Dylan Chambost was the engine behind everything Columbus Crew did well on Saturday, setting up both first-half goals as the Crew beat DC United 3-0 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Sean Zawadzki opened the scoring in the 16th minute, Anass Zaroury doubled the lead before the break, and a Kimito Nono own goal in the second half sealed it. Columbus controlled 62% of possession and held DC United at arm’s length throughout, moving to 44 points in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Key Moments
- 16′, Zawadzki breaks the deadlock. Chambost plays in Zawadzki, who finishes to give Columbus the lead.
- 22′, VAR intervenes, awarding DC United a penalty after a foul by Peltola.
- 24′, K. Kurokawa steps up but blazes his penalty wide, a miss that effectively ended any realistic DC United fightback.
- 41′, Zaroury makes it 2-0. Chambost provides his second assist of the night, teeing up Zaroury to slot home before half-time.
- 60′, Nono turns the ball into his own net under pressure to give Columbus a commanding three-goal cushion.
Tactical Breakdown
Laurent Courtois’s side used their 3-4-3 to suffocate DC United’s build-up from the opening whistle. With 590 accurate passes from 646 attempts and 62% possession, Columbus dictated tempo and forced DC United into a reactive 4-4-2 that struggled to win the ball back. Chambost operated at the heart of that dominance, finding pockets of space in the half-channels and consistently finding teammates in advanced positions. The underlying numbers were close (Columbus xG 1.1 vs DC United xG 1.16), but the Crew were ruthless when it mattered and DC United were not.
The missed penalty at 1-0 changed the shape of the contest. Had Kurokawa converted, DC United would have been back in the game at 1-1 in the 24th minute. Instead, Columbus regrouped and scored again before half-time through Zaroury, giving Courtois the platform to manage the second 45 minutes with five substitutions including Josef Martinez for Gonzalo Tapia and Tarun Karumanchi for Sekou Tidiany Bangoura, both made at the 71-minute mark. The game was already won by then.
René Weiler’s DC United had few answers to Columbus’s intensity. The visitors committed 20 fouls, picked up two yellow cards and saw Kye Rowles withdrawn at 70 minutes having already been booked. The own goal from Nono at the hour mark summed up their evening: DC United created enough to test Schulte four times but lacked the conviction to convert, and their defensive shape was repeatedly undone by Chambost’s movement and Zaroury’s pressing from wide areas.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Affiliate disclosure: the links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Soccer Legends may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Columbus Crew sit eighth in the Eastern Conference on 44 points, one ahead of Orlando City SC in ninth, keeping them inside the playoff picture. DC United remain 13th on 33 points, 11 behind the last playoff place, with their season running out of runway. For Courtois’s side, this was a professional and controlled performance that extended their momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Columbus Crew
DC United
A. Zaroury