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Columbus Crew have no answer for Orlando City SC, Ramiro Enrique in home loss: Takeaways
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- Columbus Crew have no answer for Orlando City SC, Ramiro Enrique in home loss: Takeaways
The Crew lost to Orlando City SC after Orlando striker Ramiro Enrique scored two goals within three minutes, but Columbus ' downfall happened long before Enrique entered the game.
At Lower.com Field on July 25, the Crew fell 3-1 to Orlando, who recorded three unanswered goals after the 76-minute mark.
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The Crew seemed to be in command before Orlando got on the board, but they failed to score until the 66th minute when Diego Rossi converted a penalty kick. In the first half, the Crew took 10 shots to Orlando's three and won the possession battle, controlling the ball over 60% of the time.
Replay: Columbus Crew concede 3 unanswered, fall to Orlando City SC
"It should have been a minimum two to three (goals) at halftime," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "When you are so in control of the game, if you don't score, it could be difficult at certain moments. That's why I was surprised when we scored after that we conceded the first goal. ... They know we cannot do that. Obviously, I'm not happy with this one, really not happy because this is not us."
Crew forward Max Arfsten kicks the ball on July 25 at Lower.com Field against Orlando City SC.
Similar to multiple losses in April and May , the Crew's inability to finish on scoring opportunities put them on the back foot against Orlando.
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In the 67th minute, Enrique entered the game. At the 76-minute mark, he tied the score 1-1 with a header off an Ivan Angulo lateral pass near the goal line that gave goalkeeper Patrick Schulte virtually no time to make a play. Three minutes later, Enrique sank a one-touch goal off a cross from Angulo.
Orlando solidified the victory during second-half stoppage time with a goal from forward Martin Ojeda six minutes after regulation had ended.
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"The reality, when we chase the game, it's going to be open and we're going to be open," Nancy said. "The third goal, we are open, we wanted to chase. It's normal that they score (there). We didn't control those moments, and that's why we got punished."
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The loss marked the Crew's first at Lower.com Field in 2025.
Orlando City striker Ramiro Enquire proves to be thorn in Columbus Crew 's side for second time
Enquire went into the matchup in Columbus with just five goals on the season, but the Crew still knew how dangerous the 24-year-old could be. In 2023, the Crew gave up a 3-2 lead over Orlando in a regular-season game when Enquire scored two goals in the final 12 minutes of play.
"He scored two goals," Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko said. "His stats say (enough) by itself, about him and what he did. Obviously he changed the game."
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Columbus Crew fail to build momentum on 'really good first half'
Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko looks into the stands during Columbus' 3-1 loss to Orlando City SC.
Nancy went into halftime feeling Columbus should have already scored, but kept his message straightforward and confident.
"We were so close," Nancy said. "It was not the best first half that we had, but it was a really, really good first half. I didn't want to be pessimistic. I just wanted to tell them that, 'Guys, we have to be aware of any moment the momentum can change. Stay positive, but control what you can control.' But we didn't."
When a handball violation against Orlando led to Rossi's penalty kick, the Crew expected momentum to be fully behind them.
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Instead, the Crew took just three more shots, all coming in the final 13 minutes, and never found a way to create a goal off live play.
Crew forward Jacen Russell-Rowe traps the ball in the second half against Orlando City SC.
"I think we were a little bit, kind of surprised from their goal," Crew midfielder Max Arfsten said. "We need to be aware and just kind of respond better, because that's a moment to where we can kind of kill the game. We need to try to be better on that."
The Crew shift their focus to Leagues Cup play, with their campaign starting with a group-stage matchup against Liga MX's Deportivo Toluca FC on July 29 at Lower.com Field.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew fall to Orlando City, Ramiro Enrique: Takeaways
