COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew continued their impressive late-season turnaround Saturday afternoon, defeating D.C. United 3-0 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field for their fifth consecutive victory. The performance offered another example of the improvement that has carried Columbus back into playoff contention.
The Crew controlled 62 percent of possession, scored twice before halftime, and recorded their second consecutive clean sheet. They also created scoring opportunities in different ways, something that has become a key component of their recent success.
Dylan Chambost was once again central to the attack. After recording three assists against Toronto last weekend, he added two more Saturday, beginning with a well-placed free kick that Sean Zawadzki headed into the net in the 16th minute.
Chambost then helped create the second goal in the 41st minute, finding Anass Zaroury on the left side of the penalty area. Zaroury had enough space to pick his spot and curled a shot into the far corner, giving Columbus a 2-0 advantage.
The third goal showed another side of the Crew's attack. Patrick Schulte started a quick counterattack with a long throw to Gonzalo Tapia, who found Santiago Rodríguez moving toward goal. Although Alex Bono stopped Rodríguez's shot, the rebound deflected off D.C. defender Kimito Nono and went into the net in the 60th minute.
Columbus' ability to threaten from a set piece, create opportunities through passing, and attack quickly in transition gives opposing defenses several different problems to solve. Against D.C., those approaches helped the Crew build a lead without depending on one player to finish every chance.
Defensively, Columbus deserves credit for another clean sheet, although the 3-0 score doesn't tell the entire story. D.C. United missed a penalty in the 24th minute, and Schulte made four saves to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.
Those opportunities are worth remembering as Columbus prepares for tougher opposition. The Crew controlled much of Saturday's match but still allowed D.C. enough chances to make the result less comfortable than the final score suggests.
Still, Columbus handled those moments and continued creating opportunities. The Crew didn't simply retreat after taking the lead, and the third goal came from a quick attacking move that began with their goalkeeper.
Saturday's performance continued a broader trend. Columbus has now won seven of its last eight matches, climbing back into playoff position after spending much of the season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Crew close the regular season Saturday against Chicago at SeatGeek Stadium. With another victory, Columbus would carry a six-match winning streak into the postseason if all goes well, and Saturday's performance gave another example for why the Crew have become a much more difficult opponent during their late-season run.
