After back-to-back wins at home, the Columbus Crew had a lot of momentum heading into a road matchup with Inter Miami. Given Miami sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, this seemed like a game the Crew should win, even away from Lower.com Field.

However, despite two outstanding goals from the Black & Gold, Columbus was unable to hold on to all three points, as a late incredible goal from Josef Martinez gave Inter the 2-2 draw and cost the Crew two points on the road.

Here is how the Black & Gold players performed in the tie.

Starters

Patrick Schulte (7.0) – Schulte played well overall for Columbus, despite the two goals allowed. While the Crew, and thereby Schulte, struggled against with the organization of set pieces, the goalkeeper’s distribution was solid for the most part. It’s hard to knock Schulte for letting in a powerful header from an unmarked man on the first goal and a Josef Martinez bicycle kick on the equalizer.

Sean Zawadzki (7.0) – Zawadzki was the best of the Black & Gold’s defenders in Miami and continues to impress in his transition to the backline. His value continues to rise and Zawadzki’s performance on Tuesday was once again strong with two tackles, two interceptions and a clearance.

Milos Degenek (6.5) – It was Degenek’s first start for the Crew since April 29 and the center back did a solid job overall on his return. Anchoring the backline, Degenek led the team with five clearances and added two interceptions, a tackle and a blocked shot besides. While he did look rusty and clearly suffered from fatigue late in the match, it was a good return for the Australian.

Malte Amundsen (6.5) – Amundsen almost allowed to equalize in the 84^th minute after poor marking left Inter midfielder David Ruiz unmarked in the penalty box for a clear opportunity. Other than that moment, the left center back played well, recording four clearances, an interception, a blocked shot and a tackle.

Mohamed Farsi (5.5) – Farsi missed a gift of an opportunity in the 36^th minute that should have doubled the lead. A poor first touch allowed the Miami goalkeeper to deal with the one-on-one chance. The Crew didn’t work much of the team’s attack through the wing backs, with 41 percent of the offense coming down the left side compared to only 29 percent coming on the right. Anecdotally, Instead, the Black & Gold used more central areas to attack, limiting Farsi’s effectiveness.

Max Arfsten (6.5) – Making only his second regular season start for Columbus, Arfsten, a natural forward, played as the left wing back in this match and did what needed to be done but nothing that stood out in his 65 minutes on the field. Defensively, Arfsten had a tackle, interception and a clearance, and offensively, he had two shots, neither of which were on frame.

Alexandru Matan (7.0) – Matan has paid off for the Crew as an attacking replacement for Aidan Morris at the moment, and once again made a significant contribution to a goal. He earned the secondary assist after making a strong run centrally in the 69^th minute before finding an outlet. However, Matan’s 84.6 percent passing accuracy played a role in the Black & Gold losing the possession battle.

Darlington Nagbe (7.5) – At least once a season, Nagbe scores a banger from outside the penalty box. In 2023, that happened against Miami in the first half. This goal underscores how effective the central midfielder has been the more he contributes to the Columbus attack. On Tuesday, Nagbe was stuck between keeping a higher position, allowing him to work to integrate the Crew’s attack and be more dangerous or staying back and connecting the backline with the rest of the team. Nagbe will likely feel more at home when he gets Morris back from his absence.

Lucas Zelarayán (7.5) – It was a rare game without a contribution to a goal by the Black & Gold’s dynamic No. 10. Zelarayán led the team in touches with 75, 14 more than Columbus’ second-highest player. His incredible vision was on full display with his cross-field pass in the 36^th minute that should have been rewarded with a goal.

Cucho Hernandez (7.5) – Hernandez continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the Crew’s attack, contributing yet another assist, his 10^th of the season, and even showed off his defensive skills with two tackles on the night. However, where the forward continues to underperform is in the goal scoring department,, despite once again leading the team in shots taken with three, none of which were on target. Hernandez is still sitting on only five goals in 15 appearances this year, and while being on pace for 10 goals in a season is not insignificant, both Hernandez and the Black & Gold expected more this season.

Christian Ramírez (7.5) – Ramirez continued his goal scoring tear as he added his eighth goal of the year, tying him with Zelarayán for the team lead. The forward’s ability to position himself into the space created by defenders more interested in marking Columbus’ other attackers and the ability to put the ball in the back of the net earned him the reward of another goal. Despite only having 18 touches, the Crew is a constant threat with Ramirez on the field. After his 81^st minute substitution, the Black & Gold failed to muster the same attacking potency.

Substitutes

Yaw Yeboah (6.0) – Yeboah was subbed on for Arfsten in the 65^th minute and, while he was productive offensively, he struggled to help Columbus lock down defensively to secure the win. His pass to Parente in the 82^nd minute was an excellent recognition of space and opportunity, but his poor recognition defensively almost led to the equalizer in two minutes later.

Isiah Parente (5.5) – Parente missed a clear-cut opportunity at goal in the 82^nd minute in what would prove to be his only chance of the night, as he finished the match with only three touches.

Steven Moreira (5.5) – An 81^st minute, defensive-minded sub, Moreira struggled to integrate into the Crew’s backline. And while it’s tough to defend against a moment of brilliance, the defender ended up being a half step too slow to prevent Martinez’s late equalizer.

Head Coach

Wilfred Nancy (7.0) – Nancy had a tough task in this match considering the Black & Gold played twice in only four days, and he clearly decided to go for the win at home against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, while starting a more rotated lineup against Miami on Tuesday. However, Nancy only made three changes to the starting 11 and used only two substitutes. Tired legs and the South Florida heat caught up to Columbus, conceding in the 90^th minute and dropping points late. While Nancy’s personnel decisions shouldn’t be cheaply criticized – the Crew still sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, 11 points clear of the MLS Cup playoff line – it is curious that he didn’t use all five substitutes to try and ensure the team had fresh legs late in the match.