Diego Rossi scored in the 82nd minute on Saturday night, helping the Columbus Crew secure a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City.
Rossi capitalized on a mistake by defender Wyatt Meyer, who attempted to clear a cross but instead redirected the ball to Rossi. With time to take aim, Rossi fired a shot past goalie John Pulskamp into the left corner, marking his second goal in two games.
Wassou Abou Ali also scored for the Crew (0-1-1, 1 point), making it his second consecutive game with a goal. For Kansas City (0-1-1, 1 point), Dejan Joveljic netted two goals, giving his team a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute after he found a loose ball in the box and shot through a defender’s legs into the corner.
Joveljic equalized for Kansas City in the 48th minute with a well-timed finish on a counterattack, with Jacob Davis setting him up right in front of the goal. Joveljic’s shot caught goalie Patrick Schulte off guard.
Columbus finished the match slightly ahead with 10 shots to Kansas City’s 8 and 5 shots on target compared to 4. The Crew maintained 52.5% possession and attempted 16 crosses, significantly more than Kansas City.
Both teams began their seasons last weekend with road losses. Columbus lost 3-2 to Portland after conceding a late goal, while Kansas City suffered a 3-0 defeat to San Jose after allowing two quick goals before halftime.
For the first 30 minutes, Kansas City controlled the game until Pulskamp made a critical error in the 33rd minute by misplaying the ball. Abou Ali intercepted his casual pass and scored easily into an open net.
Despite that mistake, Pulskamp (three saves) played a key role in helping Kansas City earn a draw. Columbus created enough opportunities to register 3.5 expected goals, according to league statistics.