Lucas Zelarayan scored on a curling, 25-yard free kick early and Columbus Crew SC pressured D.C. United into two second-half own goals en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Historic Crew Stadium.
Columbus' victory was their first following a midweek Concacaf Champions League encounter, after a pair of 0-0 draws in their previous two games.
The Crew were aided in this one by the fact Zelarayan had a full week's rest. He had been suspended for Wednesday's away loss in Leg 2 of the quarterfinals against CF Monterrey.
Ola Kamara scored his first goal of the season after injury forced him out of the opening three weeks of the MLS season. He declined to celebrate, recalling the 2016 and 2017 MLS seasons when he scored a combined 34 league goals for the Crew.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: New D.C. manager Hernan Losada's task has always been one that will be viewed over the longer term rather than the first handful of results. But it would help if his side could avoid self-inflicted wounds. The own goals from Frederic Brillant and Tony Alfaro were the second and third D.C. has already conceded, a third of their nine total goals allowed.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Some Columbus players might have been leggy following the midweek trip to Mexico, but the rested Zelarayan certainly wasn't. He earned and then expertly disposed of Columbus' first promising set piece opportunity of the afternoon, making his curler over the wall and inside Chris Seitz's left post almost look easy.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Lucas Zelarayan. It wasn't the Argentine's strongest game overall, but he had the most key passes of any Columbus player, converted the free kick above and, maybe most importantly, provided the energy a road weary Crew side needed. Give an honorable mention to Gyasi Zardes for the pressure he created as a second-half substitute, and Jonathan Mensah for his defensive work.
Up Next
- CLB: Wednesday, May 12 at Toronto FC (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
- DC: Thursday, May 13 vs. Chicago Fire FC (8 pm ET | MLS LIOVE on ESPN+ in the US and DAZN in Canada)
