Picture Credits: Columbus Crew
The Black and Gold looked to get back to winning ways after their nine-match unbeaten streak was snapped Wednesday night against Montreal. After another lengthy weather delay midweek, the Crew conceded two goals in the final eight minutes of the match against Montreal to drop the game 2-1.
Saturday was their chance to right that wrong. And they would do just that.
It would not start pretty. NYCFC would take the lead in the third minute after an NYCFC shot took a deflection off of Black and Gold captain Jonathon Mensah, and into the Columbus net.
A mere 17 minutes later, the Black and Gold would level the score through club-record signing Cucho Hernandez.
That is when the match would get interesting.
In the 27th minute, Black and Gold superstar Lucas Zelerayan would give Columbus their first lead of the match. A rare mistake from NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson led to Luis Diaz having the ball at his feet. He played a square ball to Lucas, who hit a curling effort into the top corner.
The score would remain that way through the end of the half.
Almost 20 minutes after the break, NYCFC's Gabriel Pereira would level the score with another deflected shot. However, ten minutes later, Columbus midfielder Lucas Zelerayan would give the Black and Gold the lead for good.
Takeaways
This May Be The Win They Needed
This may confuse some people. Yes, the Black and Gold were on a nine-match unbeaten streak before the Montreal loss. But, they have not beaten a team of NYCFC's quality. This may be the best win of the season for the Crew, and one that may just put them on the right path for the rest of the season.
Eloy Room Is Worth His Contract
For some reason, Eloy Room has constantly been criticized this season. A few times may have been warranted. But for a majority of the Black and Gold's matches this season, Eloy Room has bailed them out a number of times. This match was no different. He was not able to do anything on the two deflected goals, but he thwarted a number of NYCFC's attacks.
Man Of The Match
I think there can only be one answer here. Actually, you could make a case for another, but because Lucas had two goals and an assist, and was involved in all three goal involvements, he is the man of the match. The other could have been Eloy Room, as he had timely saves to keep the Black and Gold in the game.
What's Next
Next up for the Black and Gold is a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado for a matchup with former Crew striker Gyasi Zardes. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2019 when the Black and Gold lost to Colorado 3-2. Kickoff in Colorado is set for 9 p.m. EST.
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