Written by Devin Weisbarth
Columbus scored two late first half goals to take a 2-0 lead into the half. Orlando cut the deficit in half early in the second half, but Columbus seemed to be in control. I late second half stoppage time goal earned the visitors a point in a frustrating game for the Black and Gold.
The opening five minutes was all Orlando. Orlando seemed to keep the Crew pinned in their defensive half, and the Crew just could not seem to break the Orlando press. Then things changed.
Columbus slowly started to build and gain confidence throughout the game. The Black and Gold started to create chance after chance, but nothing seemed to get past Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. The front three of Cucho Hernandez, Jacen Russell-Rowe and Alex Matan created numerous good chances, but nothing worked. Nancy talked about his front three postgame, saying “I would have preferred we scored more goals, but I was happy with the way we attacked [Orlando]”.
The deadlock would be broken in the 39th minute when Alex Matan slotted a ball across the face of goal, and captain Darlington Nagbe made no mistake.
Columbus added to their lead on the stroke of halftime when Crew 2 alumni Mo Farsi and Jacen Russell-Rowe combined for Russell-Rowe’s second MLS goal of the season. “We were able to build a connection last year with Crew 2. And then, you know, to be in training every day, and we have a good connection off the field as we’re roommates”, Russell-Rowe said about his connection with Farsi.
The second half was a different story. Orlando scored just four minutes into the second half by Ercan Kara to cut the Columbus lead in half. Columbus continued to dominate possession but could not find the back of the net.
Columbus thought they restored their two-goal lead in the 65th minute after Cucho Hernandez found space behind the backline and beat Gallese, but the goal was overturned for offside following a VAR check.
Orlando drew level in the 90+2 minute after the Black and Gold failed to clear their lines following a free kick.
Columbus thought they found a late, late winner from Isaiah Parente, but a phenomenal initial save from Gallese, followed by a skied shot from Parente off the rebound ensured the two teams would share the points.
Match Facts
The Crew out possessed the lions 60-40. They also outshot them 22-10, with 7 of them in target. But the only thing that matters is the scoreboard, which was even at 2-2. Columbus also completed 84.7% of their passes, including 82% in the attacking half.
Takeaways
Still Young
If Saturday showed us anything, it is that the Black and Gold are still young. Phillip Quinton, Jacen Russell-Rowe, Mo Farsi and Patrick Schulte all played a majority of their minutes last year with Crew 2. They are still learning the ropes of MLS, and that will come with time. The likes of Darlington Nagbe, Cucho Hernandez and Steven Moreira provides the leadership the team needs. Orlando didn’t do anything different, the Crew’s youth just showed a bit. “They didn’t make major adjustments, just tried to play with desperation in terms of trying to leave players up front and try and play the long ball,” Nancy said about what he saw in the second half from Orlando. “I know that we have to go through that because we need more experience at certain moments, and [we] have to go through that”.
Need to be more Clinical
The Black and Gold had their chances to put the game to bed, but they didn’t. But Nancy’s message never wavered. “The message is going to be to be more [clinical], and to be able to make the play when this is the good moment. But again, keep the spirit we had… I thought we attacked in a good way, both in the middle and out wide”. If Columbus can make the most of their opportunities, they will have no problem this season.
Difficult goals to Concede
“It’s difficult because of the way we conceded the two goals”, head coach Wilfried nancy started off his press conference with. “The way we conceded those two goals, shouldn’t happen. Simple as that”. Nagbe said the result was “very frustrating. At this point, we just have to figure it out”.
No Lucas Zelerayan
A bit of a surprise when the team news came out was that Columbus star midfielder, Lucas Zelerayan, was not named in the matchday squad. Postgame, Nancy said “He was not ready to play so we decided to pass on this game, and he should be okay for next week”.
What’s Next
The Black and Gold close out their three-match MLS homestand with a midweek clash between MLS originals. LA Galaxy come to town for the first time since 2019, and first time visiting Lower.com Field. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 with a 7:30 PM ET start time.