Columbus Crew SC 1, New York Red Bulls 1 | 2019 MLS Match Recap

Andreas Ivan headed in Florian Valot's cross in the opening minutes for his first MLS goal, and the shorthanded New York Red Bulls held on for a 1-1 draw against Columbus Crew SC in both teams' regular season opener at MAPFRE Stadium.

Gaston Sauro nodded home Federico Higuain's corner to equalize just before halftime for the Crew in their first match under new coach Caleb Porter.

But as the Red Bulls rested many of their regulars in anticipation of their Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal commitments on Tuesday, neither side created much in the way of clear opportunities in the second 45 minutes.

Goals

• RBNY - 6' - Andreas Ivan | WATCH
• CLB - 41' - Gaston Sauro | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: With Bradley Wright-Phillips and Daniel Royer not even making the trip, and Kaku remaining on the subs bench throughout, any point Saturday was a good point for the Red Bulls.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH:
Ivan's opener marked his second goal in as many competitive matches, after scoring in the late stages of Leg 2 of the Red Bulls CCL first-round victory over Atletico Pantoja:

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MAN OF THE MATCH:Michael Murillo's relentless box-to-box work from his right back spot helped the Red Bulls make up for the star power they were missing in the attack.

Up Next

• CLB: Saturday, March 9 at New England Revolution (1 pm ET| MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
• RBNY: Tuesday, March 5 vs. Santos Laguna, CCL quarterfinal first leg (8 pm ET | UDN, YahooSports.com)