MONTRÉAL — The Columbus Crew spent the first half knocking on the door Saturday night.
Mohamed Farsi and Brais Méndez finally kicked it open after halftime.
Farsi broke a scoreless tie during the 57th minute before Méndez buried a spectacular free kick 11 minutes later, lifting Columbus to a 2-0 victory over CF Montréal at Stade Saputo.
The Crew improved to 7-14-5 and collected three valuable points during a season in which those have been considerably more difficult to find than anyone expected.
Columbus nearly grabbed the lead during the sixth minute. Santiago Rodríguez found space on the right side of the penalty area and struck the crossbar, giving Montréal an early warning of what was coming.
Méndez produced another dangerous opportunity two minutes later, but Efraín Morales blocked his shot from the center of the box. Anass Zaroury and Rodríguez also had attempts blocked as Columbus controlled the better scoring opportunities during the opening portion of the match.
Montréal gradually settled into the game and tested the Crew defense through Prince Owusu. Patrick Schulte saved Owusu’s attempt from the right side of the box during the 20th minute, while André Gomes and Taha Habroune blocked two more opportunities later in the half.
The match remained scoreless at halftime despite Columbus producing several promising attacks.
That finally changed during the 57th minute when Sean Zawadzki found Farsi moving forward on the right side of the penalty area, and the Crew defender drove a low right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner. The goal rewarded Columbus for its early pressure and gave the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Méndez doubled the lead during the 68th minute after Samuel Piette fouled Rodríguez outside the penalty area.
Standing in the left half-space, Méndez curled a left-footed free kick into the top-left corner. Sébastian Breza had little chance, and Columbus suddenly had complete control of the match.
Montréal attempted to respond but never seriously threatened the lead. Schulte saved Dante Sealy’s long-range effort during the 75th minute, while Steven Moreira and Eric Bailly produced important blocks during the closing stages.
Columbus finished with a 13-9 advantage in shots despite holding only 45.4 percent of the possession. The Crew placed three attempts on target, committed 11 fouls to Montréal’s 20 and repeatedly caught the hosts offside.
Schulte needed only two saves to record the clean sheet, but the relatively quiet statistical night reflected how well Columbus defended in front of him. Montréal generated several attempts, yet most were blocked before reaching the Crew goalkeeper.
The first half provided opportunities without a breakthrough. The second brought two excellent finishes and a composed defensive performance.
For a team trying to salvage something from a profoundly disappointing MLS season, it was precisely the kind of complete road victory Columbus needed.
What’s Next: Columbus returns to Lower.com Field to face Inter Miami on Sunday, September 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
