After a 90-minute weather delay in Columbus Saturday night, Crew SC supporters were rewarded for their patience with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Real Salt Lake.
The Black & Gold claimed their third win of the season behind a three-goal performance from striker Ola Kamara, an RSL own goal and a saved penalty kick by goalkeeper Steve Clark. With the victory, Columbus extended its unbeaten streak at home to five matches.
Crew SC dominated the Royals offensively overall, firing 21 shots and forcing opposing ‘keeper Nick Rimando to make six saves. But the visitors got on the board first in the 13th minute when a Luke Mulholland strike from distance found the top right corner.
But the Real Salt Lake lead would only last four minutes. After a fantastic run by Justin Meram in the 17th, the midfielder slotted a ball across the Salt Lake face of goal to find a waiting Ola Kamara, who put away his first MLS goal.
Three minutes later, Meram was fed the ball off a Salt Lake giveaway in the attacking third and streaked towards goal. When he reached the penalty area, Meram was taken down by two Claret and Cobalt defenders, but a deflection off the leg of Justen Glad put the ball into the back of the next and Crew SC into the lead.
The Black & Gold controlled the tempo for a majority of the half, creating a number of chances to add to their lead. But in the first minute of added time of the first 45, Real Salt Lake was awarded a penalty kick after a foul by Rodrigo Saravia on Mulholland. Royal’s striker Joao Plata fired his shot from the spot to the low left corner, but Steve Clark denied the equalizer with his third career PK save.
Crew SC racked up more and more chances to add to their lead after the break, and in the 64th minute, the breakthrough came. After coming on as a substitute just seconds earlier, defender Waylon Francis curled in a long cross that found Kamara and the striker headed in his second goal of the night to give the Black & Gold a two-goal advantage.
But the Norwegian international was not done. Nine minutes later, Kamara headed in his third goal of the match off a corner from Federico Higuain, completing the 10th Crew SC hat trick in club history and the first since 2004. RSL displayed signs of a comeback after goals by Jordan Allen (78th) and Plata (83rd) cut the lead to one, but Crew SC held on in the final moments to take all three points.
The Black & Gold have a quick turnaround next week, as they go on the road to take on the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff at Talen Energy Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
