Crew’s energy doesn’t lead to road win
Crew SC was energetic from the opening kick at Gillette Stadium.
The Crew scored the opening goal and out-possessed, out-passed and out-shot the New England Revolution on Sunday afternoon. But the advantages were just positive footnotes in what became the Crew’s fourth loss in six road games this season.
New England’s Diego Fagundez scored in the 24th and 34th minutes, and a compact Revolution back line held for the final 56 minutes as the Crew fell 2-1.
“I think today was another good start and the guys were up for it. I think that’s where the disappointment comes from,” Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said. “The mentality to score the second goal, put the game on ice, make them run even more. To me, we lacked that a little bit.”
The Crew (6-6-1) took a 1-0 lead for the fourth straight game, in the 20th minute on one of its most efficient goals of the season. Winding up well before midfield, Wil Trapp booted a long ball and found Ola Kamara just above the penalty box.
With only defender Antonio Mlinar Delamea and goalkeeper Cody Cropper in front of him, Kamara waited for the ball to bounce then laced a right-footed shot into the lower left corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
The Crew finished the half with 63.7 percent possession, but it had just one goal to show for it.
Kekuta Manneh was caught offside as he rebounded a miss by Federico Higuain in the fifth minute. Kamara just mistimed his run and slide on a well-played cross by Manneh in the 22nd. The two chances were not the Crew’s only missed opportunities, but indicative of a first half in which it could have added to its punishment of New England.
Instead, it was New England (4-4-4) that made the Crew pay, scoring on two of its three on-target shots in the first half.
In the 24th minute, New England took the ball from Trapp near midfield. Lee Nguyen passed to Kei Kamara and Kamara quickly slid a pass to Fagundez, who had a step on Hector Jimenez. Fagundez easily netted the equalizer.
Fagundez scored again in the 34th, charging past several out-of-position defenders and Scored both of New England’s goals.
Columbus 1 0—1 New England 2 0—2
1, Columbus, O.Kamara, 12 (Trapp), 20th minute. 2, New England, Fagundez, 1 (K.Kamara), 24th. 3, New England, Fagundez, 2, 34th.
Trapp, Columbus, 55th; Jahn, Columbus, 91st. Farrell, New England, 93rd.
Columbus 14, New England 9. Columbus 5, New England 4. Columbus 17, New
unleashing a rightfooted shot near the left side of the 6-yard box that beat goalkeeper Zack Steffen far post.
“I thought the turnovers weren’t great, but I also think we could have reacted better, and that’s on a collective,” Berhalter said.
Midfielder Justin Meram hit the crossbar on a header in the 60th minute, and forward Adam Jahn rocketed a shot on target in the 78th, but the Crew couldn’t England 14. Columbus 8, New England 2. Columbus 2, New England 3.
Columbus— G Steffen; D Francis, Mensah, Naess; Abu (Jahn, 73rd), M Higuain, Jimenez (Raitala, 62nd), Manneh (Hansen, 62nd), Trapp; F O.Kamara, Meram. New England—G Cropper; D Angoua, DelameaMlinar, Farrell, Tierney (Watson, 83rd); M Fagundez, Kouassi, Nguyen (Caldwell, 88th), Rowe; F Hollinger-Janzen (Koffie, 46th), K.Kamara.
send home its second goal and left Gillette Stadium empty-handed.
“I think the message, if anything, is the mentality has to be better because these are games we can win,” Berhalter said. “We’re a good team, and to me, to let this slip away isn’t good enough because we are a good team and good teams should be winning these games.”