Columbus Crew SC played to a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park Saturday night. The Black & Gold earned their first point of the season, but were hoping for a more gratifying result. Let’s take a look at Saturday’s rivalry match by the numbers.
4
Saturday was an impressive performance by both clubs on the defensive end. Crew SC limited Chicago to only four total shots, including two that were blocked. That’s the least amount of shots the Fire have taken since August 16, 2014. Columbus tripled that amount with 12 shots, but only four were on frame. Both goalkeepers, Steve Clark and Matt Lampson, earned their first shutouts of the season.
18
As mentioned, defense was the highlight for both teams. The ball danced around the box on both ends, and the seemingly slippery sod led to several turnovers, but both Chicago and Crew SC kept a clean slate with 18 clearances a piece. The Black & Gold also made 18 tackles to keep the ball at their feet, compared to the Fire’s nine.
84
Columbus made its passes count and ensured they were connecting on the pitch. For the second time this season, Crew SC finished a match with 84 percent passing accuracy, with the first time coming in the season opener against Portland. The Black & Gold attempted 584 total passes at Toyota Park, 368 of which were in the attacking half.
100
Ethan Finlay reached the century mark against Chicago. When the first whistle blew in Bridgeview, Columbus’ right winger officially made his 100th regular-season appearance in Major League Soccer and for his team. Since signing his professional contract with the Crew SC in 2012, Finlay has made the Capital City his home and has proved himself an offensive threat in the League. Sixty-three of his 100 appearances came in the 2014 and 2015 regular seasons, including one in every Crew SC match last year (34).
