Everything seemed to be going swimmingly in Columbus through six games as Caleb Porter took over for Gregg Berhalter as head coach. The Crew went 4-1-1 and had conceded just four goals with Zack Steffen in net.
But that good start has led to a horrid run of form with the Crew losing eight of their last nine matches with the latest loss coming on Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids, as Nicolas Mezquida found an 89th minute winner to down Porter's team 3-2. The loss leaves them below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m very disappointed for the supporters. We haven’t been delivering results to them," said Porter after the match. "They deserve better and I’m massively disappointed in that. And I take responsibility. I take the blame, first and foremost. And first and foremost I have to do better."
The Crew came back from a goal down twice in the match, as Pedro Santos and Gyasi Zardes found equalizers to give their team a shot at some rare points. But the defense was unable to hold after some more injuries hit the backline.
Already without left back Milton Valenzuela for the season, Columbus have been feeling the loss of right back Harrison Afful (broken jaw) and left back Waylon Francis (thigh) in recent weeks. The fullback position was hit again in Colorado, as Hector Jimenez was forced to leave the match with a concussion, which Porter confirmed after the match.
Those injuries left Niko Hansen at right back — who started the match at the position despite almost exclusively playing winger in his MLS career — and Josh Williams at left back.
“We came from behind twice. That’s a positive. We scored two goals. Usually on the road, you score two goals you should win the game or at least get a draw. So for us to now concede three, we’ve got to go back to work on that side now and try to put together a more complete performance. Obviously it will help when we get a few guys back and healthy. But no excuses. We have to find a way to get a result in this match versus Colorado.”
The two goals were surely a welcome sight for a team that had been shut out in five of their last eight games. The injury bug also hit the attack, as playmaker Federico Higuain left the match with a "knee issue" per Porter.
Columbus will face New York City FC at home next week in what could be Steffen's last match with the Crew before he heads to the Gold Cup, and eventually Manchester City.
