Led by Miguel Berry, Columbus Crew get two-second half goals for win over NY Red Bulls
Jacob MyersWhat else can you say?
Forward Miguel Berry continued to deliver and injected some life into the Crew’s playoff hopes — again.
After trailing since the 25th minute and struggling to create chances in the run of play for most of the night, the Crew scored two second-half goals, led by substitutes Alex Matan and Berry, and won 2-1 in what felt like a must-win for the reigning MLS Cup champions, who entered the night four points below the final playoff spot.
Having six of the final 10 games at home gave the Crew optimism that an unlikely comeback to make the playoffs was more than possible, but probable, fully knowing the performances had to improve.
It looked bleak, but a couple sparks off the bench and an attitude shift kept the Crew very much alive in the playoff picture.
"We came in at halftime and Caleb challenged us just to give more," midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. "Nothing tactically, nothing too fancy, just give more. I think we did that in the second half."
The Crew couldn’t finish an early chance from inside the box, made a mess of a throw-in and generally lacked any vigor in the attack. That was until the 74th minute when winger Alex Matan took on the New York Red Bulls defense, created the tying goal and put the Crew on the front foot to come away with all three points.
In the 87th minute, right back Harrison Afful made a touch down the right sideline to start a counter-attack for the Crew. Berry, who has proven he's not a flash in the pan, crossed the ball atop the box to attacking midfielder Lucas Zelarayan.
Zelarayan’s cracking left-footed shot stung the hand of goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Berry was in the exact right spot for a rebound on the right side. He calmly took a touch around a defender and sent Lower.com Field into a frenzy.
Crew players dogpiled the young hero near the right corner flag after a goal that was as momentous as it could get.
"I think we showed we cared, we wanted desperately to win," Berry said. "We went 1-1 and we were not going to stop until we scored a second. That was the key."
In a game the Crew had to have — at home, against a team similarly as bad offensively — they couldn’t avoid giving up another first-half goal on a rather nonthreatening play. The Crew allowed the opening goal off a throw-in in the 25th minute after failing on multiple opportunities to clear the ball from a disastrous start.
Forward Gyasi Zardes and center back Vito Wormgoor both jumped for the ball off the throw and missed the initial clearance. Afful had the next chance against a Red Bulls attacker but hardly got anything on it. Center back Jonathan Mensah was late to the ball, which bounced off a Red Bulls player before landing in front of Klimala.
Winger Luis Diaz had a prime goal-scoring opportunity in the eighth minute when he got behind the Red Bulls back line, but wasted the left-foot shot wide of the goal from about 10 yards away. From there, the Crew threatened very little for the remainder of the half.
Attacking midfielder Lucas Zelarayan, who has had to carry the offense through much of the season, missed a volley in first-half stoppage time from close to the penalty dot to end a disappointing first half.
"We just did not fight as much as we needed to that first half," coach Caleb Porter said. "I'm not going to rehash it. I'm going to build off the second half. I'm proud of that, and we need to get more guys inside the lines that are going to bring that because that was really disappointing whether it was fatigue, or whatever it was."
In the 74th minute, Matan dribbled 35 yards and around a defender to create a shot on goal. Coronel made the initial save, but midfielder Darlington Nagbe jumped over defender John Tolkin to head home the tying goal.
After two early chances for Red Bulls, the Crew defense locked down any late push for Red Bulls to secure a second win in 10 games. And, most importantly, begin to maximize points at home for a playoff push.
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