Crew battle for nil-nil draw with Montréal

Saturday, April 27, 2024
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com

Crew's Alexandru Matan battles for possession

The Columbus Crew’s Alexandru Mǎtan (left) battles CF Montréal’s Mathieu Choinière for possession of the ball during the teams’ 0-0 draw at Lower.com Field April 27. Photo: Kevin Lam

After winning a big CONCACAF semifinal match over Liga MX’s Monterrey Wednesday, the Columbus Crew got back to MLS play with a home contest against CF Montréal Saturday.

Despite both teams gaining good opportunities to score in front of a sold-out crowd at Lower.com Field Saturday, neither could cash in and the back-and-forth play resulted in a 0-0 draw.

The best chance for the Crew came in the first minute of the second half when Alexandru Mǎtan battled two defenders at the right-side of the Montréal net. His crossing pass found Marino Hinestroza in front of the goal, but Hinestroza’s close-range kick hit the cross bar and caromed over his target.

The Crew also had an opportunity in the 60′ when Jacen Russell-Rowe ran the ball into the left-side of the box and passed back to Aidan Morris at the top. Morris’s shot was blocked but came back to Russell-Rowe, who headed the ball off the cross bar and over the net.

With the point gained from the draw, the Crew find themselves in the Eastern Conference’s fifth spot with 15 points. Inter Miami leads the East with 21 points.

Columbus is back in action Wednesday, as the team travels to Mexico to play Monterrey in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champion Cup semifinal matchup. The Crew won the first leg 2-1.

Columbus’s Marino Hinestroza chases a long pass down the pitch during the Crew’s 0-0 draw with CF Montréal April 27 at Lower.com Field. Photo: Kevin Lam