A scoreless first half gave way to a one-sided second as Columbus Crew took control at Saputo Stadium, with Mohamed Farsi and Brais Méndez combining for both goals in a 2-0 win over CF Montreal. A disallowed goal in the 60th minute briefly suggested Montreal might draw level, but Columbus responded almost immediately with their second. The result extends Montreal’s home winless run to nine games in MLS this season, according to the Toronto Star.
Key Moments
- 2′, Brayan Ceballos picked up an early yellow card for Montreal, setting a nervy tone for the hosts.
- 57′, Mohamed Farsi broke the deadlock, finishing a move assisted by Sean Zawadzki to put Columbus ahead.
- 60′, Montreal thought they had pulled level through Prince Owusu, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside.
- 68′, Brais Méndez doubled Columbus’s lead with an unassisted finish, effectively ending the contest.
Tactical Breakdown
Columbus entered in a 3-4-2-1 and spent much of the game working without the ball, finishing with 45% possession against Montreal’s 55%. The efficiency gap told the real story: the visitors generated an xG of 0.92 against Montreal’s 0.47, landing three of their 13 shots on target and converting twice. Montreal had more of the ball but were frustratingly wasteful, managing just two shots on goal from nine attempts, with six more blocked before they even tested Patrick Schulte.
The disallowed Owusu goal at 60 minutes was the pivot point. Columbus absorbed the VAR interruption quickly and, within eight minutes, had a two-goal buffer through Méndez. Interim coach Laurent Courtois then made a double substitution at 69 minutes, replacing Josef Martínez and Anass Zaroury with Gonzalo Tapia and Brooks Lennon to manage the game down. It worked cleanly: Montreal never seriously threatened again.
Interim coach Philippe Eullaffroy’s triple change at the 74th and 75th minutes, bringing on Noah Streit, Matthew Longstaff, and Daniel Rios, could not shift the balance. The five offside calls against Montreal reflected a team chasing the game with diminishing coordination, and Columbus’s defensive structure, anchored by Zawadzki and Malte Amundsen, gave them very little room to work with in behind.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
The result leaves Montreal at 15th in the Eastern Conference on 21 points, six points adrift of Columbus in 13th. Neither side is threatening the playoff positions at the top of the table, and for Montreal the more pressing concern is arresting a form collapse at home. Nine games without a win at Saputo Stadium is a damaging run for a side that needs something to change before the regular season closes out.