Columbus Crew dropped a 1-0 decision at Inter Miami CF, who continued their push up the MLS standings in their search for a playoff spot, grabbing a tense win at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday evening.
The win was Miami’s fourth in five outings as they ran their unbeaten streak to five matches while winning their fifth straight at home. They are now two points behind 7th-place D.C. United in the Eastern Conference standings. Columbus has lost back-to-back matches and dropped to 10th place, three spots back of an MLS Cup Playoffs spot.
Miami took the lead just after the 15-minute mark, as Gonzalo Higuain pounced on a poor Columbus giveaway and chipped it past the goal line to make it a 1-0 contest. Both teams had a sight of goal throughout the first half, but the match remained where it was at referee Alan Kelly’s halftime whistle.
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Columbus began to grow into the game in the second half as they sought an equalizer that would give them their first non-losing result on the road in a while.
They had a glorious chance to put themselves back on level terms with less than 10 minutes remaining but were denied by a lunging Nick Marsman as the Dutchman preserved the clean sheet. Marsman was called upon again in stoppage time but passed yet another test as he stopped a laser of a shot from Luis Diaz.
And the Crew never found the back of the net as Miami saw out their slim lead to make it a third clean sheet in as many games.
It's a quick turnaround for Columbus, as the Black & Gold return home on Tuesday, September 14 to host the New York Red Bulls at 7:30 p.m. ET.
