The Columbus Crew were in Nashville Saturday to take on the top team in Major League Soccer. The Boys in Gold have 49 standings points, leading Vancouver by nine points, in the race for this season’s Supporters’ Shield. The Black & Gold took a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute, but couldn’t hold on, falling 3-2 when Nashville posted two goals in stoppage time. Here are our three takeaways from Saturday’s match:

1.    The Crew have now lost three straight in MLS play. The frustrating thing about Saturday’s loss was how close they were to infusing confidence into their stretch run with an upset of the best team in the league. The defense has been steady all season, but couldn’t maintain the lead in the extra time.

Interim head coach Laurent Courtois said after the match, “What the team [did] was close to a really, really good performance up until the equalizer. I talked with the guys on how first I can help the guys to [not] concede those last corner kicks.”

2.   Down 1-0 in the second half, the Black & Gold got two big goals in 10 minutes to take the lead. Mo Farsi scored from close range after Brais Méndez moved the ball to the box from the right corner. Malte Amundsen then earned the primary assist when he spun and, as he went to the turf, sent it to an open Farsi. André Gomes scored the go-ahead strike, his first goal in MLS play, on a direct free kick from just outside the box. 

3.   Gomes described the better performance Saturday, “If a team is under a transition, obviously it is nothing that should wear on the players. The only thing we must know is we should work hard. We’re professionals. We’re being paid to do our best every single day. Obviously, games like today, I would say, with a better attitude compared with the last games. Like I said, I use the word sloppy, I would say probably the last two games against Charlotte and at home [were] a bit sloppy.”