Columbus Crew Beats Dallas to Clinch Final Eastern Playoff Spot
Santiago Rodríguez scored in the second half to give Columbus a 2-0 win and a postseason berth with two games left.
By Amit Chukwu ·
The Columbus Crew entered Wednesday night's match with one playoff spot remaining in the Eastern Conference. A 2-0 victory over FC Dallas secured that final berth.
Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Anass Zaroury provided his first league assist of the season to set up the goal. Tapia has now scored in three consecutive matches during his first nine MLS appearances.
Santiago Rodríguez extended the lead in the 70th minute. It marked his third goal in his 10th appearance this campaign. The midfielder had also set up Tapia's earlier goal, marking his seventh assist of the season.
Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte recorded seven saves to earn his seventh clean sheet in 32 starts. The result moves the Crew to 12-15-5 on the season. They are now 4-9-3 on the road.
FC Dallas drops to 15-8-9 and 8-3-5 at home. Goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto made one save for the visitors. Dallas has already clinched a Western Conference playoff spot and has lost only twice in its last 11 matches. The Crew hosts D.C. United on Saturday, while Dallas travels to Sporting Kansas City.
The win gives Columbus its fourth straight victory. The team will play with two matches remaining on its schedule.
Source: KXAS-TV
