The Columbus Crew faced challenges on and off the field last week. On the field, the team had trouble breaking down an organized Nashville SC defense. After 90 minutes, and the two sides locked at 0-0, the Creew faced extra time.
An offensive run of play that started with a creative pass by midfielder Lucas Zelarayan to forward Gyasi Zardes ended with the forward passing into the 18-yard box for a game-winning Pedro Santos goal. Soon after, Zardes added a second to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Final against a New England Revolution side led by Major League Soccer coaching legend, Bruce Arena.