Columbus.- Is not a secret that the New York Red Bulls are the team that feels more comfortable when they come to Mapfre Stadium. They walked away with points in five of their last six visits. Tonight it seemed that they were going to do the same.. until Ethan Finlay exploded with two goals that earned the second consecutive home win for Crew SC.
Entering this week CrewSC had Kei Kamara leading the League with goals (12) and Ethan Finlay with the most assists (10). Tonight Finlay got a brace and rescued his team from a game that was getting out of hands. Adding his presence on the scoreboard is an asset that gives Columbus another dimension offensively. Rivals are focusing more on Kamara, a situation that favors open spaces where he can get the most out of his speed.
“Team game. Team game. I told you guys earlier in the year that I was scoring goals and saying ‘what if teams start figuring me out and block me from scoring goals?’ That’s why I have guys around me that can also score goals. It’s a team game as you can see. The second goal, a great ball from Federico [Higuain] to me to Ethan [Finlay], stuff like that. It doesn’t matter what they do; we’re going to find open guys. To me, goals are going to come. When they don’t come, as long as I can work, help the team out and get three points, I’ll go home happy.” Kamara said after the game.
The win-less streak stopped on June 24th when they beat New England, and they haven’t lost a game since then. However, CrewSC continues with their “blackouts”. The Revs scored within 35 seconds into the match. Tonight Abang carried the ball for 35 yards without any resistance from the hosts. They are many more situations like these that happen continuously in every game. Half of the season is gone and head Coach Gregg Berhalter still can’t figure out how to eliminate that symptom from his squad.
The Red Bulls pressured Columbus in a distinct way. They don’t breath in your neck for 90 minutes. They are vertical, fast and elegant at the same time that keep defenses on their heels for long periods of time, and they also keep the ball. The possession differential with Columbus was only 3.8%, that is a battle that most teams are set to lose when they play Crew SC.
Mike Grella was a complete nightmare for the hosts. His mobility and ball distribution opened spaces for Abang and Davis while Kljestan was pivoting almost free in the final third. CrewSC responded aggressively in the second half with Meram assuming risks with confidence and with Finlay looking to score not to assist.
With the game on the bag, Will Trapp entered the field for Federico Higuain and received a long and emotional ovation from the home crowd that hasn’t seen him play since March 14th because of a concussion. Trapp officially returned last Wednesday when they lost to Orlando City for the Open Cup, but tonight was his first appearance in Columbus.
“It was a long time. I’ve never been out that long, but I’ve been surrounded by great staff here, the coaching staff, teammates, girlfriend, family, team doctors – everyone’s been huge in helping me get back, helping me stay positive. It’s never fun when you’re watching from the sidelines, but you just keep that goal in the back of your mind and push toward that every day.” Trapp said.
In the last three games, CrewSC obtained seven out of nine possible points and now is sitting second in the Eastern Conference and improved its record to 6-6-6. The team hasn’t turned into a beast but they evolved, and the progress is something not to be scared
