Another loss and another tough-to-watch game passed by on Saturday night as Columbus Crew fell 2-3 at Lower.com Field to a team that was almost too used to not winning, Atlanta United.
Eleven goals conceded in three games and three penalties in two is a poor record for any team, but for a defending champion, it’s a serious problem as defensive errors once again cost the Crew in a game the home team were firm favorites to win.
It took only five minutes before Atlanta took the lead through Ezequiel Barco, and then just another 30 before the lead was doubled after Crew’s Marlon Hairston’s sloppy defending gifted the away team with a penalty.
Jonathan Mensah once again popped up on a corner to halve the deficit and Luiz Diaz thought he’d made the game 2-2 before an agonizing VAR call stopped his celebrations.
More sloppy defending midway through the second-half again gifted Atlanta with a soft penalty that Marcelino Moreno happily despatched.
Columbus had another goal ruled out by VAR before Pedro Santos’s injury time spot-kick gave the Crew a small fighting chance. However, it wasn’t to be as Atlanta held on to win and give the Black & Gold much to think about before their road game against Chicago Fire on August 15.
For more information, visit columbuscrewsc.com.
Matt Ellis is a freelance photographer who covers bands that visit the city and the Columbus Crew MLS team. More about Matt can be found on his Instagram.
All photos by Matt Ellis
