After a three-match stretch away from home, Columbus Crew SC returned to MAPFRE Stadium in style with a 3-2 victory over New York City FC on Saturday night.
Ethan Finlay (7th), Kei Kamara (49th) and Justin Meram (80th) scored for the Black & Gold in a thrilling match in front of 16,715 supporters.
Star Striker David Villa recorded a brace for NYCFC (15th and 87th) and the visitors pushed for a late equalizer after Crew SC captain Michael Parkhurst was sent off ahead of Villa’s second goal.
But thanks to late-match heroics by goalkeeper Steve Clark, who denied Patrick Mullins from close range in added time, the Black & Gold recorded their first win of the season.
Both Columbus and NYCFC created chances and showed intensity from the start, but it was Crew SC who struck first. In the 7th minute, Meram sprinted down the left side to the touch line where he laid off a pass across the NYCFC penalty area to Finlay, who smashed it home for the early 1-0 lead.
Crew SC’s lead did not last for long. Eight minutes after Finlay’s goal, a curling cross from NYCFC’s Andoni Iraola connected with the head of forward David Villa, who managed to sneak it past Clark for the equalizer.
Crew SC had a number of chances to retake the lead before the break, but could not pull ahead. Kamara led Columbus with six shots in the first half and was hungry to get his second goal of the season.
The Sierra Leone international waited only four minutes after the break to find the back of the net. A great pass from Meram found Kamara one-on-one with NYCFC’s Josh Saunders on the right side of the box, and the striker slotted it past the ‘keeper to put the Black & Gold back in the driver’s seat.
More and more opportunities emerged for Crew SC to extend its lead throughout the second half, and in the 80th minute Finlay returned the favor to Meram. The first-half goal-scorer moved his way into the opposing penalty area and slid a pass across the face of goal to Meram, who slammed it into the back of the net.
Desperate to get back into the match, NYCFC mounted the pressure in the last ten minutes. The visitors cut Crew SC’s lead in half after Villa converted from the penalty spot with three minutes left on the clock.
Moments earlier, defender Tyson Wahl had brought down NYCFC striker Kwadwo Poku inside the penalty area. The referee mistakenly called the foul on Parkhurst and the Crew SC captain was sent off with a red card.
The final minutes of the match were intense for the Crew SC defense, but an incredible save from Clark on Mullins kept the 3-2 advantage in the closing moments. The final whistle sounded and the Black & Gold earned their first win of the 2016 season.
Crew SC next welcomes the Houston Dynamo to MAPFRE Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. Get your tickets here.
