The Columbus Crew lost its second match of the 2025 MLS season Saturday night, falling 3-2 to Charlotte FC in dramatic fashion that saw the Black & Gold struggle to capitalize offensively and repeatedly face pressure on the defensive end. 

Ibrahim Aliyu collected his first goal for his new club, and set-piece tally from Malte Amundsen were not enough to counter Charlotte FC’s devastating trio of Patrick Agyemang (2 goals), Wilfried Zaha (2 assists), and Pep Biel (1 goal, 1 assist). The loss sees the Black & Gold drop into 5th place in the Eastern Conference on 27 points and ends a five-match undefeated streak, while Charlotte FC snapped its five-match losing streak with the win. 

While The Crown started the match with strong momentum, Jacen Russell-Rowe found himself in a promising position in the 7th minute. A Max Arfsten cross into the box from the left flank looked destined to reach Russell-Rowe, who would have only had the keeper to beat. At the last moment, the contested ball was intercepted by Charlotte defender Andrew Privett, squandering the chance for the Black & Gold. 

On the opposite end of the field, Charlotte nearly took the lead from a set piece in the 13th minute. Pep Biel guided a free kick from 25 yards out into the box, finding Adilson Malanda, whose half-volley audibly ricocheted off the crossbar and back into contention. 

Ibrahim Aliyu opened the scoring with a 15th-minute header, his first-ever goal for the Black & Gold since joining the club in April. Diego Rossi drove the ball down the pitch against the run of play before finding Mohamed Farsi with a through ball. From the edge of the 18-yard box, Farsi floated in a delicate, precise cross, which Aliyu promptly thumped left of Kristijan Kalina and into the back of the net.

There was little time to hold the lead, as Charlotte FC fired back four minutes later. Charlotte’s USMNT forward Agyemang rose above the Black & Gold defence toward Biel’s looming corner kick, pouncing on the opportunity and heading the ball near post past Nicholas Hagen. 

Agyemang returned for seconds in the 24th minute to put the home side ahead. An incredible through ball from Zaha began the attack, placed just out of Sean Zawadzki’s reach and into the path of Agyemang. One-on-one with Hagen, the forward made no mistake with his chance, tucking the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. 

In the 65th minute, Amundsen’s quick reflexes put the Crew level. Dylan Chambost stood over a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, sending an ambiguous low-driven cross directly toward Kalina. The keeper’s save deflected the ball outward into the path of several Crew players, with Amundsen swiftly receiving the ball and slotting it home. 

When all seemed to point toward a fourth-consecutive Crew draw or a potential late Crew winner, Biel stepped up decisively to end their hopes and give Charlotte the lead once more. Zaha lifted a cross into the path of Biel, who brought the ball down, took two touches left of Yevgen Cheberko, and struck the ball across his body with his left foot into the top right corner of the net. 

The match ended 3-2 to the home side, and it could have been an even greater deficit if not for Columbus’ showstopper’s impressive saves to prevent a late surge from Charlotte. Hagen was repeatedly tested in the second half and was a bright spot in a match that saw the Black & Gold lose for the first time in over a month. 

Hagen stuns with second-half renaissance between the sticks

Despite conceding three goals, Hagen made multiple jaw-dropping saves from close range to diminish Charlotte’s attacking output. Patrick Schulte was initially named in the Starting XI, but the goalkeeper was ultimately left out of the lineup after sustaining an injury during warmups. Hagen looked shaky at moments during the first half, but came up clutch in the second half. Time will tell if Schulte is set to face time on the sidelines, but it was a promising performance for the Black & Gold’s second-string goalkeeper in his first MLS appearance of 2025. 

Aliyu opens scoring account

Aliyu capitalized on his second-consecutive start for the Black & Gold with a goal, opening the scoring with a thumping header in the 15th minute of action. He provided an alternative outlet for Wilfried Nancy’s side, using his pace to pressure the Charlotte defence and providing width to Columbus’ attack. While rumors have swirled about the potential addition of a new superstar attacker following Cucho Hernández’s departure to LaLiga side Real Betis in February, it is promising to see one of the Black & Gold’s newest additions getting his name on the score sheet. 

Gazdag is yet to find his footing

Daniel Gazdag’s impressive MLS resume seems to stand in the way of him being deemed a “success” by Crew fans, albeit incredibly early into his tenure at the club. The same player who scored 59 goals and recorded 19 assists in 125 MLS regular season appearances for the Philadelphia Union has zero goal contributions in his first seven appearances as a Crew player, with the club amassing nine points out of a possible 21 points across those seven fixtures. While the team’s occasionally uninspiring performances during that stretch are not at one player’s fault, the Crew needs more creativity and goal-scoring threat up front. Hopefully, Gazdag can be that player for the Black & Gold going forward as he acclimates to his new environment. 

The Black & Gold will look to put the loss behind them as they look ahead to their next match, a midweek MLS fixture at home against Nashville SC, who sit in 3rd in the Eastern Conference, two places above the Crew in 5th, but tied on 27 points.