Both Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew struggled to create opportunities Wednesday night, and the points went to the team that put away their best chance. Neither side managed a shot on target from open play until the sequence that led to Gyasi Zardes' game winning goal. Still, the Union had a chance to even the scoreline in the dying moments of the match, but CJ Sapong was denied by Zack Steffen's low save.
A battle for the center of the pitch
Columbus sought to limit the Union's access to the center of the field by shadowing lanes into central midfielders.