Columbus Crew SC took on Liga MX side Club Tijuana in a scrimmage on Thursday in Chula Vista, Calif., defeating the Mexican side 1-0. The match was Columbusā second preseason friendly of 2019, following Tuesdayās friendly against Japanese club Vissel Kobe, which ended in a scoreless draw.
The Black & Goldās first-half lineup featured two of its Crew SC Academy products in Alex Crognale and Aboubacar Keita, alongside current Crew SC Academy player Sebastian Berhalter. Despite being a tight affair, the Crew took the lead in the 44th minute and held on for the club's second shutout in as many preseason matches.
Crew SC featured an entirely different lineup in the second half, which included Luis Argudo and Robinho. The Columbus backline maintained its clean sheet in the second half to earn its first win and its second consecutive shutout of the 2019 preseason, bringing the Black & Goldās preseason record to 1-0-1 in 2019.
CREW SC FIRST HALF LINEUP:
Jon Kempin, Lalas Abubakar, Alex Crognale, Hector Jimenez, Aboubacar Keita, Connor Maloney, Sebastian Berhalter, Justin Donawa, Justin Meram, Edward Opoku, Patrick Mullins
CREW SC SECOND HALF LINEUP:
Joe Bendik, Harrison Afful, Jonathan Mensah, Gaston Sauro, Milton Valenzuela, Luis Argudo. Artur, Federico Higuain, Robinho, Pedro Santos, JJ Williams