Columbus Crew stuns MLS again with shocking comeback and silent takeover | OneFootball

Columbus Crew showed, with a solid performance on the road, that it remains one of the most consistent teams in the 2025 MLS season. The 2-1 comeback win over St. Louis CITY SC came with personality and grit, extending the team’s unbeaten streak to eight games. The result puts the club back on top of the Eastern Conference with 18 points, tied with Inter Miami CF, as the only two undefeated teams so far. And, looking at the current landscape, it’s hard to ignore just how much this team has been delivering.

Wilfried Nancy doesn’t get caught up in numbers or hype. “It’s a fact. I like when something is factual,” the coach said after the final whistle at Energizer Park. He also emphasized that the team’s focus is on the work, not on chasing records. “I’m proud of that because there’s a lot of work behind it. We’re not looking for that kind of thing. That kind of thing happens naturally if we do something good.”

Team responds with composure after going down early

St. Louis CITY SC v Columbus Crew | Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/GettyImages

St. Louis CITY took the lead first, but Columbus responded before halftime with a goal from Steven Moreira. The turnaround came in the second half, with Diego Rossi finishing off a play built right after Dániel Gazdag stepped onto the field for his Crew debut.

Defender Max Arfsten helped explain how the team reacted to the early setback: “We’re all working together and, no matter what happens, if we concede in the first half like we did today, we all stay focused and in sync.”

The second goal was finished by Rossi, who capitalized on a sequence started by Gazdag and Dylan Chambost. Moreira pointed out the play after the match: “You could see on the second goal how he combined with Dylan Chambost and then we passed it to Diego. He’s a good player.”

Rossi’s performance is yet another reminder of how important he is to this squad. Even after Cucho Hernández left for Real Betis during the preseason, the attacking unit hasn’t missed a beat, with different players stepping up.

Gazdag, who just joined from the Philadelphia Union, came on at halftime and made an immediate impact. His movement and involvement in the second goal made a strong first impression. “We already saw in the first training session that he’s going to help the team a lot. We’ve always had a good team, so with him, it’s going to be very, very good,” Moreira added.

St. Louis CITY SC v Columbus Crew | Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/GettyImages

Roster adapts to changes without missing a step

Cucho Hernández’s transfer, which involved a record fee for the club, could have disrupted the flow. But there’s been no sign of decline on the field. Arfsten spoke about the team’s preparation: “We work on specific things in training for each game. Every week, we have an idea of how the opponent is going to defend, and we try to replicate that in training, and then you see the results in the matches.”

That process has been reflected on the scoreboard and in the standings. The Crew sits among the league leaders, with consistent results both at home and away.

With the Eastern Conference lead secured this round, Columbus Crew remains in a strong position in the Supporters’ Shield race, which covers the entire regular season. The one-point gap behind Vancouver Whitecaps shows just how tight things are at the top.