Gyasi Zardes scored his 20th goal of the year, and the Columbus Crew fought off fatigue and the visiting Red Bulls, 1-0, on Sunday in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The second leg is scheduled for Sunday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Zardes scored the game’s only goal in the 61st minute, a sliding finish of a back-heel pass from the second-half substitute Federico Higuain. Higuain had been rested in the first half by Columbus Coach Gregg Berhalter, a bold bit of restraint prompted by the Crew’s taxing first-round win over D.