A draw wouldn't have helped the Crew much, but it would've been a lot better than the stinging 1-0 loss to Red Bull New York on a goal allowed in the 89th minute Sept. 12 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
After controlling play for most of the first half and 20-plus minutes of the second, the Crew steadily gave up momentum and eventually watched the game's deciding goal rip past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte off Ronald Donkor's right foot from the center of the box.
Donkor got open for a feed from the right side by Cameron Harper and scorched a shot inside the right post for the eventual winner, sending the Crew (6-14-5) to their second straight loss in league play and sixth defeat
in their past seven MLS games.
Rather than earning one point with a draw or three by win, the Crew remain stuck on 23 points with just nine games left in league play to claw back into contention for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Neither team scored in the first half, but it was't for a lack of effort on the Crew's part.
Barely three minutes into it, Santiago Rodriguez came within inches of scoring for a third straight game since joining the Crew. First, he sent a hard shot off the top right corner of the crossbar and then, seconds later, cut toward the goal for a shot from point-blank range that forced goalkeeper Ethan Horvath to make a desperation save with his right hand.
Gonzalo Tapia, making his first start at forward for the Crew, also threatened to score in the first half with two missed headers from inside the box plus a shot from just outside the box that was blocked. Tapia also got a header on target in the second half, in the game's 54th minute, but Horvath stopped it.
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew allow late goal, drop heartbreaker to Red Bull New York
