The Columbus Crew got back to their winning ways with a 1-0 defeat of the Portland Timbers on Sunday.
Ohio soccer was on display as Portland Timbers Head Coach Caleb Porter made his return to the Buckeye State. He wasn’t the only one with local connections thanks to 9 Ohio players seeing time in the match. Matt Lampson, Danny O’Rourke, Josh Williams, Chad Barson, Wil Trapp, and Konrad Warzycha all saw time for the Black & Gold; while Ben Zemanski, Darlington Nagbe, and Michael Nanchoff all starred for the Timbers.
“This says a lot about the quality of college soccer programs in Ohio,” Barson stated.
The Crew (6-8-5) got the game’s only goal in the 5th minute as Federico Higuain set up Bernardo Anor for the score.
The Crew had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 12th after Pa-Modou Kah took down Aaron Schoenfeld with a high boot in the box. Higuain stepped up to take the penalty kick moments later, but his shot slipped wide left of the goal. The Timbers escaped a 2-goal deficit, but went a man down due to the red card.
Zemanski had a great opportunity to even things up before halftime, but his shot sailed high. It was Portland’s best chance of the first 45 minutes.
The Timbers (7-2-9) were a constant threat despite being a man down for most of the game. Portland didn’t give up on their game plan, sticking to possession-style tactics. This paid off in the first half with the Timbers holding an advantage in possession (57.8%) and passing accuracy (83.1%).
The Crew had the majority of opportunities in the second half. It started in the 66th minute with Trapp, Higuain, and Dominic Oduro combining in a solid sequence that couldn’t be finished with a goal.
Higuain then set up speedster Ethan Finlay 9 minutes later, but Portland keeper Donovan Ricketts reached to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Timbers star Diego Valeri got an opportunity of his own in the 78th minute, but his shot sailed high. Anor gave Finlay another shot at goal in the 89th, but his shot went up and over.
“We scored a goal, got a penalty kick, and obviously the red card,” Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha stated. “The rest of the way, I don’t think it was pretty, but it was effective.”
The win gave Columbus a much needed 3 points, keeping them in the playoff hunt. The Crew have two more home games in the near future as they face English side Wigan Athletic (July 13) and the New England Revolution (July 20).
Subside Sports Man of the Match: M Wil Trapp, Columbus Crew
Trapp showed why he is the Crew’s most prized prospect with his MLS debut against Portland. He helped manage the Crew midfield and looked to be the best player wearing the Black & Gold for much of the match. It’s likely Trapp will see much more playing time thanks to such a brilliant start.
166 Match Photos (Photo Credit: Pam Moody/ISNSoccer.com)
