Brais Mendez believes things will only get better for the Columbus Crew this season as they prepare to welcome Inter Miami to the ScottsMiracle-Gro Field this weekend. 

The Crew kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win over CF Montreal last time out, with second-half goals from Mohamed Farsi and Mendez sealing the win for Columbus.

Laurent Courtois' side are 13th in the Eastern Conference and six points adrift of FC Cincinnati in ninth, while their win against Montreal ended a two-game losing stretch. 

Columbus also have the US Open Cup final to look forward to on October 21, with Western Conference high-flyers St. Louis City SC their opponents in the showpiece match. 

Since signing a three-year deal with Columbus in July, Mendez has scored three times in nine MLS appearances, including a brilliant free-kick against Montreal. 

Mendez revealed he was still adjusting to his new surroundings, but he believes Columbus are in for an exciting end to the season if they can maintain their winning momentum. 

"Everything is a process, and everything needs its time, especially for me to adapt to my team-mates, the club, the culture, the hot weather of Columbus," Mendez said.

"The humidity is different to Spain's. I feel better now and more connected to my team-mates. I am very happy to help the team and be here. Big things will come. I am sure of it."

"I knew that the goalkeeper thought that I was going to cross the ball, I knew I could catch him by surprise.

"That's why I tried to place it as far as possible from him so he would not be able to reach it at the far post. I hit it well and I scored."

Columbus come up against a Miami team that are third in the East following a 2-2 draw with San Diego FC last weekend, with Anders Dreyer netting an 82nd-minute equaliser. 

Lionel Messi had cancelled out Dreyer's opener, with Luis Suarez then turning the contest in Miami's favour in the 74th minute, only for the Herons to concede shortly afterwards. 

Cristian Gonzalez will, however, be without several of his starting players, including Messi, who is preparing for his final match for Argentina 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 with their respective nations, something Gonzalez said Miami must simply deal with. 

"Yes, obviously in this kind of situation. Being in such an important team, we have national team players, and we have to adapt," Gonzalez said. 

"I always say the same thing, when you have a squad that is not so prolonged in terms of players, we have to find a way and try to put together the best team to go there and win the game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbus Crew – Brais Mendez

Mendez scored his second direct free-kick goal, and the Crew's third of the year, after Columbus had scored one regular-season direct free-kick goal from 2023 to 2025. 

He is the second Crew player in the last decade with multiple direct free-kick goals in a season, after Lucas Zelarayan in 2021 and 2022.

Inter Miami – Luis Suarez

Miami will have to make do without Messi, who has four goals in four career matches against Columbus, recording braces in both October 2024 and May 2025.

But they have a capable deputy in Suarez, who has 13 goals in 22 MLS appearances this season. He also has four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) in four league matches against the Crew. 

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Miami are unbeaten in eight straight regular-season matches against Columbus (W6 D2), last losing to the Crew in August 2022. This is the Herons' longest unbeaten run against a single opponent in league play in club history.

Since returning from the World Cup break, Miami have won just one of the eight regular-season matches in which Messi has contributed to a goal (D5 L2). Prior to this, they had failed to win just 11 times in 46 league matches in which Messi had a goal involvement (W35 D8 L3).

Columbus, meanwhile, won for just the second time in nine regular-season matches last time out. The Crew have just one set of consecutive league wins since July 2025, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy and Philadelphia Union in April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 33.7%

Draw – 23.2%

Inter Miami – 43.1%