When the keeper sees red shortly before half-time, MLS defending champions Columbus Crew have to play on with an outfield player in goal – and go down. How did it get this far?
Sean Zawadzki was wearing a red jersey instead of a black one and had gloves on, but he didn’t feel like a goalkeeper because of it. “I don’t really know what to do in a situation like that”, it was all ‘completely unpleasant’, said the 24-year-old defender when it was finally over and his team had ‘only’ lost 4-0.
Because it could have been even worse. Zawadzki had to switch from the field to goal before the break in the MLS catch-up game between defending champions Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders on Sunday night (CEST) and, like everyone at Lower.com Field, experienced a memorable evening
The international trips are Columbus’ undoing
The actual goalkeeper, Abraham Romero, had run out of his penalty area on a long ball, which he should not have left, and recklessly knocked over Jordan Morris, although his colleagues would probably have cleared the situation without him. The 26-year-old was shown a straight red card (45.+2) – and did the one thing that should not have happened to him in this game
With actual No. 1 Patrick Schulte (USA) and substitute Nicholas Hagen (Guatemala) away on international duty, Columbus had no other keeper available apart from No. 3 Romero and had to fall back on the none-too-enthusiastic Zawadzki after his suspension.
Three-man Rusnak feels pressure at the free-kick – and takes pity
The American promptly let the free-kick pass, which Romero would have had to hold first. “I felt a bit more pressure than if there had been an actual goalkeeper in goal. I felt like I had to score,” admitted goalscorer Albert Rusnak and felt sorry for him: ‘It wasn’t fair on him, but it was the only solution they had. ’
After the break, the Sounders made confident use of their superior numbers, but only managed to get past Zawadzki three more times through Rusnak (2) and Morris. Only at 0:3, a durable long-range shot, did the substitute “slip up” classically and was otherwise celebrated by the whole stadium for every successful action. He made an almost heroic save in stoppage time with a sliding tackle. “I just trusted the ball and protected the side where it was going,” said Zawadzki afterwards, analyzing his play. “But that’s all I can say because I have no experience at all. “
For the Crew, who recently won their next title in the Leagues Cup, this brought a run of seven competitive games to a crashing end, but the team led by goalscorers Cucho and Diego Rossi still remains on course for the play-offs. And best of all: with 28 goals conceded, Columbus still has the best defense in the MLS.
