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Columbus Crew fail to protect multiple leads, handed loss vs New York City FC: Takeaways
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- Columbus Crew fail to protect multiple leads, handed loss vs New York City FC: Takeaways
After conceding a second goal to New York City FC , the Crew probably thought the worst-case scenario would be walking away with a draw and one point, but a goal in second-half stoppage time cost the Crew in a 3-2 loss on Sept. 17.
"As a group, we just need to find a way to be better defensively," Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. "To leave here without a point after having the lead twice is disappointing. So, it's up to us. We've just got to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out a way to defend better."
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Crew replay: Columbus Crew concede multiple leads, fall to New York City on the road
New York midfielder Julian Fernandez put the game away with a long shot from the top-right corner of the Crew's box three minutes into the four announced for stoppage time.
This was after New York midfielder Hannes Wolf had already generated comebacks from two separate Crew advantages.
The Crew first pulled ahead in the 37th minute on forward Daniel Gazdag's penalty kick, which had been awarded after striker Wessam Abou Ali was fouled inside New York's box. That lead held until Wolf scored one minute before halftime. He scored off a free kick.
New York City midfielder Hannes Wolf (right) celebrates with midfielder Maximiliano Moralez after scoring against the Columbus Crew.
Abou Ali recorded a goal of his own with a header at the 60-minute mark to put the Crew back in front.
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However, less than 15 minutes later, Wolf notched his second goal of the game, capitalizing on a Crew turnover. New York midfielder Aiden O'Neill stripped Gazdag of the ball around midfield and sent a short pass to forward Agustin Ojeda, who connected with Wolf.
"We conceded three goals – one on the set piece and two because we lost the ball and the defensive transition," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "This is not like we were outnumbered. We had numbers. … We got punished, and this is the reality at this moment."
Columbus Crew 's defense continues to be concerning
The Crew, despite winning their previous game, a matchup against Atlanta United , have given up seven goals across the last two contests, which is the most they've allowed in a two-game span since Nancy took over in 2023.
Crew defender Malte Amundsen reacts after Columbus fell 3-2 to New York City at Yankee Stadium.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Crew have conceded 46 goals, matching their total from 2023 and surpassing 2024's total by six.
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"We need to be better at it," Nagbe said. "We want to put it all together, especially at this point of the season. We want to attack well and defend well, not one or the other. … But I think, it's just up to us on the field, individually, to make plays in certain moments in the games."
Columbus Crew's collapses overshadowing the offense's improvement
The Crew's offense has started to find its footing. For the first time since May , Columbus had back-to-back games recording multiple goals. That achievement, however, feels hollow after falling to New York.
Against Atlanta, the Crew went up 5-0 , and Atlanta's eventual comeback fell short by just one goal.
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The Crew were never able to build more than a one-goal lead against New York, going back and forth between being ahead and being tied, which allowed Fernandez to score a game-winner.
"It's just being disciplined mentally," Crew midfielder Max Arfsten said. "We don't have the luxury to be calm and too comfortable whenever we have the lead, because that's when we tend to concede. Myself included, like I'm taking responsibility for my part, but we all know we just got to be better."
Crew forward Wessam Abou Ali dribbles against New York City.
Columbus Crew fall in Eastern Conference standings due to loss
Though the Crew went into the game against New York two spots ahead of their opponent in the Eastern Conference standings, they now sit two spots behind in seventh, as New York leaped to fifth with the victory.
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"Again, we have to accept the reality," Nancy said. "This is because we don't do certain things well enough. We are going to have to do it better, to play better for 90 minutes."
With just over a month before the MLS Cup playoffs are set to begin, every team still in the running to make the postseason is looking to boost its standing. The top nine teams from each conference reach the playoffs, with the top four getting home-field advantage for the first round.
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The Crew (13-7-10) are in a mix of the six teams, ranked between third and eighth in the standings, that are separated by just five points.
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The Crew return to Lower.com Field to face Toronto FC on Sept. 20. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew lose vs New York City FC: Takeaways
