After two late first-half goals from the Crew, United were unable to come back against Columbus' surge, falling 3-1 on the road in Week 4.
With Ulises Segura, Zoltán Stieber, Oniel Fisher, Dane Kelly, and Bruno Miranda away on national team duty, the Black-and-Red fielded a different lineup than in their prior season's matchups—a 4-2-3-1 featuring Homegrowns Chris Durkin (first career MLS start) and Ian Harkes (first start of 2018) in the defensive midfield.
United entered the match full of energy and a sense of urgency as they played a high press against the Crew, forcing a number of turnovers in promising positions and challenging Columbus to make quick decisions in their own half early on. Despite the pressure, the Crew struck first in the 20th minute when a series of crafty build-up play allowed Milton Valenzuela to beat David Ousted from just outside the six-yard box.
The Black-and-Red refused to back down, though. They continued with their high press and found their equalizer just 10 minutes later. Luciano Acosta carried the ball into the box with little pressure and fed fellow Argentine Yamil Asad unmarked at the top of the box. Asad picked out the left corner to beat Columbus goalkeeper Jon Kempin for his second goal of the season (Acosta's first assist of the season), leveling things at 1-1 and bringing momentum back in the Black-and-Red's favor.
The home side retook the lead in the 40th minute, converting with a Ricardo Clark header off of a corner kick. Two minutes later, with Acosta forcing a turnover and making a run into the box again, defender Lalas Abubakar made a controversial tackle on the Argentine, sending him flying off the ball and to the ground. The referees let play carry on, though, allowing Pedro Santos to score Columbus' third of the night off of the counter while Acosta struggled to return to his feet at the other end of the pitch.
United tried to conjure the same two-goal comeback they were able to muster in the prior week against Houston, but the Crew's consistent possession and strong transition play prevented the visitors from clawing their way back into the match. Now the Black-and-Red will look to regroup in the District before they return to the road next weekend, continuing their road trip to Audi Field when they take on Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, March 31 at 8 PM ET.
