Crew find their offensive rhythm in Charlotte win
Saturday, May 3, 2025
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com
Dylan Chambost scores the first goal of the game for the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field Saturday against Charlotte. Photo: Kevin Lam
The Columbus Crew had not scored four goals in a match since their season-opening win over Chicago in February. Since then, they’ve only lost one MLS contest, playing good defense and scoring just enough to pile up six more wins and three draws. In the rain at Lower.com Field Saturday, the Black & Gold beat Charlotte, 4-2.
The Crew got on the board first when Dylan Chambost collected a rebound off a shot from Diego Rossi and chipped it past Charolotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina in the 25th minute. It was his first MLS goal. Fourteen minutes later, Rossi put the Crew up 2-0 on a penalty kick after a handball call against Charlotte in the penalty box.
The Crown responded with a penalty kick of their own four minutes into first half stoppage time. Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko was called for a foul inside the box and Wilfried Zaha converted to cut the Columbus lead to 2-1 going into the halftime break. In the first half, the Crew recorded nine shots on goal to Charlotte’s one.
In the 51st minute, Aziel Jackson put the Black & Gold up by two goals once again. Mo Farsi hit AZ at the top of the box after battling for the ball on the right side. Jackson wasted no time getting his foot on the ball and sending it past Kahlina. Charlotte made it 3-2 when Liel Abada beat Patrick Schulte from close range.
After receiving a perfect pass from Mo Farsi, Aziel Jackson scores in the second half to put the Columbus Crew up 3-1 over visiting Charlotte Saturday. Photo: Kevin Lam
Columbus put the match away in the 81st minute with some long-range passing. Farsi sent a high-arching ball from the right side of the pitch to Max Arfsten on the left side. Arfsten, in turn, sent a lob toward Jacen Russell-Rowe, who headed it into the net as he charged the net.
The Crew’s defense held the rest of the way for the three-point win. The Crew’s most recent player acquistion, Ibrahim Aliyu, who came from Houston on April 24, saw his first action for the Black & Gold. He subbed in for Rossi in the 84th minute. In a last minute decision, Dániel Gazdag sat out to recover from an injury.
“We could have scored more goals. It’s the game of football. It’s normal. I’m a bit in between with this game. We could have been in control a little bit more,” said Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy after the match. “[L]ast year, they played the same way, but this year, we adjusted certain things and they did well. They did well. I’m happy.”
It was the second straight victory for Columbus after falling for the first time this season, a 1-0 loss to Inter Miami in Cleveland on April 19. The win vaulted the Crew into first place once again in the MLS’s Eastern Conference, two points ahead of both Philadelphia and Cincinnati.
Next up for the Crew is a match in Philadelphia next Saturday. The match at Subaru Park kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
The Columbus Crew’s Jacen Russell-Rowe (19) battles for the ball in the rain during the Crew’s 4-2 win over Charlotte Saturday at Lower.com Field. Photo: Kevin Lam