[dropcap]L[/dropcap]egendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down., it’s whether you get up.”
Disaster struck just 35 seconds in for Crew SC when New England’s Lee Nguyen took advantage of a Mohammed Saeid deflection, slotting it coolly in the bottom corner of the net. Visibly frustrated, the Columbus would respond by putting on their hardhats for the final 89 minutes of the match to physically dominate the Revs on both sides of the pitch.
For a Crew SC side that came into the match winless in its previous six MLS contests, taking advantage of a Revs squad on short rest was one of many factors that led to the Black & Gold picking up three points at MAPFRE Stadium.
“I’m extremely proud of this group after going down early,” said a very confident Columbus Head Coach Gregg Berhalter at the post-game press conference.
Crew SC provided the equalizer quickly in the 4th minute when Kei Kamara gained full extension on a downward header, rebounding off a Federico Higuain redirect header off the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Commenting on the goal in a post-game locker room interview, Kamara stated, “Good cross by Héctor (Jiménez) and getting it in the right place. I just have to make sure that I keep it on frame.” The Sierra Leonean and current MLS goals leader exploited the Revs back line, sprinting into the box like a banshee for header chances off many of Columbus’ 42 total crosses.
As the first half of the match would slow down from its initial blazing pace, verbal exchanges and extracurricular activity intensified after each foul whistled by Head Referee Fotis Bazakos. Neither New England nor Columbus would earn any bookings for the first 45 minutes, yet it was clear that the chippy play was a reminder of the intense rivalry stemming from last season’s Eastern Conference semifinal matches (in which the Revs prevailed on a punishing 7-3 aggregate).
With the score deadlocked one apiece, Crew SC was able to quickly press offensively and get its star players involved in the final third. Moments after a questionable handball in the box was not called on New England defender Jeremy Hall, the Black & Gold found a sense of football justice when Ethan Finlay was not whistled for illegal contact. Missed call or the “Hand of God”, Finlay’s cross found an unmarked Kamara for a simple finish in the back to make it a 2-1 Columbus lead that would hold for the remainder of the match.
It wasn’t just the attacking end, but also solid defensive form that Crew SC the victory. When asked what the difference was defensively to neutralize the Revs’ Charlie Davies and Nguyen, Columbus centerback and team captain Michael Parkhurst stated, “We did a good job staying compact and were able to keep the line higher. It was a whole defensive team effort.”
Parkhurst was also quick to credit the disciplined play of the Black & Gold defensive midfield.
“I thought Mo (Saeid) was solid and set the tone possession wise. Tony (Tchani) was solid all game long. They made out lives easier on the back,” he said.
Heading on the road quickly to Rio Tinto Stadium for a Saturday match up against Real Salt Lake, Finlay reaffirmed his confidence in Crew SC’s ability to grind out points away from home (despite the travel demands and short rest.)
“We feel that our fitness is among the best in the league. This team is more than capable of coming back,” said Finlay.
Asked if the Nordecke supporters provided a spiritual lift that led to the victory, Finlay quickly commented, “It’s moments like that to lift us through and get us three points. They were loud as hell as usual.”
