After giving up a momentum-shifting early goal in the third minute, Columbus Crew SC (4-5-1, 13 pts.) ultimately fell 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo (5-1-1, 16 pts.) at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, April 27.
The Dynamo struck early when Houston's Mauro Manotas slipped the ball into the bottom right corner off of a cross from Alberth Elis in the third minute.
One minute later, goalkeeper Zack Steffen dove and tipped the ball wide to keep the deficit at one. The Black & Gold's lone shot on target in the first half occurred in the 29th minute when forward Gyasi Zardes struck the ball squarely into the hands of Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis from 18 yards out.
Houston doubled the scoreline in the 55th minute when Tomas Martinez rebounded the ball to the top left corner after Steffen blocked an initial shot from Manotas. Crew SC was unable to convert from their three shots on target and six corners in the second half.
Notably, midfielder Eduardo Sosa made his first start for the 2019 regular season. Also, defender Lalas Abubakar made his 2019 regular season debut and start.
Up next, Crew SC continues its two-match road trip when they take on D.C. United at Audi Field on Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m. ET.
Supporters can watch the match on SportsTime Ohio, stream on FOX Sports GO, or listen on 97.1 FM The Fan or www.ColumbusCrewSC.com (English & Spanish).
Find the latest Crew SC news on the MLS App, or by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Goal Scoring Rundown:
HOU ā Mauro Manotas (Alberth Elis), 3rd minute: Manotas slipped the ball into the bottom right corner off of a pass from Elis. CLB 0, HOU 1
HOU- Tomas Martinez, 55th minute: Martinez struck the ball to the top left corner off a deflected shot. CLB 0, HOU 2 | FINAL
Lineups:
Columbus Crew SC
Houston Dynamo
Match Notes:
Eduardo Sosa made his first regular-season start of 2019 in tonightās road contest against the Houston Dynamo. During the match, Sosa played 73 minutes, made 2 tackles, registered 52 touches and completed 38 passes. This was Sosaās first regular-season start since starting in and playing all 90 minutes in a road contest against the LA Galaxy (July 7, 2018). Since joining Crew SC ahead of the 2018 season, Sosa has made 13 regular-season appearances (four starts), scoring one goal and providing one assist.
Defender Lalas Abubakar made his 2019 regular-season debut, as well as his first regular-season start in tonightās road contest against the Houston Dynamo. During the match, Abubakar played 90 minutes, registering 67 touches and making 51 passes. Tonightās start was the first start for Abubakar since starting in and playing 55 minutes in a home contest against the Philadelphia Union (September 29, 2018). To date, Abubakar has 31 appearances and 27 starts since joining the Black & Gold ahead of the 2017 season.
Midfielder Ricardo Clark had four shots and created two chances. Through 81 minutes of play, Clark had five tackles, more than any other player on the field during tonightās match against the Houston Dynamo.
With the 2-0 loss against the Houston Dynamo in tonightās match, Crew SCās 2019 regular-season record is now 4-5-1 (13 points). Next up, Crew SC has a road contest against D.C. United at Audi Field on Saturday, May 4 (8:00 p.m. ET / SportsTime Ohio, FOX Sports GO / 97.1 The Fan and streaming online via the āListen Liveā button at 971TheFan.com / Spanish audio stream on ColumbusCrewSC.com).
