th minute but the Herons conceded shortly afterwards.
However, Christian Gonzalez will be without several starters, including Messi, who is preparing for Argentina’s final game against Benin on October 6.
German Berterame, Fricio Caicedo, Rodrigo De Paul, Lovend’s Delinois, Matias Galarza, Daniel Pinter, Alex Shaw and Dayne St. Clair are also on international duty in their respective countries, something Gonzalez said Miami must simply deal with.
“Yes, obviously in this situation. In such an important team, where we have national team players, we have to adapt,” Gonzalez said.
“I always say the same thing, when your team doesn’t have that length in terms of players, we have to find a way and try to put the best team together to go out there and win games.”
Players to watch
Columbus Crew – Brais Mendez
Mendes scored his second direct free kick goal and the Crew’s third goal of the year, after Columbus scored a regular-season direct free kick goal between 2023 and 2025.
He is the second Crewe player in the past decade to score multiple direct free-kick goals in a season, following Lucas Selarayan in 2021 and 2022.
Mendes makes it look easy
Brees’ strike isn’t over yet pic.twitter.com/58X8PD8sgX
— Crew (@ColumbusCrew) September 23, 2026
Inter Miami – Luis Suarez
Miami will have to get by without Messi, who has four goals in four career games against Columbus and a brace in October 2024 and May 2025.
But they have a capable deputy in Suarez, who has scored 13 goals in 22 appearances in MLS this season. He also contributed four goals (three goals, one assist) in four league games against Crew.
Match prediction: Inter Milan to win
Miami is undefeated in eight consecutive games against Columbus in the regular season (6 wins, 2 draws), with its last loss to the Crew coming in August 2022. It’s the longest unbeaten run in league history against a single opponent in the Herons’ history.
Since the end of the World Cup, Miami has won just one of eight regular-season games with Messi scoring a goal (D5, D2). Prior to this, they had only won 11 of the 46 league games in which Messi scored goals (35 wins, 8 losses, and 3 losses).
Columbus, meanwhile, won for the second time in nine games during the last regular season. The Crew have won just one straight league game since July 2025, beating the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union in April.
OPTA winning probability
Columbus Crew – 33.7%
Tie – 23.2%
Inter Miami – 43.1%