The Columbus Crew are living a charmed life through four weeks of the season.
Taking advantage of mass confusion during added time in Seattle, Columbus turned one point into three thanks to Justin Meram’s goal in the 94th minute.
The Sounders, widely considered pre-season favourites to hoist silverware, were forced to play the final half hour with 10 men after Djimi Traore was sent off.
Seattle players, including fullback DeAndre Yedlin, blamed referee Allen Chapman for distracting them in the build up to the winner. An apparent handball by Osvaldo Alonso led to intense discussion in the penalty area. Columbus took a quick corner while the conversation raged, and the ball landed on Meram’s foot.
“If you’re talking to our players, why do you let the ball get played?” Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid asked following the game, according to the Seattle Times.
Yedlin admitted the blame was on both Chapman and his teammates.
"It goes both ways. You never like to blame a game on a ref and I’m not going to right now because we had plenty of opportunities to finish that game before we went down to 10.”
Do the Sounders have a case? From a neutral perspective, the answer is yes. But Columbus’ scintillating start to the 2014 campaign is the biggest takeaway from Week 4.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter’s decision to introduce Meram into the game in the 89th minute was a masterstroke, as the Crew find themselves alone in first place in the Eastern Conference.
After three years of missing the playoffs, you can forgive Crew supporters for being excited. This is starting to feel like 2008 all over again.
They’ll welcome Toronto FC to Ohio on Saturday, in what is primed to be an exciting fixture.
“Toronto is a very good team," Berhalter said. "They’ve proven that they can win here [in Seattle] as well so it’s going to be a tough game. We know that.”
Sporting KC wins it at the death
Columbus wasn’t the only team to leave it late in Week 4. Sporting KC treated 1,000 travelling supporters with a last gasp winner in Colorado.
Dominic Dwyer played the role of super sub, much like Meram, scoring the winner nine minutes after entering the game. The goal was superb but the celebration? Come on, Dom.
Dallas wins a weird one
FC Dallas continued their winning ways at Toyota Stadium, adding to the winless Portland Timebers’ woes.
The game was anything but ordinary, with Michael Harrington and Je-Vaughn Watson seeing red for an off the ball incident. It was a dicey call, and one not often made. But the match was significantly altered as a result.
Mauro Diaz may just be the league’s hottest player, cementing his claim to that mantle with a right footed strike into the opposite corner to secure three points for the West’s best team a month in.
Goal of the week
Boy, did the Impact miss Marco Di Vaio. The Italian star marked the end of his three-game suspension with a top flight performance against Philadelphia. He registered nine shots in 90 minutes of action, including Montreal’s all important equalizer in the 80th minute.
