07/12/2020 - 14:03
- Clarín.com
- sports
The great class of Lucas Zelarayán and the scoring ease of the American Gyasi Zardes were the key for Columbus Crew to beat FC Cincinnati 4-0 in the second match of the first double day of Group E of the Return Tournament of the Professional Soccer League ( MLS) of the United States.
The start of the game had to be delayed almost an hour due to the rain that fell in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The dominance of the Crew, serious contender for the title, was reflected from the start of a game in which he maintained possession under the direction of the Dutch Youness Mokhtar, who was together with Zelarayán and Zardes, another of the figures of the Columbus team. The first goal, precisely, came in the 27th minute thanks to a great free kick taken by Zelarayán , who nailed it to the angle to the Polish Cincinnati goalkeeper, Przemyslaw Tyton.
In the complement, again, it would be the duo between Zelarayán and Zardes (author of the second goal) that defined the 3-0 with the assistance of the former Belgrano and second goal in the personal account of the American striker, when the first few had barely been contested four minutes of the second part. Zelarayán was later replaced after 16 minutes.
. @ gyasinho DOES NOT STOP! # Crew96 | #CINvCLB | 0-3 pic.twitter.com/sOmrP10SZz
- Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) July 12, 2020Atlanta United started losing
With a goal from Florian Valot at the start of the duel, the New York Red Bulls beat Atlanta United 1-0. The game was also part of the MLS is Back contest, which takes place without an audience at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, located inside Walt Disney World.
Highlights from Orlando. pic.twitter.com/lNWUEx1aXq
- Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 12, 2020Valot, who missed much of the previous two seasons with injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, scored in the fourth minute. The Frenchman received a long pass from Kaku Romero Gamarra (also played by Pity Martínez, Fernando Meza, Franco Escobar, while Ezequiel Barco and Eric Remedi later entered) and advanced before beating goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Pity Martinez was booked.
Atlanta recently hired Mexican Jurgen Damm from the Tigers. However, the winger will not be available to play this tournament. The team's star forward, the Venezuelan Josef Martínez, was out of action from the first date of the regular season due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and will take months to return.
Winners duel
Columbus Crew and Red Bulls New York will meet next Thursday, July 16, in what will be the duel that can already leave the first classified in Group E, if one of the two gets the victory.
While FC Cincinnati will try to bounce back from the win when facing Atlanta United, with both of them forced to claim victory to increase their chances of qualifying.