Going behind is never fun, especially early in a match. It puts a team in a hole that the side then has to dig out of if a point, or three, is to be rescued.
Saturday’s loss to New York City FC marked the sixth time that Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus Crew SC side has conceded the first goal this year. The defeat dropped the team to 4-4-1 on the year, meaning Crew SC have conceded first in two-thirds of its MLS matches this season.
By any reckoning this is a troubling statistic, and entering the grind of the MLS summer schedule, could end up being one of, if not the biggest problem facing the team in its 2017 season.