END OF A TREND
Last Saturday’s 2-1 victory snapped a recent trend of scorelines that either helped or plagued the Black & Gold for a six-week span ... from August 10 through September 7, the Crew played to six shutout results ... on August 10 and August 17, the Black & Gold kept the Red Bulls and Toronto FC off of the scoreboard respectively in 2-0 wins ... then, a two-match losing streak saw a reversal of goal-scoring fortune as the Crew was shut-out 4-0 on August 24 at Real Salt Lake and a 1-0 loss to Seattle on August 31 ... the streak continued as the Crew defeated Houston, 2-0, on September 4 before a 3-0 defeat at Sporting KC on September 7 ... that trend seemed likely to continue with the Impact up 1-0 last Saturday before a pair of second-half goals gave the Crew a 2-1 win.
COMEBACK KIDS ...
The Black & Gold’s 2-1 win over Eastern Conference-leading Montreal did more than just put the Crew back in the hunt for playoff contention ... the win accomplished something the club had been unable to do all season: win after its opponent scored the match’s opening goal ... prior to last Saturday, the Crew was 0-11-3 in 2013 after conceding the opening strike, giving the Crew its first comeback win of 2013.
... AND A LITTLE LATE-GAME MAGIC
Dominic Oduro’s game-winning goal in the 78th minute on Saturday at Montreal sealed a 2-1 win for the Black & Gold and also provided some much needed late-game magic for the Crew ... Oduro’s goal was the team’s first game-winning or game-tying goal after the 75th minute in 2013 ... in a welcomed change with respect to goals of that nature in the final 15 minutes, the Crew had previously allowed six game-winning goals against and three game-tying goals against already in 2013.
SOMETHING IN THE HALFTIME SPEECH
Whatever Interim Head Coach Brian Bliss said in the halftime locker room in Montreal last Saturday clearly worked ... with his club down 1-0 to the Eastern Conference-leading Impact, Bliss’ Crew scored a pair of goals in the second 45 to give the Crew a 2-1 win ... the victory was the Crew’s first of the season when trailing at halftime ... previously, the club was 0-8-2 overall when trailing at half, including a frustrating 0-6-0 record when trailing after the first 45 minutes on the road.
THE FIGHT FOR THE POSTSEASON
With five matches remaining, the Crew remains in the hunt for the playoffs this year with hopes to return to postseason play after an absence in 2012 ... of the five remaining matches, four of the tilts are against Eastern Conference opponents, including a crucial home-and-home series with New England to wrap-up the year ... the club’s lone Western Conference match is next Sunday at FC Dallas.
