A well-worked team goal in first-half stoppage time proved decisive as the Columbus Crew secured a 1-0 win over a depleted but determined Philadelphia Union side on Sunday evening at Lower.com Field. Mohamed Farsi’s strike just before halftime stood as the match-winner in a scrappy affair that featured eight yellow cards, a lightning delay, and two teams with contrasting lineups.
Despite being without eight players due to international duty, injuries, and suspension, the Union came out with energy and physicality, deploying two midfielders, Alejandro Bedoya and Jovan Lukic, on the back line. Philadelphia’s high press frequently disrupted Columbus’s rhythm early on, and captain Bedoya even came close to opening the scoring in the first minute, attempting to chip veteran keeper Evan Bush from distance.
But the Crew grew into the game and ultimately found their breakthrough at the end of the first half. Amar Sejdić slipped a perfectly weighted through ball into space down the left flank, where Lassi Lappalainen raced onto it. His low cross to the far post found Farsi in stride, and the fullback calmly slotted his finish past Andre Blake for his second goal of the MLS season.
That would prove to be the only goal of the match.
The second half was delayed due to severe weather and resumed after an extended halftime pause. Columbus made three substitutions during the break, but it was Philadelphia who emerged with renewed urgency. Head coach Bradley Carnell introduced 15-year-old Cavan Sullivan—making his MLS debut—alongside Chris Donovan to inject life into the attack.
The Union pushed forward relentlessly after the restart, creating a handful of promising opportunities. Their best chances came from set pieces and wide play, with Kai Wagner frequently delivering dangerous balls into the box. In the 67th minute, a Wagner free kick nearly led to the equalizer as Olwethu Makhanya’s header across goal landed at the feet of Bedoya, but the captain’s follow-up attempt was somehow cleared off the line.
Later, substitute Sal Olivas found himself on the end of a centering pass inside the box, only to be denied by a sliding Steven Moreira, whose defensive performance once again underlined his status as one of MLS’s premier center backs.
Despite a late flurry of pressure and another well-placed free kick in stoppage time, the Union couldn’t break through. Jesús Bueno’s last-gasp effort went wide of the post as the Crew held on to secure all three points.
With the win, Columbus improves their record against Eastern Conference teams to 5-1-2 and continues their upward momentum ahead of a cross-country trip to face the Seattle Sounders next weekend. Philadelphia will look to bounce back as they wrap up their three-game road stretch with a July 5th matchup against Nashville SC.
View The Full Match Gallery from Ric Kruszynski/ISNSoccer.com
Match Details
Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: June 29, 2025
Venue: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Kickoff Time: 6:00 PM ET
Final Score
Columbus Crew 1 – 0 Philadelphia Union
Goal
45+2’ – Mohamed Farsi (Columbus Crew)
Discipline
1’ – Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
32’ – Jesús Bueno (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
35’ – Jovan Lukic (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
50’ – Dániel Gazdag (Columbus Crew) – Yellow Card
65’ – Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
79’ – Sal Olivas (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
88’ – Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union) – Yellow Card
90+1’ – Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew) – Yellow Card
Lineups
Columbus Crew: Evan Bush, Mohamed Farsi, Steven Moreira, Yevhen Cheberko (45’ – Andres Herrera), Lassi Lappalainen (45’ – Ibrahim Aliyu), Dylan Chambost, Sean Zawadzki, Darlington Nagbe, Amar Sejdić (45’ – Jacen Russell-Rowe), Diego Rossi (86’ – Taha Habroune), Dániel Gazdag
Philadelphia Union: Andre Blake, Jovan Lukic, Olwethu Makhanya, Kai Wagner, Alejandro Bedoya (78’ – Jeremy Rafanello), Jesús Bueno, Danley Jean Jacques, Ben Bender (45’ –
Cavan Sullivan), Indiana Vassilev (71’ – David Vazquez), Markus Anderson (45’ –
Chris Donovan), Bruno Damiani (63’ – Sal Olivas)
