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Patrick Schulte helps lead Columbus Crew to victory in hometown St. Louis: Takeaways
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- Patrick Schulte helps lead Columbus Crew to victory in hometown St. Louis: Takeaways
Patrick Schulte had been waiting for more than two years to step into the goalkeeper's box against St. Louis City SC on the road.
A St. Louis native who played for St. Louis University prior to getting drafted by the Crew in 2022, Schulte helped Columbus to a 2-1 victory at Energizer Park on April 13.
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"I like those kind of challenges," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "This is a way for the player to get better and to go to play with the emotion. Not to put the emotion on the side, but to be able to manage this kind of emotion. I think it was a good exercise for Pat."
Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made five saves in Columbus' 2-1 win over St. Louis City SC.
The matchup marked the first time the Crew have faced St. Louis in regular-season action since St. Louis' MLS debut in 2023 and also extended Columbus' MLS undefeated streak to 5-0-3.
After he allowed St. Louis to record a second-chance shot from forward Joao Klauss in the seventh minute, Schulte made five saves to keep St. Louis off the board the rest of the game.
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Replay: Columbus Crew top St. Louis City SC on the road
The Crew evened the score 1-1 with a goal from defender Steven Moreira during first-half stoppage time, and took a 2-1 lead when Diego Rossi scored at the 55-minute mark.
With 18 points, the Crew sit atop of the Eastern Conference, in front of Inter Miami 's 15 points. The two teams will meet April 19 in Cleveland.
Patrick Schulte 's performance vs St. Louis City made more special in front 70-plus friends and family
Schulte had over 70 friends and family in the stands, the most important to him being grandparents, Mick and Coco McLaughlin.
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"I'm really close with them," Schulte said. "So, just to be able to have them in the stands as much as I can is always something I really like."
Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made five saves in Columbus' 2-1 win over St. Louis City SC.
Schulte's grandparents have been at Crew games in Columbus , but the 24-year-old found it even sweeter to have them watch him play professionally in his hometown.
He has been an important part of the Crew's unbeaten streak, playing seven of their eight games and recording two shutouts.
"It's hard sometimes for him," Moreira said. "We attack a lot, and he doesn't have a lot of (action), but he has to stay ready. And for me, he wins the game by himself because he makes some crazy saves. Honestly I tell him, to me, he's so good."
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Goal scored by Steven Moreira represents Columbus Crew 's desired playing style
Moreira's goal 47 minutes into the game was the first goal from a Crew defender of the season, though the backline has been consistently getting more aggressive offensively in the most recent matchups.
"The idea is to respect the game," Nancy said. "If the game is to have a center back moving up because this is the closest guy or he can make a late run, let's do it. After that, we have to balance. This is not about the position, this is about a common-sense play. This is the way we want to play."
Crew defender Steven Moreira goes for a header in the second half of an April 13 game against St. Louis City.
Moreira felt it was the right moment to attempt a run in St. Louis' box when midfielder Max Arfsten sent a cross from the left side of the field. Tracking down the ball on the right side of the goal, Moreira took just one touch to score.
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The goal came 40 minutes after St. Louis scored, though Moreira felt conceding in the seventh minute forced the Crew's attacking to be more aggressive, including for the defenders.
"We had a lot of chances that we didn't score," Moreira said. "They had one chance, they scored, and I was upset about myself for the first goal. I have to do better honestly. So, I just wanted my teammates to go score goals or give the assist, but move forward."
Daniel Gazdag makes Columbus Crew debut vs St. Louis City SC
Entering the second half, Nancy made a substitution for forward Aziel Jackson , replacing him with Daniel Gazdag.
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Gazdag was traded to the Crew from the Philadelphia Union on April 11 .
Midfielder Daniel Gazdag controls the ball during his Crew debut April 13 vs. St. Louis City SC.
Gazdag, who scored a franchise-record 59 goals with the Union, is expected to be a significant threat for the Crew, which is why Nancy put the 29-year-old into the St. Louis game following just two days of training with the team.
"I didn't know when I wanted him to come in" Nancy said. "I felt that at halftime because I wanted an extra guy between the lines, so that's why we changed a bit the shape. Daniel was the good fit."
In 45-plus minutes of play, Gazdag failed to officially register a shot, but he did have an attempt that went into the back of the net before it was called back due to Gazdag being offside.
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The Crew face Inter Miami at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Saturday with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew, Patrick Schulte record road win vs St. Louis: Takeaways
