Crew Get Yet Another Road Win, Defeat Toronto at BMO

The Crew pulled out a 1-0 win on the road. It shouldn't be surprising; it was their third of the 2013 season. The win snapped their two game losing streak and sent Toronto to four straight losses.

Toronto opened the game strongly as they controlled the tempo early and kept the Crew in their own half. The dangerous Robert Earnshaw hassled the Black and Gold defense. The best chance came in the 14th minute. A Justin Meram turnover gave Earnshaw his first chance as he turned Eric Gehrig and clipped an off balance shot that Andy Gruenebaum saved easily.

Columbus would get the next chance as Oduro would nod a Gruenebaum goal kick that fell perfectly to Higuain. He timed his volley shot to near perfection and put a dipping shot off the Toronto crossbar in the 18th minute. Higuain would ring a shot off the post in the 32nd minute. The Argentine was active throughout the half.

The Reds would strike back with a long ball play of their own in the 22nd minute. Earnshaw beat the offside trap and tracked down the long pass from Matias Laba. He would then split Josh Williams and Tony Tchani along the touchline and fire another off balance shot that had Gruenebaum the wrong way. The keeper recovered to smother the chance.

Toronto would have a golden chance to open the scoring nearly 10 minutes from half time. Earnshaw again started the play with a pinpoint cross to Luis Silva. Silva's header fell perfectly to Justin Braun, but Braun somehow scooped his shot from 11 yards wide left of the Crew goal.

After dodging three very good Toronto scoring chances, the Crew would breakthrough against the run of play in the 41st. Tyson Wahl forced a turnover at midfield with a challenge on Braun. Matias Sanchez quickly found Higuain. He bent a pass splitting the Reds defense to Oduro. Oduro calmly finished past Joe Bendik to give the Crew a lead right before the break.

Columbus would nearly recreate the goal in the second half on the 64th minute effort. Tchani would pick up the ball deep in the Crew half and quickly find Higuain. He waited for Oduro to glide past the defense before slipping in another defense splitting pass. Oduro's wide angle shot blazed wide.

Toronto pressed for a goal after the break, but struggled to break down the stout Columbus defense. The home team only managed three shots in the second half. Earnshaw got off two more shots that didn't trouble Gruenebaum. Jeremy Brockie's stoppage time header flew harmlessly wide.

Columbus moves to 4-4-3 with 15 points on the year. The result leaves them in 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Toronto remains mired well back of the playoff place with seven points and a single win in 2013. Both teams head east as the Reds face off against New England next Saturday and the Crew play New York on Sunday.