COLUMBUS ā Columbus Crew SC hosted Supportersā Shield winners, Toronto FC, for a nail biting scoreless draw in Leg 1 of the Eastern Conference Championship on Tuesday night at MAPFRE Stadium.
The battle for the Eastern Conference Championship and the right to host the MLS Cup in a series against Toronto FC continues on Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET at BMO Field in Toronto.
What lacked in goals, the teams made up for in action. Things started off hot with a left footed blast by midfielder Pedro Santos from outside the box, which was saved by Torontoās goalkeeper, Alex Bono. The Reds then returned the favor with a close call of their own. VĆctor VĆ”zquez attempted to bend one around a Crew SC wall in the 12th after a direct free kick was awarded, but wasnāt able to find a connection.
Crew SCās midfielder Artur was shown the yellow card in the 33rd minute, which will result in him missing Leg 2 of the series due to yellow card accumulation. Another chance came for Toronto just before the end of the first half when Chris Mavinga sent one in on frame forcing Crew SCās Zack Steffen into action.
Just five minutes into the second half, Crew SC forced TFC into frenzy when Santos treaded into dangerous waters forcing Bono into a tackle. Forward Ola Kamara found the rebound but TFCās Drew Moor was able to scramble back in time to save a sure goal for the Black & Gold. Another golden opportunity came in the 85th minute when Harrison Afful delivered a bullet from the top of the six-yard box. The Reds had Bono to thank once again.
The Great Lakes rivals were neck-and-neck as far as stats went in front of a sellout crowd in Columbus, with Crew SC having the slight edge. The Black & Gold held an 83 percent passing accuracy compared to TFCās 80 percent. They also held a 52.1 percent of possession compared to TFCās 47.9 percent. Despite not finding the back of the net, there were plenty of close chances. Crew SC had 14 shots compared to the visitorās seven.
MATCH INFO
Venue: MAPFRE Stadium (Columbus, OH)
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Assistant Referees: Peter Manikowski, Ian Anderson
4th Official: Jose Carlos Rivero
āVideo Assistant Referee: Dave Gantar
Attendance: 21,289
Weather: Clear
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
33' |
<img src="https://img.mlsdigital.net/www.mlssoccer.com/7/image/175430/x50.png" style="border:0px;height:25px;"> |
Artur
<div>Reason: Unsporting Behavior</div> |
|
52' |
<img src="https://img.mlsdigital.net/www.mlssoccer.com/7/image/175430/x50.png" style="border:0px;height:25px;"> |
Pedro Santos
<div>Reason: Dissent</div> |
|
54' |
<img src="https://img.mlsdigital.net/www.mlssoccer.com/7/image/175430/x50.png" style="border:0px;height:25px;"> |
Jonathan Mensah
<div>Reason: Unsporting Behavior</div> |
|
68' |
<img src="https://img.mlsdigital.net/www.mlssoccer.com/7/image/244210/x50.png" style="border:0px;height:25px;"> |
Jonathan Osorio
<div>Reason: Not Retreating</div> |
|
85' |
<img src="https://img.mlsdigital.net/www.mlssoccer.com/7/image/244210/x50.png" style="border:0px;height:25px;"> |
Raheem Edwards
<div>Reason: Unsporting Behavior</div> |
THREE THINGS
By MLSsoccer.com's Ben Baer
- OFF THE MARK: After scoring four goals in the first leg against New York City FC, Columbus were looking for a repeat attacking performance against Toronto. Despite some late chances, they were unable to come up with similar results. An away goal would be huge for them in Leg 2 but Gregg Berhatlerās team has to be disappointed that his team failed to get a goal at home.
- NEW LOOK: With Giovinco and Altidore out, head coach Greg Vanney decided to make some changes to his teamās shape in Columbus. Instead of his usual 3-5-2, Vanney had his team set up in a 4-1-4-1, a formation TFC had not played all season. They were able to keep a clean sheet, but a road goal wouldāve probably made his team feel a little more comfortable going into Leg 2.
- MISSING PIECE: One player who will not be making the trip to Toronto is Artur. The Brazilian midfielder has had his moments in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, including a shot that almost found the upper 90 in the 72nd minute, but he will miss the second leg due to yellow card accumulation.