Second-half goals from Gyasi Zardes and recent acquisition Romario Williams powered Columbus Crew SC (5-14-3, 18 pts.) to a 2-2 comeback draw at the Chicago Fire (5-9-8, 23 pts.) on Wednesday, July 17 at SeatGeek Stadium.
In the first half, the Black & Gold's best opportunity came in the 18th minute when a header from Zardes was saved off the line after a Wil Trappcorner kick.
It was the Fire who struck first, however, when Chicago's Djordjie Mihailovic scored in the 28th minute after half-vollying a pass from Przemyslaw Frankowski just inside the right post.
Just two minutes into the second half, Crew SC set the tone early for the final 45 minutes, when Eduardo Sosawon the ball at midfield and found Luis Argudo, who then slotted the ball to a cutting Zardes who finished it inside the near post.
The level match did not last long, though, after the Fire got their second goal of the night in the 63rd minute when C.J. Sapong spun and drove the ball into the back of the net.
The Black & Gold's newest additions in Luis Diaz and Romario Williams subbed on the 65th and 79th minute, respectively, and immediately made an impact for Club. In the 90th minute, Diaz served the ball into the box where Williams headed the ball into the far post. The goal marked Williams' second goal of his MLS career.
Up next, Crew SC returns home when they take on the Montreal Impact on Saturday, July 20 at MAPFRE Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Supporters can watch the match on FOX Sports Ohio, stream on FOX Sports GO, or listen on 97.1 FM The Fan or www.ColumbusCrewSC.com (English & Spanish).
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Goal Scoring Rundown:
CHI - Djordje Mihailovic (Przemyslaw Frankowski), 28th minute: Mihailovic half volleys the ball to the right post. CLB 0, CHI 1
CLB - Gyasi Zardes (Luis Argudo, Eduardo Sosa), 47th minute: Zardes runs a slotted ball from Argudo into the near post. CLB 1, CHI 1
CHI - C.J. Sapong, 63rd minute: Sapong spins and drives the ball into the net. CLB 1, CHI 2
CLB - Romario Williams (Luis Diaz), 90th minute: Willams head the ball to the far post off a serve from Diaz. CLB 2, CHI 2 | FINAL
Lineups:
Columbus Crew SC
Chicago Fire
Match Notes:
Gyasi Zardes made his 50th regular-season appearance ā as well as his 50th regular-season start ā for Crew SC in tonightās road match against the Chicago Fire. The forward also scored a goal in the 47th minute, when he put away a low cross from Luis Argudo. In 2019, Zardes has made 17 regular-season appearances (all starts) while registering seven goals and one assist. Since joining the Black & Gold ahead of the 2018 season, Zardes has scored 26 goals and provided one assist in regular-season action to go with his 50 appearances.
Romario Williams made his Crew SC regular-season debut during tonightās contest against the Chicago Fire, tallying an equalizer to help the Crew rescue a point against the Fire. Williamsā goal came in the 90th minute, when he headed in a cross from Luis Diaz. The Jamaican forward came in as a substitute for Ricardo Clark in the 79th minute of the contest. Prior to joining Crew SC on July 1, 2019, Williams played for Atlanta United from 2018-2019. In all, Williams has made 22 appearances in regular-season action since joining MLS in 2015, scoring two goals.
Midfielder Luis Diaz made his MLS and Crew SC regular-season debut during tonightās road match against the Chicago Fire. The Costa Rican played 35 minutes and marked the occasion by tallying his first assist for the Crew, as he crossed the ball to Romario Williams in the 90th minute, allowing Williams to equalize with a header. Prior to joining Crew SC on July 2, 2019, Diaz played for Club Sport Herediano of Costa Ricaās First Division from 2016-2018. Notably, he was named the Best Under-21 Player in the Torneo Clausura 2019 by UNAFUT.
Luis Argudo provided the assist on Gyasi Zardesā 47th-minute goal during tonightās road contest against the Chicago Fire, crossing the ball to Zardes after receiving a pass from Eduardo Sosa. The helper was Argudoās first assist in regular-season action since joining Crew SC ahead of the 2018 MLS Season. In 2019, Argudo has made 11 regular-season appearances (four starts) while recording one assist. Since joining the Crew, the midfielder has made 29 regular-season appearances (10 starts) and provided one helper.
During tonightās contest, Eduardo Sosa tallied a secondary assist for Crew SC. Sosaās helper came in the 47th minute, when he passed the ball to Luis Argudo, who crossed it for Gyasi Zardes to put away. The assist was Sosaās second since joining Crew SC ahead of the 2018 MLS season. In 2019, Sosa has made seven regular-season appearances (three starts), registering one assist. In all, Sosa has made 17 regular-season appearances (six starts) and scored one goal to go with his one assist for the Black & Gold.
Next up, Crew SC has a home contest against the Montreal Impact at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday, July 20 (7:30 p.m. ET / Fox Sports 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).
