Crew lets three points slip through their fingers with late defensive lapses in 2-1 loss to CF Montreal

Lucas Zelarayan, scored his 6th goal of season, moves ball quickly vs CF Montreal 8 3 2022 (courtesy Crew Communications)

When the whistle blew in the 74th minute for a weather delay, the Columbus Crew had a 1-0 lead. Over an hour later – and in the 94th minute – the Crew looked at a scoreboard that read: 

Columbus 1, Montréal 2.  

The match started with the Crew taking an early lead and looking destined to improve to 10 games unbeaten. But then the weather delay arrived and Montréal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza made one world-class save after another, as the visitors kept themselves in the game long enough to eventually claim all three points.  

Lucas Zelarayán opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he produced a team-leading sixth goal of the season. Collecting the ball from Steven Moreira on the right side of the 18-yard box, Zelarayán fired a low shot toward goal that was deflected and zipped toward the back post.  

With the finish, Zelarayán has now been involved in each of the club’s last five goals.

The Crew continued generating attacking chances, and goalkeeper Eloy Room made one save after another on his path to earning a third-straight clean sheet.  

But then in the 88th minute, Montréal striker Kei Kamara scored from a set piece goal to equalize the match. The former Crew forward’s goal was his 134th in MLS, which ties him with another former Crew forward, Jeff Cunningham, for third for most career goals in MLS history.  

Disaster stuck in six minutes later when Joel Waterman scored the game winner when the Crew was unable to defend a set piece, solidifying the loss. 

With the result, the unbeaten streak is snapped and the Crew remains in sixth with 30 points from 22 goals. There’s a quick bounce back opportunity on Saturday, though, when the club hosts reigning MLS Cup champions New York City FC at Lower.com Field.  

Caleb Porter
Caleb Porter crew coach 8 3 2022 Post-match Presser CF Montreal 2 Crew 1.mp3

COURTESY CREW COMMUNICATIONS

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