The Crew kept its playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Here are three talking points from the victory:
1. GRANDE MILO
After Jack McInerney's equalizer in the 86th minute, it seemed the Crew would surely have to settle for one point. But just a minute later, a Union clearance took a deflection to land at the feet of Milovan Mirosevic in front of net. The Chilean pounded his shot past Zach MacMath to help the Black & Gold to three points.
"I stayed out of the play. It hit Josh [Williams'] foot," Mirosevic described the sequence of events. "The next moment, I was with the ball at my foot. I had one touch, and I just kicked it."
But was the Chilean offside?
"From where I was, I didn't have enough time to look at the line and receive the ball," Mirosevic explained. "I just receive the ball and kicked it."
"I'm not an official, so I don't know how tough it is," Head Coach Robert Warzycha added. "I'll take [the goal]."
As expected, Philadelphia interim Head Coach John Hackworth had a different opinion on the linesman's decision.
"To have [Mirosevic's late winner] not called offside-- I just watched it a couple of times-- I'm amazed," Hackworth said after the game. "I don't know what to say. It's not even close. It's a heartbreaker that way, for us to fight that hard and be that brave, then lose that way. We've been on the bad end of a lot of that this season. It's frustrating."
2. ARRIETA'S BRACE
Jairo Arrieta netted his third multi-goal match of the season. His first came in the 44th minute as the Costa Rican finished off a brilliant diagonal ball from Sebastian Miranda to put the Crew ahead before halftime. Moments late in stoppage time before the break, Arrieta netted his second tally of the night to put the Black & Gold up 2-0 after 45 minutes.
"It's important for me to score goals because that's my job, but it's more important for the team to win," Arrieta said after the match. "It's not worth it for me to score goals if the team loses. It's important that I help the team reach the goals we have set for the season, and tonight I was able to do that."
With his brace, the Costa Rican striker past Eddie Gaven in the club's Golden Boot race with eight goals this season.
3. THE ASSIST GOES TO GRUENEBAUM
Andy Gruenebaum picked up his first career assist Saturday night, finding Arrieta one-on-one downfield from a goal kick.
"I just saw the forward approaching and I knew I was going to have to drill it long," Gruenebaum explained. "I was going to kick out wide, but then I saw Jairo one-on-one and just kind of got lucky with the way it bounced. He fended them off real well and it was a clean finish."
Ironically, the MLS saves leader had just as many assists on the night as he had saves.
