Columbus win on Crewsmas day | OneFootball

On a frigid Saturday night in Columbus, Chicago arrived looking to spoil Crewsmas—but instead, they left haunted. Under the bright lights of Lower.com Field, the Crew, draped in a jersey paying homage to one of the city’s most famous storytellers, delivered a chilling tale of their own.

However, it was Chicago who drew first blood, taking advantage of a sleeping Crew defense as Brian Gutiérrez sent an early shockwave through the stadium. But Columbus wasn’t about to let the night slip into a nightmare. Jacen Russell-Rowe pounced on a Fire miscue, leveling the contest after Chicago’s failed attempt to play out from the back. Even then, the Crew weren’t out of the woods—Gutiérrez and Jonathan Bamba combined once more to put the visitors back in front.

True to their spirit, Wilfried Nancy’s side refused to back down. Before the interval, Columbus turned the match on its head, forcing an own goal before Diego Rossi rose highest to bury a header, sending the Crew into the break with the lead. The Uruguayan struck again at the start of the second half, nodding home his brace to put the game out of reach.

AZ Jackson thought he had added a fifth, only for VAR to intervene, ruling it out for offside in the buildup. The Black & Gold win 4-2.

That was the tale of Crewsmas—a night that began with fear but ended with the Crew standing tall, sending Chicago packing with nothing but goosebumps. Columbus end the opening matchweek top of the Eastern Conference.

Defensive frailties

Now on a more serious note, Columbus may have walked away with three points on Crewsmas, but the opening 20 minutes were anything but convincing. Defensive lapses nearly derailed the night before the Crew found their rhythm, with Chicago exploiting gaps and uncharacteristic mistakes at the back.

The warning signs were there from the opening whistle. Chicago found space too easily in transition, with Columbus struggling to track runners and deal with direct play especially with Bamba. The first goal was a product of poor awareness—Brian Gutierrez had time to pick his spot to rifle it in, capitalizing on a Crew backline caught flat-footed. Even after leveling the match through Russell-Rowe, the defensive uncertainty persisted. Miscommunication and a lack of urgency allowed Jonathan Bamba and Gutiérrez to combine again, cutting through the Crew’s defense with ease to reclaim the lead for Chicago.

It was a chaotic and unorganized stretch that could have seen Columbus punished further. The press lacked cohesion, defensive positioning was erratic, and individual mistakes mounted under pressure. The press however did improve and also profited in some goals.

Fortunately for Wilfried Nancy’s side, the early jitters didn’t define the night. Columbus regained control, settled into their attacking rhythm, and capitalized on their own pressing opportunities. But against stronger opposition, such defensive lapses could prove costly. A dominant Crewsmas victory may be the headline, but those first 20 minutes serve as a reminder—there’s still work to be done at the back.