Daniel Gazdag and Diego Rossi scored as the Columbus Crew downed the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on Wednesday for their first home win of the season.
Gazdag in the 41st and Rossi in the 47th staked the Crew (2-4-3, 9 points) to the lead before Gabriel Pec countered for the Galaxy in the 86th minute on their only shot on goal.
The match started 2 hours, 5 minutes late after thunderstorms began two hours before kickoff. Rain continued as the match started.
The Crew is 1-1-2 at home.
LA (3-3-3, 9 points) avoided being shut out for the first time in 18 matches when Pec took a set-up by Joseph Paintsil and beat Patrick Schute at the near right post for his first goal.
Pec then hit the crossbar two minutes later.
Gazdag first goal of the season came a year and 11 days after the Philadelphia Union’s career goals leader was acquired in a trade.
A Galaxy turnover led to Dylan Chambost feeding Hugo Picard on the left flank. He whipped a low ball in front of the goal where Gazdag flicked the ball without the outside of his right foot.
Rossi’s fourth goal was a clinical off the build-up. Taha Habroune zinged a through ball to Max Arfsten on the right. He dribbled to the top of the box, did a crossover then passed across to Rossi, who let the ball go to his left foot before unleashing a shot.
The Galaxy played without leading scorer Joao Klauss (five goals), who has a foot injury.
His absence was apparent in the first half when the Galaxy couldn’t put together anything resembling an attack. Their lone shot attempt came in the 45th minute when Pec’s try from the right side of the box skipped outside the left post.
The Crew had nine shots in the opening half beginning with Arfsten’s shot that James Marcinkowski saved in the 7th minute. Columbus kept pressing and Arfsten and Rossi had good looks that veered off target over the next 10 minutes.
–Field Level Media
