The Columbus Crew began the 2023 campaign on the road in a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union. This match brought with it a dramatically changed lineup featuring young stars and returning veterans. In head coach Wilfried Nancy’s first game in charge of the Black & Gold, the Crew came out on fire and was clearly the better team for the opening 45 minutes.
Then, the handballs came. Two controversial penalty kick calls and two more lapses in defensive coverage led to the final scoreline.
As it turned out, the opener was a disappointing result for Columbus, although mixed with optimism on the individual performances.