The Columbus Crew continued their late-season surge Wednesday night, defeating FC Dallas 2-0 on the road to secure their fourth consecutive victory and keep their MLS Cup Playoff hopes alive. Santiago Rodríguez played a starring role, assisting on the opening goal before finding the back of the net himself in the second half. The victory moved Columbus (12-15-5) into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, occupying the final playoff position with just two matches remaining.
Columbus wasted little time making its presence felt as Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finishing a play set up by Rodríguez and Anass Zaroury. The goal marked Tapia’s third consecutive match with a goal in just nine MLS appearances. FC Dallas pushed for an equalizer, but Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte delivered an impressive performance, recording seven saves to earn his seventh clean sheet of the season. Rodríguez eventually put the match out of reach in the 70th minute, scoring his third goal of the campaign to double Columbus’ advantage.
The defeat was a rare setback for FC Dallas (15-8-9), which entered the contest having lost just once in its previous 10 matches. Despite the loss, Dallas has already secured its place in the Western Conference playoffs. Columbus, meanwhile, will look to maintain its momentum when it returns home to face D.C. United on Saturday, with every point crucial in its pursuit of a postseason berth.
