Wild Comeback, Self-Inflicted Wounds: Columbus Crew 2–2 Nashville SC Ends in Chaotic Draw

By Rene Vidal

In a heart-racing, drama-filled evening at Lower.com Field, Columbus Crew and Nashville SC battled to a thrilling 2–2 draw that featured an early sucker punch, a scorching comeback, and a soul-crushing own goal that denied the visitors all three points. From Sam Surridge’s clinical opener in the second minute to Jeisson Palacios’ nightmare moment late in the second half, the match ebbed and flowed with playoff-level intensity, closing out with both sides rueing missed chances and celebrating a point earned.

First Half: Nashville Start Fast, Columbus Wasteful

Nashville couldn’t have asked for a better start. Just two minutes in, Sam Surridge buried a left-footed strike from the center of the box into the bottom left corner after some slick combination play, silencing the home crowd. With an xG of 76%, it was a chance you expect a forward of his caliber to finish — and he did.

Columbus responded with high pressing and urgency, crafting several promising chances throughout the first half, but the final product eluded them:

• Diego Rossi, lively on the right, had multiple attempts blocked and one shot skewed wide (18', 29', 34').

• Max Arfsten tested Joe Willis but also fired over twice from distance.

• In the 40th minute, Jonathan Pérez nearly doubled the lead for Nashville, smashing the post with a low effort from the center of the box.

Despite outshooting Nashville and maintaining territorial dominance, the Crew trailed 0–1 at the break. It was a case of efficiency versus wastefulness.

Second Half: Fireworks and a See-Saw Battle

Head coach Wilfried Nancy shuffled his deck at halftime, bringing on Aziel Jackson for Ibrahim Aliyu, a move that would pay dividends in building attacking cohesion.

After a handful of near-misses from both teams — including Shaffelburg's curling effort (62') and Jacen Russell-Rowe hitting the post (76') — Columbus finally cracked the code in the 69th minute. Following a fast buildup, Diego Rossi calmly slotted home from close range, equalizing with a composed right-footed finish (xG 79%) into the bottom left corner. It was a reward long in the making for the Crew’s persistence.

But Nashville had other ideas. Only nine minutes later, Hany Mukhtar, who had been growing into the game, made his decisive mark. Latching onto a loose ball in the box, he hammered a low shot past Nicholas Hagen to make it 2–1 for the visitors (xG 93%). Nashville fans erupted as their talisman came through in clutch fashion yet again.

Late Drama: Own Goal Heartbreak

With time running out and the game slipping away, Columbus refused to quit. Just two minutes after Mukhtar's strike, Dániel Gazdag missed a decent chance from the center of the box (81'), but fortune smiled on the hosts moments later. A low cross into the box led to a nightmare moment for Jeisson Palacios, who, under pressure and off balance, sliced the ball into his own net. A devastating own goal brought Columbus level at 2–2, and the stadium roared back to life.

Final Moments: Misses, Saves, and a Frantic Finish

The final five minutes were pure chaos:

• Lassi Lappalainen's shot was blocked.

• Jacob Shaffelburg had two attempts saved by Nicholas Hagen.

• Andy Najar almost stole it at the death with a low drive, but Hagen stood tall.

• On the final kick of the game, Walker Zimmerman rose highest on a corner but sent his header just over the bar (xG 5%), bringing the curtain down on a breathless affair.

Discipline and Intensity

A total of five yellow cards reflected the rising temperature of the contest. Notably:

• Darlington Nagbe, Dylan Chambost, and Hany Mukhtar were all booked in the second half.

• Alex Muyl received a caution for time-wasting deep into stoppage time.

• The fouls and gamesmanship underscored just how much this point meant to both clubs.

Key Stats

Stat	Columbus Crew	Nashville SC
Shots	21	13
Shots on Target	7	6
Possession	58%	42%
xG	2.1	1.8
Saves	4	5
Yellow Cards	3	2
Corners	9	5

Tactical Takeaways

• Columbus’s fluid front three of Rossi, Arfsten, and Gazdag constantly interchanged, creating overloads and space, but lacked composure until late.

• Nashville’s back line was mostly solid but undone by their own hand in the end.

• Mukhtar’s central positioning and ability to find pockets hurt Columbus in transition repeatedly.

• The introduction of Lappalainen and Jackson injected pace and purpose for the Crew in the second half.