The Columbus Crew won their second match in a row, beating the Philadelphia Union 2-0 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field Saturday. A combination of great defense and an attacking offensive that scored twice in the first half led to the home victory. Here are our three takeaways from Saturday’s action:

1.    In the absence of Wessam Abou Ali, who was lost for the season with a knee injury on April 12, the question was who would step up to lead the Columbus attack. Diego Rossi has continued to be a force in pushing the action, but on Saturday night it was Max Arfsten that made his presence felt. He scored the Crew’s first goal attacking the right side of the box. From the same angle, he sent a pass to the front of the net that resulted in an own goal off Philadelphia’s Nathan Harriel.

2.   The Columbus defensive effort once again shined. Patrick Schulte stopped all three shots on goal to earn his second clean sheet of the season. He now has 22 career regular season shutouts, tied with Steve Clark for the fifth-most in Crew history, and 27 across all competitions (three in MLS postseason, one in Concacaf Champions Cup, and one in Leagues Cup).

3.  On the pitch Friday, the team wore black armbands in honor of Tucker Walther, a long-time member of the Crew’s support staff, who recently passed away. He served the club from 2000-2015 as Equipment Manager, Team Administrator, and, finally, as Director of Team Operation.