Crew opens preseason with scoreless draw against Vissel Kobe

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY SportsColumbus Crew SC’s first preseason friendly of 2019 ended in a scoreless draw as the Black & Gold and Japanese side Vissel Kobe failed to find the back of the net at the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, California, on Monday night. It was the first time head coach Caleb Porter led the Crew in a match.

Porter was able to take positives of the game and he especially highlighted the defensive efficiency of the Crew, which held World Cup winners David Villa, Lucas Podolski and Andres Iniesta all scoreless for 70 minutes, as the match was played in two halves of 35 minutes each.

“It’s great to get guys to run out,” Porter said. “Obviously we’re five days into…