Diego Rossi scored in the 80th minute and the Columbus Crew salvaged a 1-1 draw against visiting Orlando City on Sunday night.
Rossi’s third goal of the season was the first at home for Columbus (1-3-3, 6 points), which had scored eight times in four away matches.
Five of those had come through striker Wessam Abou Ali, who exited in the 35th minute with what looked to be a serious, non-contact injury to his right knee.
Marco Pasalic scored his second goal early for Orlando (1-5-1, 4 points), which had been outscored 16-0 in its previous three away matches.
The Lions also were hampered by injuries Sunday, with center backs Iago and Robin Jansson were forced out in the 75th and 78th minutes, respectively.
Columbus outshot Orlando 19-5 overall and 7-1 in efforts on target, forcing Orlando’s Maxime Crepeau into six saves.
After struggling much of the match to make the right play in the final third, the hosts finally did so only minutes after the Lions were forced into defensive changes.
Rossi picked up the ball on the right, played a pass to Taha Habroune, ran onto the return ball into the box and then lofted a finish over the charging Crepeau.
But Crepeau’s heroics elsewhere in the half helped the Central Florida side escape with a point. His best denial came against Max Arfsten in the 76th minute, and he also reacted well to thwart Daniel Gazdag in the 88th minute from a tighter angle.
Neither team seriously threatened a winner in more than 11 minutes of second-half stoppage time.
Orlando went in front in the 14th minute.
Ivan Angulo began the move, receiving a pass on the left flank at midfield, pushing down the wing on the dribble and then spotting Tiago with a perfectly weighted ball into the left side of the penalty area.
Tiago ran onto it and directed a first-touch, left-footed cross toward the penalty spot, and Pasalic met it in stride with a first-time finish to beat the diving Patrick Schulte low inside the right post.
–Field Level Media
