Columbus Crew get back to winning ways

Sep 5, 2013 at 12.30am UK

FT(HT: 0-0)

Columbus Crew end their two-game losing streak while preventing Houston Dynamo from ascending to fourth place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Published: September 5 2013 | 02:37

Last updated: September 5 2013 | 13:55

Columbus Crew have started life under Brian Bliss with a deserved 2-0 win at home to Houston Dynamo.

Goals from Ryan Finley and Jason Meram sealed all three points in Ohio, which means that Dominic Kinnear's men have missed the chance to go fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference.

It was the visitors who nearly took the lead in the opening minute of the game, when a mistake from Eric Gehrig allowed Will Bruin in on goal. However, Chad Barson raced back to clear off the line after the striker had rounded goalkeeper keeper Matt Lampson.

Dominic Oduro also found some space in behind the Dynamo's defence, but the quick thinking of Tally Hall prevented the Ghanaian international from breaking the deadlock in the 33rd minute.

The teams went in goalless at the break but it did not take long after the restart for the first goal of the evening.

In contrast to the first period, it was the home side who made the stronger start to the second half, as some early pressure resulted in Meram supplying Ryan to lash home from inside the area.

Dynamo defender Kofi Sarkodie was needed to clear Chad Marshall's effort off the line in the 57th minute as the Crew continued to press for a killer goal.

The hosts' pressure finally brought reward in the 74th minute, as Meram swooped to finish Finlay's scuffed shot having crashed a effort off the crossbar just moments earlier.

Victory sees the hosts end their two-game losing run and inch themselves to within three points of seventh-placed Chicago Fire.

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Eastern Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Inter Miami Inter Miami	34	22	8	4	79	49	30	74
2	Columbus Crew	34	19	9	6	72	40	32	66
3	FC Cincinnati Cincinnati	34	18	5	11	58	48	10	59
4	Orlando City	34	15	7	12	59	50	9	52
5	Charlotte FC Charlotte FC	34	14	9	11	46	37	9	51
6	New York City FC NY City	34	14	8	12	54	49	5	50
7	New York Red Bulls NY Red Bulls	34	11	14	9	55	50	5	47
8	CF Montreal Montreal	34	11	10	13	48	64	-16	43
9	Atlanta United Atlanta	34	10	10	14	46	49	-3	40
10	DC United	34	10	10	14	52	70	-18	40
11	Philadelphia Union Philadelphia	34	9	10	15	62	55	7	37
12	Toronto	34	11	4	19	40	61	-21	37
13	Nashville SC Nashville	34	9	9	16	38	54	-16	36
14	New England Revolution New England	34	9	4	21	37	74	-37	31
15	Chicago Fire	34	7	9	18	40	62	-22	30

Western Conference

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Los Angeles FC Los Angeles	34	19	7	8	63	43	20	64
2	Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy	34	19	7	8	69	50	19	64
3	Real Salt Lake Salt Lake	34	16	11	7	65	48	17	59
4	Seattle Sounders Seattle	34	16	9	9	51	35	16	57
5	Houston Dynamo Houston	34	15	9	10	47	39	8	54
6	Minnesota United Minnesota Utd	34	15	7	12	58	49	9	52
7	Colorado Rapids Colorado	34	15	5	14	61	60	1	50
8	Portland Timbers Portland	34	12	11	11	65	56	9	47
9	Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver	34	13	8	13	52	49	3	47
10	Austin FC Austin	34	11	9	14	39	48	-9	42
11	Dallas	34	11	8	15	54	56	-2	41
12	St Louis City	34	8	13	13	50	63	-13	37
13	Sporting Kansas City Kansas	34	8	7	19	51	66	-15	31
14	San Jose Earthquakes Earthquakes	34	6	3	25	41	78	-37	21