Both the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas were fighting for positioning in contested conferences heading into Saturday’s game. However, each team was fighting at different ends of the spectrum. The 1-1 draw played out like a game of two teams in need of points but not enough to get over the hump.

After a goal apiece during the first half, a scoreless second half was filled with drama and anticipation as each side came close to coming away with the victory. Ultimately, the teams shared the points and keept their playoff positioning, with critical matches still to come.

Here’s how we evaluated the individual Black & Gold players in this game.  

Starters  

Patrick Schulte (7.0) – The goalkeeper was almost perfect for Columbus, coming up big between the posts on multiple occasions. Schulte’s save in the 16^th minute on an FC Dallas breakaway was the work of superior positioning and confidence, and it was that same positioning in the 64th minute that forced Jesus Ferrara to try and cross the ball wide instead of taking the shot directly. Schulte’s one imperfection proved costly, as he was a split-second late reacting to the cross and could not save a difficult header.

Steven Moreira (5.0) – It was one of Moreira’s more wanting performances. Wearing the captain’s armband, Moreira proved to be more of a liability than an asset. He was out of position and late to catch up with the streaking Jader Obrian, who was able to head in FC Dallas’ only goal on the evening. It’s obvious his leadership to the team, but his game needs to rise with that leadership role.

Rudy Camacho (7.0) – Camacho continues to be effective as a center back and his movement and understanding of the spaces created when others push into the attack continue to be vital for the Crew. Camacho’s four clearances indicated the dirty work he did defensively throughout the match.

Malte Amundsen (7.5) – On an evening when many of his teammates put in middling performances, Amundsen showed why he has become one of the team’s most important players. The left center back’s defensive performance was so good that FC Dallas moved Paul Arriola to the opposite side of the field. Amundsen tallied a tackle, two interceptions, two clearances and a blocked shot on an impressive evening.

Julian Gressel (6.5) – There was a mix of moments for Gressel. While he was unable to record an assist or put a shot on goal, the right wing back created some real chances for the Crew, including a 55^th minute inch-perfect pass that wasn’t directed on frame. Gressel was more active defensively, where he had a tackle, interception, two clearances and a blocked shot. However, his biggest error was allowing Obrian to slip by to score Dallas’ lone goal.

Yaw Yeboah (7.0) – During the first half of the game, Yeboah was highly active down the left side for the Black & Gold. He recorded five crosses with two on target and had three interceptions. But the left back grew quiet as the heat and the pressure from Dallas wore on.

Sean Zawadzki (7.0) – Zawadzki played well but he was often overshadowed by his midfield partner. Zawadzki completed 39 of his 41 passes and had a team-leading four interceptions, helping steal possession back for Columbus and contributing to the team’s 53 percent possession.

Aidan Morris (7.0) – Morris was highly involved in the match, finishing with the second-most touches on the team and controlling the midfield. Morris contributed a team-leading four tackles, consistently thwarting Dallas attacking sequences. The central midfielder was also active offensively, with two shots, including a rocket in the fifth minute of first half stoppage that pummeled straight into goalkeeper Maarten Paes.

Alexandru Matan (6.0) – It was a quiet night for the attacking midfielder, who recorded the fewest touches of any field player (45). While Matan has sometimes taken over games, creating and sparking chances, Dallas had an answer for everything the Romanian did.

Cucho Hernandez (7.0) – Less than an inch that separated Hernandez from game-winning glory. His shot, one of seven on the evening for the striker, bounced off the post in the 66th minute and went across the face of goal but not into the back of the net. It was an incredible effort from Hernandez, who had one of the highest work rates of any Columbus player. He was constantly pressing and forcing Dallas players into awkward positions, with his run in the 24^th minute leading to the own goal.

Diego Rossi (6.5) – There were both good and bad parts of Rossi’s performance against Dallas. On the plus side, the forward’s dangerous runs with the ball in the penalty box directly led to the Crew’s only goal. However, there were wasted opportunities where Rossi had the ball in dangerous areas but made the wrong pass at the wrong time. He recorded four crosses, but none of them reached their target. 

Substitutes  

Darlington Nagbe (N/A) – An 88^th minute substitute, Nagbe only had five touches of the ball.

Christian Ramírez (N/A) – Also substituted in the 88^th minute, Ramirez similarly only had five touches. 

Head coach  

Wilfried Nancy (6.5) – Two games ago, Nancy, made substitutes on the road in a hot environment at Orlando City SC and saw his team concede and lose. In this match, he elected to let his starters mostly see out the match, making only two substitutions, both coming in the 88^th minute. This game felt eminently winnable for the Crew, but the team didn’t push for the winner in the final moments. In a tightly compacted Eastern Conference, this felt like a game where the Black & Gold could have earned three points on the road.