Columbus Crew SC made quick work of moving on from what may have been the most difficult defeat of the Gregg Berhalter era.
A week after being trounced 5-2 by Orlando City SC, Columbus earned a come-from-behind 2-1 win in Colorado to rebound with only their second road win of the season.
Berhalter, Crew SC's head coach, said his club’s “confidence was shaky” after the loss, and that the win was just what his team needed to refocus.
“We lost a little bit of perspective after the last game,” he said. “You started thinking the performance was that disappointing, and it dragged us a little. When you look at the last eight or nine games, they haven’t been bad. We just keep going on our path. The Orlando game is obviously done. Now we got a win at altitude and came from behind. We move forward.”
In the Orlando loss, Berhalter questioned his team’s work rate and commitment, and said he saw a great turnaround Saturday.
“Particularly in the second half, [I saw] a team that was up for it,” he said. “When we spend the energy, when we do the running and commit to the battle part of the game, the rest takes care of itself.”
Striker Kei Kamara scored both goals in the Colorado comeback to vault back over Sebastian Giovinco in the scoring race with a league-leading 17 goals on the season.
Like his coach, Kamara said hard work was the key.
“After our last game, it was one of those where we really had to get something on the board,” he said. “For me and for all of us today, it was just, ‘Keep working. Keep working hard.’”
It wasn’t the first match that required Kamara to bail out the team, but Berhalter said he isn’t concerned that one man carries such a load for Columbus.
“We’re not really bothered with who scores the goals,” the coach said. “In this case, it’s great that he’s back to the top as league leader in goals, but for us it’s a team game. We want to win the game. And whoever scores, we’re fine with.”
The need for a redoubled effort wasn’t lost on Crew SC players throughout the week. Midfielder Tony Tchani said he knew more work was needed.
“It was something we were looking forward to,” Tchani said. “We were working so hard, and after last game, not having a good performance, I feel like all the guys stepped up.”
And for defender Chris Klute, who got the start against his former team, the win could be important for the club’s unity.
“I think it’s going to bring us closer together in the long run,” he said. “A couple weeks ago we kind of let down, being up three goals. We were down a goal in this game and came together instead of going against each other and we won the game.”
Andrew King covers Columbus Crew SC for MLSsoccer.com.
