Mohamed Farsi scored in the second minute of first-half stoppage time Sunday night, and the Columbus Crew shut down the visiting Philadelphia Union for a 1-0 win.
Columbus (10-3-7, 37 points) pulled within three points of Philadelphia (12-4-4, 40 points) in the Eastern Conference standings behind a defense that outdid its normally stingy opponents. The Union entered the night ranked second in MLS in fewest goals allowed but it was the Crew, ranked 14th, that delivered the clean sheet and allowed no shots on target.
Farsi took care of the offense after a beautiful build-up in the middle of the pitch. A long ball down the left side by Amar Sejdic sprung Lassi Lappalainen into the clear. Farsi ran unfettered down the middle and clinically finished a flawless cross from Lappalainen past goalie Andre Blake.
A weather delay of nearly an hour held up the start of the second half but did little to change the game’s momentum. Philadelphia managed just seven shots for the night, barely exceeding the number of yellow cards it garnered (six).
The Union’s best chances occurred in stoppage time in the second half. But Cavan Sullivan’s right-footed attempt from the right side in the second minute of stoppage drifted wide right and Jesus Bueno’s header in the fifth also leaked right.
Columbus finished the night with eight shots and Blake came up with a pair of saves. The Crew notched their fourth clean sheet of the season and their first since March 22, when they settled for a scoreless draw with New York City FC.
The teams combined for 33 fouls and eight yellows in a physical fixture. Columbus finished with 59.8 percent of the possession after holding the ball for more than 62 percent in the first half, when Philadelphia managed a meager two shots.
Dylan Chambost matched Farsi’s two shots for the Crew, while Alejandro Bedoya was the only player for the Union to squeeze off two shots. Three of Philadelphia’s seven shots were blocked.
–Field Level Media
