It wasn't the 90 minutes that the Crew wanted at Red Bull Arena, but for one moment, forward Adam Bedell gave the Black & Gold something to be happy about.
His goal in the 39th minute not only leveled the match at the time, but also was his first in MLS – a cracking strike that was hit on the half-volley after a nice ball from Ethan Finlay. First goals are always special, and Bedell's was no exception, regardless of the final result.
"It was kind of a surprise getting in with Jairo [Arrieta] going down, but you have to be ready," said Bedell, who entered the match as a first-half substitute after Arrieta left due to injury. "I showed that I was. I got in there; a great through ball by Ethan, took it on the hop and it was lucky enough to go in. It feels great."
Amid the team's frustration, Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter also expressed that he was pleased to see his striker open his MLS account.
"It's great that he got off the mark and he got a goal," said the Crew boss. "He's a good finisher, and we need to keep creating opportunities for him because he can finish."
The ability to have a short memory is often crucial for a professional athlete, and although Bedell said that he intended to put tonight's overall club performance "out of his head," he surely will remember that goal for the rest of his life.
"It is a tough result, but I thought going forward we did create some really good chances," said the forward. "We just couldn't capitalize. Back to the drawing board; get back to training on Monday and work toward Wednesday."
Wednesday brings a new challenge for Bedell and his teammates: a return home to Crew Stadium to face defending champion Sporting Kansas City, as well as the start of four matches over the span of 11 days, including a friendly against Premier League side Crystal Palace.
"We have to focus on Kansas City on Wednesday here," said Bedell. "It has to be three points. We have to start making a push toward the playoffs. We focus on Wednesday against Kansas City and then we move from there."
