After a winless trip to Brazil, Columbus Crew SC finally recorded a win in the opener to the Carolina Challenge Cup against Atlanta United two goals to one. Atlanta’s Josef Martinez opened the scoring while Federico Higuain scored a brace to give Crew SC the edge.
Crew SC head coach Gregg Berhalter said that he’d play a mixed group during the first two games of the tournament and it showed from the lineup. After talk of a three man back line, the formation was Berhalter’s usual 4-2-3-1.
Regulars Justin Meram, Ethan Finlay, Wil Trapp, and Nico Naess joined Higuain in the lineup while the newcomers and rookies filled out the eleven.