Why, many asked, did Columbus Crew coach Robert Warzycha keep forward Jairo Arrieta out of the lineup the past two weeks after the Costa Rican returned from national team duty?
Now, the real question is whether Warzycha can afford to insert Arrieta back into the starting XI after Dominic Oduro, rescued the Crew for a second straight match. The Ghanaian forward scored a highlight goal in the 72nd minute to deliver a 1-1 draw at Stade Saputo on Sunday in a match postponed a day because of snow.
It was similar to his stunning equalizer, also in the 72nd minute, during a 1-1 draw vs. Philadelphia on April 6, seemingly arriving from of nothing and countering an equally spectacular score by Montreal's Marco Di Vaio four minutes earlier.
Oduro's 36th career goal was simply one for the ages, as the player himself admitted.
"I took a touch and tried to go for goal," he told the media afterward. "It was an amazing goal. One of the goals I'll probably cherish the remainder of my life. It's not every day you score a goal like that."
Oduro's first touch off a deflected cross by Josh Williams put the ball on his unnatural left foot and he pounded a shot from left to right across the goalmouth past Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins, a native of the Columbus suburb of Worthington.
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"It was one of a kind," Warzycha said. "He put it in the right place, upper 90."
The Crew is now 2-1-3 and Oduro has a goal in three of their six matches. He is halfway to the six he scored for the Chicago Fire last season in 33 matches before being dealt to the Crew in February for midfielder Dilly Duka.
Both Oduro and Columbus hope that’s just the beginning of his impact in black and gold.
"That was pretty much an individual effort," Crew defender Chad Marshall said. "He put the team on his back."
