The game in 100 words (or less): Columbus Crew SC were 13 minutes from making me look like a prophet, but will leave Toyota Stadium, where they drew a high-flying FC Dallas side 1-1 on Saturday night, extremely happy having won their second point of the 2016 season (typo in the tweet, I know). Justin Meram put the visitors on top after nine minutes, but a load of misfortune saw FCD equalize inside the game’s final quarter-hour, as Tesho Akindele scored one of the head-shaking-est goals we’ll see all season. So how did Crew SC, a side who looked completely out of sorts through three games, come so close to knocking off a fellow MLS Cup contender? A few words: urgency, pace, cutting edge — three things they exhibited little or none of en route to two losses and a draw to open the season.
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Three moments that mattered
9′ — Meram heads home from the corner for 1-0 — Federico Higuain serves them up like beach balls on set pieces, and Meram went up and got this one to give the visitors an early lead.
28′ — Meram blasts one right at Seitz, nearly bags his brace — Harrison Afful released Ethan Finlay down the right wing, and last year’s prolific assist man whipped in a cross from the end line that found Meram near the penalty spot. The only problem: as well as he struck the ball, he hit it right at Chris Seitz, who made the save.
77′ — Akindele hammers home a rebound off Clark’s back — Maximiliano Urruti unleashed a powerful strike from 20 yards out that clanged off the left-hand post of Steve Clark, hit the Crew SC goalkeeper on his back and sat on the ground two yards from the goal line.
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Man of the match: Justin Meram
Goalscorers: Meram (9′), Akindele (77′)
