On Saturday night, the Columbus Crew looked like the Columbus Crew again.
Following last weekend’s pause, the Black & Gold returned to action and looked like the side that’s given opponents nightmares for years, as the Crew won, 2-1, on Saturday night against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Lower.com Field.
With the win, Columbus snapped a six-game unbeaten run against a Vancouver side that entered the game atop the Supporters’ Shield standings. Oh, and this was done with a slightly rotated squad in which two players made their first Crew starts of the season.
“Like I said before, we deserve more wins, but we didn't do it,” head coach Wilfried Nancy said after the win. “We did a good game, like the many games that we did, but we scored two goals and we defended better, also.
“I'm happy for the players because obviously they were not happy regarding the last game. The spirit and the intensity during practice was really up. Tonight, they showed that [the Inter Miami CF match] was an accident. They deserve that, and I'm really, really happy for them.”
The Black & Gold set the tone early with their fastest-ever home goal in the club’s history and the second-fastest ever in the regular season.
In pure Crew vintage fashion, the side built through the back, then found space along the right flank. From there, Lassi Lappalainen, making his first start for the side, dribbled along the end-line and played a cross into the area to Ibrahim Aliyu to one-time the ball toward the back post.
The goal was Aliyu’s second for Columbus of the campaign, and, yes, that goal was two wingbacks combining to score for the Crew.
(Quick note: Jonathan Mensah scored the fastest goal in team history back on May 28, 2022 against Atlanta United FC. That was 55 seconds into play.)
However, the visitors responded quickly, equalizing the match in the sixth minute. But the Crew recaptured the lead in the 23rd minute when Diego Rossi produced his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
Pressing up the pitch, the Crew forced the Whitecaps into a mistake. From there, Daniel Gazdag found an open Rossi atop the box to score the game-winner.
Three times in the second half, the home side put the ball into the net, but the goals were waved off due to offside decisions. Obviously, the club would prefer those goals to count, but Nancy said he was encouraged with the Crew’s ability to attack in different ways and convert chances.
“For sure. Also, the way we built the action, it was interesting the way we did it,” the Frenchman said. “It puts more doubt on the opposition like this. Again, good game tonight and against a good team, obviously.”
Beyond the Crew winning, the main takeaway from Saturday night was how the side did so. As mentioned earlier, two players made their first starts of the season and produced influential performances, while goalkeeper Evan Bush played in his first match since March 22 against New York City FC.
Amar Sejdić and Lappalainen recorded their first starts with the Crew. Sejdic registered 86 minutes played and completed 76 passes, registering a 98.7 passing accuracy percentage. In addition to the assist, Lappalainen completed 16 passes, registering an 88.9 passing accuracy percentage in 45 minutes of play.
With the win, Columbus has a 10-day break before returning to Lower.com Field on June 25 to host Atlanta United FC.
On Saturday night, the Crew entered the match needing a win against the league’s best team – based on standings. By the time the full-whistle chirped, it was clear the Black & Gold are still the dominating force they’ve always been in the league. Hopefully, that will continue.
“It was very important for us,” Gazdag said. “We've been struggling last month. So, it was a very important game for us, actually against a very good team. So, it's going to give us confidence for the future.”
