Game Grades: Crew SC vs. New England Revolution

Columbus Crew SC reached its fourth straight match without a victory as the Black & Gold only tied with the New England Revolution 2-2 on Saturday at MAPFRE Stadium. It was another match with ups and downs for the Ohioans, who couldn’t keep the level with which they started the season over the last weeks.

Find out how each Crew SC player did in the match:

Zack Steffen (7) – The goalkeeper was very consistent and came up big every time the team needed him, especially in the second half. Zack didn’t have a chance to stop either of New England’s goals as both were well-placed close-range shots.

Harrison Afful (6) – The fullback was a constant presence in the offensive field and he showed good positioning around the penalty box, getting several rebounds in good spots, but his shots were not accurate. Defensively, he was not bothered so much, but he was too high up in the field on New England’s second goal.

Jonathan Mensah (5.5) – It was a weird night for the Ghanaian, with some great moments and a few bad ones. He led the team in clearances with four, hit the crossbar with a header and saved what would be a game-winner from Cristian Penilla a few feet before it crossed the goal line. On the other hand, the veteran made a sloppy mistake on New England’s second goal with a weird chest play that allowed Juan Agudelo to get the ball.

Josh Williams (5.5) – The center back made an odd decision on New England’s first goal, moving forward near the midfield line and leaving the defense unprotected, but other than that, he had a decent night, passing the ball well out of the back.

Milton Valenzuela (6) – The Argentinean had a great start to the match, creating multiple chances on the left flank, including the one that ended on Crew SC’s first goal. He also made a dangerous long pass to Artur which the Brazilian couldn’t get to. In the second half, though, he couldn’t find as much space to attack.

Wil Trapp (6.5) – The midfielder saved Crew SC from conceding an early goal with a crucial interception on a counter attack. He fed Zardes with an accurate long pass that almost ended in a goal and was the centerpiece of the team’s play building, with 92 passes — 27 more than Josh Williams, who had the team’s second-most touches.

Artur (5.5) – The Brazilian is clearly giving his best to support the team offensively with some dangerous runs while he still gets the job done defensively. Artur led the team in tackles (4) and created some good chances either driving the ball or passing it.

Pedro Santos (5) – The Portuguese winger missed a great opportunity in the first minutes as he failed to hit the ball near the penalty spot after a cross from Valenzuela. Santos was not on his best days passing the ball either, as he connected only 64.7 percent of his attempts, the lowest mark for the entire team.

Federico Higuain (6.5) – It was the most active performance we’ve seen from Pipa lately as he was much more involved in the game than usual, especially in the first half, when he took part on both goals and set up other good chances for this teammates. In the second half, though, he struggled to keep the same level.

Niko Hansen (6) – The winger got his first start of the season and showed good energy and the will to push the team forward. In the first half, he had a couple of great opportunities to score, but he didn’t shoot well on the first and was a half second late to tap Zardes’ cross in on the second. In the final half, his level was not the same and he was eventually substituted.

Gyasi Zardes (6.5) – The striker started the game at a slow pace, looking like he was always one step behind his teammates on every play. He found his rhythm near the end of the first half, though, scoring a goal with a clinical finish and creating good chances with intelligent runs behind New England’s back line.

Cristian Martinez (5.5) – The Panamanian entered the match late in the second half and created some chances from both wings. On the best of them, however, his pass to Zardes was way too powerful.

Adam Jahn (6) – The striker was subbed on the final minutes and his presence in the penalty box helped the team to look dangerous in crosses. He was unlucky to hit the post in what was Crew SC’s final opportunity to score.

Gregg Berhalter (6) – The team looked better than in the last match against D.C. United, creating from both sides, moving the ball faster and not being limited to crosses. The second goal was a tough blow, however, and at times it looks like he just doesn’t have the options he need in the bench to try something different.