Vive la Créwvolution. That’s what the tifo read when the Black & Gold walked onto the Lower.com Field pitch for the first time in 2023, and that’s what we’re witnessing in the Ohio capital.
The Crew, fresh off a 6-1 win last weekend, battered Real Salt Lake, 4-0, on Saturday night, giving the club its second-straight win for the first time since 2021. It was another inspiring, youthful performance that reiterating the Club’s growing confidence, head coach Wilfried Nancy said after the game.
“I would say that my players, they are confident,” Nancy said. “They know that we train every day to attack the box and to also control the momentum. Listen, I'm really proud of the fact that this is not only the forwards, it could be also the midfielders or fullback or wingbacks or everyone, so I'm really happy for that, because the way we want to play, I like when everybody can score.
“Again, this is something that we repeat on the pitch and for the moment, everything on the attacking side is really good so hopefully it’s going to keep going like this.”
Aidan Morris produced the breakthrough 14 minutes into the match when he buried the ball to the back post from a delightful Lucas Zelarayán backheel.
Zelarayán, who returned to the lineup after missing the Atlanta United FC match on international duty, then scored a goal of his own in the 41st minute when he converted his penalty to double the Columbus lead.
Morris added another – his third in two games – in the 53rd minute when the Crew produced a well-worked attack down the left flank. Darlington Nagbe, having worked a one-two with Zelarayán offered a shot at goal, but RSL’s 17-year-old goalkeeper Gavin Beavers parried and Morris tucked the ball into the net.
Second-half substitute Yaw Yeboah added the Crew’s final goal in the 93rd minute when he rounded Beavers after Jacen Russell-Rowe and Max Arfsten got through the backline and left the ball for the Ghanaian winger to score his first MLS goal.
“This is something that every day in every way, we push the players for that, to control, to stay on the task,” Nancy said of players playing aggressively the full match. “All the time and again, they've been really good at that in the terms of (they) don’t think about the score, (they) think about what we have to do offensively and defensively.”
Speaking of defensive efforts, the Crew produced a second clean sheet at Lower.com Field this season, and goalkeeper Patrick Schulte earned his first shutout in MLS.
“It feels amazing,” Schulte said. “Obviously, you play every game with that as your goal as the ‘keeper, to keep the clean sheet, help your team, give your team the best chance to win.”
With the three points, Columbus is now fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with 10 points from the opening six matches. Up next is a rematch with D.C. United on Saturday night at Audi Field. The Crew won, 2-0, when they met on March 4 at Lower.com Field.
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