Dylan Chambost scored his first MLS goal to help the Columbus Crew to a 4-2 win over visiting Charlotte FC on Saturday to move into first place in the Eastern Conference.
Chambost got the Crew (7-1-3, 24 points) on the board in the 25th minute and Diego Rossi added a penalty kick in the 39th before Wilfried Zaha made it 2-1 with a penalty in the 45+2.
Aziel Jackson upped the lead to 3-1 in the 51st only to see Liel Abada counter 13 minutes later for Charlotte.
Jacen Russell-Rowe, who started after Daniel Gazdag was injured during warmups, made it 4-2 in the 81st with a header from a cross by Max Arfsten.
The Crew has won five of six while Charlotte (6-4-1, 19 points) has lost two straight after a three-match winning streak.
Each team entered the match allowing only eight goals. The Crew had not allowed more than one goal since a 4-2 win over Chicago in the season opener on Feb. 22.
Chambost’s goal came in his 21st match since joining the Crew 11 months ago from France’s Saint-Etienne. He pounced on a rebound of a shot from outside the box by Rossi. Kristijan Kahlina couldn’t corral the ball and Chambost slotted it from 8 yards.
The goal came several minutes after Kahlina took a shot from Rossi in the face and was tended to for a possible concussion but was cleared to play.
Ross later bettered him from the spot for his sixth goal after Abada was called for a handball.
Zaha, who went to social media during the week to express frustration with the fans’ criticism of him, cut the deficit in half for his third goal.
The PK was awarded after Yevhen Cheberko fouled Brandt Bronico.
Jackson regained the two-goal lead from the top of the box but a Crew gaffe enabled Charlotte to draw closer. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte barely got a hand on a cross that was headed out of bounds and the ball landed to Abada for a volley.
Charlotte was minus leading goal contributor Pep Biel (three goals, six assists) because of a hamstring injury.
–Field Level Media
