Crew Climb Into Final Eastern Playoff Spot With 2-0 Win at FC Dallas
Gonzalo Tapia and Santiago Rodríguez scored either side of half-time as the Columbus Crew beat FC Dallas 2-0 on the road, climbing into the Eastern Conference's final playoff place with two matches left.
The Columbus Crew kept their late-season surge rolling with a 2-0 win at FC Dallas on Wednesday night, moving into the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with two matches remaining. Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring in the 18th minute, sliding home a cross from Anass Zaroury after Santiago Rodríguez had started the counter-attack, for his third goal in as many league matches. Rodríguez then doubled the lead in the 70th minute, reacting quickest after his teammate's header was saved. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made seven saves for his seventh clean sheet of the season, and the Crew survived a long video review that overturned a Dallas equaliser in the 60th minute, when Petar Musa was found offside in the build-up to Shaq Moore's apparent goal. The win was Columbus's fourth in a row and sixth in seven, lifting them to 41 points and two clear of the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. Dallas, already assured of a Western Conference playoff place, saw a modest unbeaten run end and stayed second in the West. Columbus host D.C. United on Saturday knowing two more results would seal a postseason return.