In front of the home fans at Lower.com Field, the Columbus Crew put on a confident display Wednesday night, defeating Atlanta United 3-1 behind a two-goal performance from Jacen Russell-Rowe and a well-taken opener from Andrés Herrera. The win marks Columbus’s second straight victory and solidifies their position in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 34 points from 19 matches.
The Crew came out aggressively from the opening whistle, threatening Atlanta’s goal multiple times in the early stages. In the fifth minute, Dániel Gazdag nearly gave Columbus the lead with a powerful volley from close range, only to see Brooks Lennon block the shot and deflect it out for a corner.
Columbus finally found the breakthrough in the 23rd minute through Herrera. The right back made a surging run to latch onto a lofted through ball from Dylan Chambost, took a perfect first touch with his outstretched foot, and curled a left-footed finish around Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan to the far post.
The Black & Gold doubled their advantage just nine minutes later thanks to Russell-Rowe. After receiving a long pass from Gazdag, the Canadian forward beat his defender with a clever turn and lasered a low shot past Guzan from a tight angle to make it 2-0. Russell-Rowe wasn’t finished. In the 42nd minute, he capitalized on a turnover deep in Atlanta’s half, combining with Diego Rossi before calmly slotting a first-time finish into the net for his second of the night and seventh of the season.
Despite trailing 3-0 at halftime, Atlanta United showed some life early in the second half. Brooks Lennon pulled one back in the 56th minute following a goalmouth scramble and VAR confirmation. The defender’s low strike snuck past veteran keeper Evan Bush and was ruled to have fully crossed the line, cutting the Crew’s lead to two.
The goal, however, did little to alter the flow of the game. Columbus continued to press forward and create chances, nearly restoring their three-goal cushion on multiple occasions. Mohamed Farsi and Rossi both came close, but Guzan was able to prevent further damage.
In a match that featured a combined 80 years of experience between the two starting goalkeepers—Bush (39) and Guzan (40), it was the younger legs of Columbus that dictated the tempo. The Crew outshot Atlanta 19-9, with 10 efforts on target.
The victory represents a return to form for Wilfried Nancy’s side, who have now won back-to-back matches after a six-game winless streak between May 10 and June 14. The Crew’s attacking trio of Rossi, Gazdag, and Russell-Rowe looked fluid and dangerous throughout the evening, with Gazdag particularly unlucky not to score in his third appearance for the club.
Bush, making his second consecutive start in place of the injured Patrick Schulte and with Nicholas Hagen away on international duty, once again provided a steady presence in goal. His leadership and experience have been critical to Columbus’s recent turnaround.
For Atlanta, the loss marks another setback in a difficult season. With just 17 points from 19 matches, the Five Stripes remain stuck in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. Lennon’s goal was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating night for Gonzalo Pineda’s men, who were outplayed in every phase of the game.
View The Full Match Gallery From Tim McCarty/TVCommando Media/ISNSoccer.com
Match Details
Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: June 25, 2025
Venue: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Kickoff Time: 7:30 PM ET
Goals
23’ – Andrés Herrera (CLB)
32’ – Jacen Russell-Rowe (CLB)
42’ – Jacen Russell-Rowe (CLB)
56’ – Brooks Lennon (ATL)
Discipline
45+1’ – Emmanuel Latte Lath (ATL) – Yellow Card
50’ – Andrés Herrera (CLB) – Yellow Card
73’ – Will Reilly (ATL) – Yellow Card
81’ – Efraín Morales (ATL) – Yellow Card
88’ – Bartosz Slisz (ATL) – Yellow Card
Lineups
Columbus Crew: Evan Bush, Andrés Herrera, Steven Moreira (61’ – Mo Farsi), Yevhen Cheberko, Lassi Lappalainen (61’ – Ibrahim Aliyu), Sean Zawadzki, Darlington Nagbe (90+3’ – Derrick Jones), Dylan Chambost (72’ – Amar Sejdić), Diego Rossi, Jacen Russell-Rowe (72’ – AZ Jackson), Dániel GazdagAtlanta United: Brad Guzan, Brooks Lennon, Matt Edwards (77’ – Saba Lobzhanidze), Luis Abram, Efraín Morales, Pedro Amador (83’ – Ronald Hernández), Miguel Almirón, Bartosz Slisz, Mateusz Klich (46’ – Will Reilly), Alexey Miranchuk (77’ – Jamal Thiaré), Emmanuel Latte Lath (83’ – Noah Cobb)
