Columbus Crew stay top as Zardes shines in draw with Chicago Fire

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:14 am

Gyasi Zardes set up the first goal and scored the second in the 88th minute as the Columbus Crew rallied from a two-goal half-time deficit to tie hosts Chicago Fire 2-2 at Soldier Field on Saturday.

Columbus (7-1-3, 24 points) has two wins and two ties in the past four games to lead MLS in points.

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Djordje Mihailovic scored a goal in the 11th minute and Robert Beric added another in the 14th as the Fire (2-6-3, 9 points) took a 2-0 lead. Fatai Alashe scored for the Crew in the 68th minute to make it 2-1.

Crew goalkeeper Eloy Room made a point-blank save on Przemyslaw Frankowski in the 86th minute to keep Columbus in the game.

Zardes then took a deflected pass from Youness Mokhtar near the top of the box and scored his eighth goal, and his third in the past two games, to complete the comeback.

The Crew felt the absences of injured midfielders Lucas Zelarayan and Darlington Nagbe. Zelarayan, the league leader in game-winning goals with three, missed his third straight match.

Without them the Crew's ability to possess and attack weakened, and the Fire took advantage. The pair of Fire goals equaled the number allowed by the Crew in the first 10 games and prevented Columbus from tying the MLS record of nine shutouts in the first 11 games.

Mihailovic's first goal of the season made it 1-0 from a perfect pass to the center of the box from Beric on the right flank. Mihailovic got position on defender Harrison Afful and used his left foot to place the ball past Room, who gave up his first goal in 472 minutes.

Mihailovic left the game in the 22nd minute with a possible head injury.

Beric extended the lead with a run to the right post to convert the service by Fabian Hebers following a throw-in. Beric's third goal was his first in eight games.