FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It’s difficult to contend in any league if you can’t win on the road.
Columbus Crew SC have kept their playoff aspirations in sight despite failing to win on the road in 2016, but head coach Gregg Berhalter knew that away results needed to start falling his club’s way if they wanted to close ground on the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
They did just that Saturday night. For the first time this season, Crew SC picked up three points on enemy turf. Columbus (4-8-11) scored early in both halves – Ethan Finlay at the eight-minute mark, Federico Higuain in the 49th minute – as they shut out the New England Revolution, 2-0, for the team’s fifth clean sheet of the season.
“I think it’s big; it’s a confidence builder,” Berhalter said. The first half in particular, we played really well. There have been times this year where we’ve gone on the road, played this way, and haven’t gotten the result, so I think that it’s gratifying to have a strong performance and get the three points.”
The victory alleviated the Crew of several negative streaks. It was Columbus’s first win on the road since October 17, 2015, in Toronto – a streak of 10 matches. It also broke a four-game winless streak against the Revolution (6-11-8) at Gillette Stadium.
More importantly, this was Columbus’s first win in their last 12 league matches, dating back to a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on June 15 in US Open Cup play.
For a team that began the night seven points out of the final playoff spot in the East, road results need to fall Crew SC's way should they hope to claim a playoff berth at the end of the season. Six of their final 11 matches will come away from MAPFRE Stadium, though the Crew carry a game in hand on both D.C. United, who will take on the Red Bulls on Sunday, and Orlando City SC, who occupy the final playoff spot in the East on 28 points.
“It’s a great feeling,” said defender Michael Parkhurst, “It’s a big sigh of relief for everybody. It’s the first full performance we’ve put in for a long time. We felt it was coming, but it was a great team fight tonight.
“I think that we won the fight physically, and that allowed us to play soccer. And when we do that, we can outplay most teams."
