Trailing at halftime and staring at another dropped home point, Columbus Crew produced a sharp second-half response to beat Charlotte 3-1 on Wednesday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Brais Mendez leveled before the break after Idan Toklomati Giorno had given the visitors an early lead, then Anass Zaroury and Taha Habroune struck in the 63rd and 65th minutes to put the result beyond doubt. The Crew outshot Charlotte 33 to 9 on the night and generated an xG of 2.85 against the visitors’ 0.91, a performance that flattered the scoreline as much as anything else.
Key Moments
- 17′, Idan Toklomati Giorno opens the scoring for Charlotte, finishing without a credited assist to put Dean Smith’s side ahead against the run of possession.
- 28′, Brais Mendez pulls Columbus level, converting a chance set up by Rodriguez to restore parity before the half-hour mark.
- 45′, Charlotte make three substitutions at the break, sending on Nathan Byrne, Luca de la Torre and Rodolfo Aloko in a structural reset by Dean Smith.
- 63′, Anass Zaroury puts Columbus ahead for the first time, finishing from a pass by Farsi to give interim coach Laurent Courtois’s side the lead.
- 65′, Taha Habroune doubles the advantage two minutes later, turning what had been a tight contest into a comfortable home win.
- 69′, Zaroury is withdrawn after scoring, replaced by Lennon, with the game already settled.
Tactical Breakdown
Columbus controlled the match in territory and volume, finishing with 53% possession, 14 shots on target and an xG of 2.85. Charlotte goalkeeper Kahlina was exceptional in keeping the deficit manageable, recording 11 saves, but the sheer weight of Crew pressure was always going to tell. Columbus worked ten corners and peppered the box from both inside and outside, with 21 of their 33 total shots coming from inside the area.
The turning point came at halftime, when Charlotte made three simultaneous substitutions. The structural reset did not close the gap as intended. Two minutes after the second half resumed at a steady pace, Farsi found Zaroury in space and Columbus were ahead. Habroune added a second almost immediately, and the match was over as a contest by the 65th minute. Charlotte never recovered the tempo they had shown in the first half.
Charlotte’s first-half plan had merit: concede possession, press on the break and look to Toklomati Giorno’s movement up front. It produced the opener at 17 minutes and a 1-1 scoreline at the break, which was arguably better than their xG of 0.91 deserved. But Kahlina’s workload, 11 saves in 90 minutes, tells the real story of how one-sided the second half became. Without a way to relieve pressure in the final third, the back line was exposed to constant waves of Crew attacks.
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Verdict
The win lifts Columbus to 32 points in the Eastern Conference, though they remain 13th and outside the playoff spots with work still to do. Charlotte, sitting fifth on 46 points, stay comfortably in playoff position despite the loss, but the 3-1 defeat and a display that required 11 saves from their goalkeeper to stay remotely competitive will be a concern for Dean Smith heading into the final stretch.
Charlotte FC
Columbus Crew
Brais Méndez
Taha Habroune