Crew clinch MLS top-4 seed, eliminate Montreal with 2-1 win

By: The Associated Press Posted: 7:37 PM CDT Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 Last Modified: 8:06 PM CDT Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Darlington Nagbe scored the winner in the second half and the Columbus Crew clinched a top-four seed in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, while eliminating CF Montreal from post-season play with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2023 (1066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Darlington Nagbe scored the winner in the second half and the Columbus Crew clinched a top-four seed in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, while eliminating CF Montreal from post-season play with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.

Columbus (16-9-9) finishes 12-1-4 at home this season, posting a club-record 40 points. The Crew’s previous record was 38 in 2017. The Crew have just one loss at home in their last 27 matches in all competitions.

Nagbe took a pass from defender Malte Amundsen five minutes into the second half and scored for a third time this season.

Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe, left, controls the ball in front of CF Montreal midfielder Samuel Piette during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Sunusi Ibrahim used an assist from Zachary Brault-Guillard in the seventh minute to give Montreal (12-17-5) the early lead.

Cucho Hernández scored the equalizer for the Crew in the 17th minute when he snagged a pass from defender Steven Moreira to notch his 16th goal this season. Hernández’s 27-goal contributions this season are the third most in club history. Hernández has scored 10 goals since the start of September, tops in the league.

Patrick Schulte saved one shot for Columbus. Jonathan Sirois had three saves for Montreal.

Montreal entered play having won two of its last three matches in Columbus after going 1-9-2 in its first 12 trips there.

Montreal totalled only eight points on the road this season, going 2-13-2. Last season the club had 11 wins away from home, the most by any club in the post-shootout era (2000 on).