Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy said he was pleased with his club’s performance in Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium.
While there were moments of attacking and defensive quality, the main takeaway is the Crew earned a precious point in a difficult environment to remain third in the Eastern Conference standings.
“I was pleased because the yes, this is 1-1 – we could have won this game and we had the clear chances – but I like also the attitude of my guys,” Nancy said afterward. “I really like it because it was hot, the pitch was not easy and the opposition was good. I liked the way we controlled the game offensively, but also defensively, we had moments that it was difficult, but I really enjoyed the resilience of my team tonight.”
The visitors nearly opened the scoring three minutes into the match when Diego Rossi rounded a defender, got through on goal and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper. Nkosi Tafari, who Rossi chipped, was able to recover with a goal-line clearance, however.
Tafari wasn’t so lucky later in the half, though. In the 24th minute, his own goal gave the Crew the breakthrough. Columbus lined up for a short corner. Rossi played a ball to Alexandru Matan, who offered a give-and-go that gave Rossi space on the endline. The Uruguayan played a low cross toward the 6-yard box, when Tafari’s clearance crept into his net.
FC Dallas produced the leveler in the 43rd minute, though, when USMNT forward Jesús Ferreira fired a cross toward Jáder Obrian to nod past Patrick Schulte.
In the second half, Columbus continued pressing for a second goal. The best opportunity came in the 66th minute as Cucho Hernández tried his luck with a low, long-range shot. The effort smashed the back post and bounced back into play – and away from the Dallas goal.
Defensively, the away side was kept quiet, as the Crew finished the three-match week with four points. Most importantly, the Black & Gold backline continued progressing and building momentum entering the final month of the season, center back Rudy Camacho said after the draw.
“We had a game in Orlando that was painful, and we learned about this game,” Camacho said. “I think we could win this game. We had a lot of opportunities and chances, but we were a bit unlucky. When you cannot win, you don’t have to lose. We stayed strong together. The attitude was good. The weather was a bit hot so it was difficult for us, but I think it's a good point on the road. Now, we're going to be focused on Philadelphia.”
The Crew’s next match is the biggest game of the season to date, as Columbus hosts Philadelphia Union on Saturday night at Lower.com Field. The Black & Gold are third in the Eastern Conference, while the Union sits fourth. A win for Columbus would offer breathing space as the season winds down. Including Saturday, only four matches remain in the regular season.
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