COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew continued their late-season push for the MLS Cup Playoffs Saturday, defeating Toronto FC, 4-2, at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field behind two goals from defender Malte Amundsen.
Columbus (11-15-5, 38 points) scored twice in each half to build a commanding 4-0 lead before Toronto mounted a late comeback attempt. The victory moves the Crew ahead of Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings and provides three important points with just three regular-season matches remaining.
The Crew wasted little time taking control. Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing a pass from Mohamed Farsi into the upper-left corner. Santiago Rodríguez also contributed to the buildup.
Five minutes later, Amundsen doubled the lead, heading home a Dylan Chambost corner kick to give Columbus a 2-0 advantage. The Crew carried that lead into halftime after holding off several Toronto scoring opportunities.
Amundsen struck again just three minutes into the second half, finishing another corner kick from Chambost to extend the lead to 3-0. It was the defender's second goal of the match and his second from a set piece.
Columbus added its fourth goal in the 59th minute when Brooks Lennon finished a pass from Chambost, giving the midfielder his third assist of the afternoon. The goal appeared to put the match comfortably out of reach.
Toronto, however, wasn't finished. Dániel Sallói headed home a cross from Theo Corbeanu in the 69th minute to make it 4-1, and the Crew found themselves in trouble just one minute later.
Midfielder Sekou Bangoura received his second yellow card for a foul on Corbeanu, leaving Columbus to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
Toronto took advantage of the extra player, creating several scoring opportunities and forcing goalkeeper Patrick Schulte into multiple saves. Josh Sargent eventually cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 81st minute, finishing a shot into the bottom-left corner.
Despite the pressure, Columbus held on for the victory, extending its MLS winning streak to three matches following victories over Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati.
The performance was an impressive offensive response after Wednesday's disappointing U.S. Open Cup Final loss to St. Louis CITY SC. The Crew scored four times against Toronto after going 120 minutes without a goal in the Open Cup defeat.
Chambost's three assists and Amundsen's two goals highlighted the afternoon, while Columbus showed enough defensive resolve to preserve the lead despite playing shorthanded.
With three matches remaining, the Crew have given themselves a better opportunity to reach the postseason. Their recent improvement has come at an important time, although there is still work to do.
What's Next
Columbus travels to Texas on Wednesday, October 28, to face FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. The Crew will look to extend their three-match winning streak and continue climbing the Eastern Conference standings before returning home to face D.C. United on October 31.
