Columbus Crew 2-Colorado Rapids 1
When a team it is down and needing a spark it is time for the talisman to step forward. On Saturday night at MAPFRE Stadium Federico Higuain once again showed why he is one of the most important players in Major League Soccer, scoring a goal and tallying an assist in the Columbus Crew’s 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
Gyasi Zardes put Columbus ahead early in the first half, finishing off a Higuain pass to score his 16th goal of the season. But Colorado equalized midway through the second half in the strangest of circumstances. On a free kick deep inside the Crew’s defensive third, Rapids forward Shkelzen Gashi hammered a shot past an unsuspecting Zack Steffen. But the Crew caught a break in the second half with Artur receiving a chip from Wil Trapp on the counter-attack. Artur’s run caught the attention of Rapid goalkeeper Tim Howard, which allowed Higuain to slip past the keeper in the 56th minute.
With the win, Columbus (13-9-8, 47 points) retained their hold of the number four seed in MLS’ Eastern Conference. They are still a point ahead of the Philadelphia Union (14-12-4, 46 points) and are three points behind New York City FC (14-8-8, 50 points) for third. They will host the Union on Saturday at MAPFRE (7:30 PM EST, ESPN+).
Please enjoy some of our photos from the match courtesy of photographer Julie Jackson. Make sure to give her a follow on Twitter and on Instagram. Also, you can check out all of her work from the 2018 season on SmugMug.
Columbus Crew
Colorado Rapids
