Columbus Crew fall to Charlotte FC 2-0 following the longest first half in MLS history
It didn't just feel like a long night for the Crew, who played Charlotte FC on the road Saturday night.
Charlotte pulled out a 2-0 win with two late goals, handing Columbus its first loss of the regular season, but there were several moments of note in the 61-minute first half, the longest first half in MLS history. Referee Christopher Calderon originally added 10 minutes of stoppage time, and more than 16 minutes were played after the 45-minute mark.
The chaos actually began before the game even kicked off, as Charlotte had its first two kickoff attempts called back with the ball being returned to the center of the field.
"Just weird. Weird start, weird vibe," said Crew captain Darlington Nagbe. "I don't think they gave us too many problems. ... We just weren't as sharp as we normally are."
Following what Nagbe described as the "weird start," two Columbus players and Charlotte's Scott Arfield left the game due to injuries, a goal from the Crew's Cucho Hernandez was overturned following VAR review, a controversial red card was issued and Charlotte missed a penalty kick. All that before the teams headed into their locker rooms tied 0-0.
Crew defender Rudy Camacho was hurt early in the match, which led to him being substituted out for Derrick Jones at the 18-minute mark.
Five minutes later, forward Christian Ramirez had to be helped off the field with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Columbus assistant coach Kwame Ampadu had no update on either player's status following the game.
Ampadu was filling in because coach Wilfried Nancy was unable to make the trip due to illness. The Crew were also without usual starting goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and midfielder Aidan Morris, who were with the United States national U-23 team.
"For us, it's always next man up," Nagbe said. "That's how we train, that's how we prepare. I think everyone knows their roles, each other's roles. So, I think when guys come into the game, guys are out or making substitutions, I don't think there is any downfall, nothing involved with expectations."
Jones received a red card following a VAR review at the 26-minute mark, leaving the Crew down a man for the rest of the game. The 6-foot-4 midfielder got tangled up with Charlotte's Djibril Diani, but Nagbe – from his spot on the field – didn't see anything that warranted an ejection.
That's just one more officiating controversy for MLS, which has been under scrutiny for its use of replacement referees during an ongoing labor dispute with the Professional Soccer Referees Association.
In first-half stoppage time, Hernandez found the back of the net and seemingly gave Columbus a 1-0 lead. Another VAR review led to another letdown for the Crew, as the goal was overturned due to Max Arfsten being ruled offside.
Clearly frustrated and tired by the 16th minute of stoppage time, Yaw Yeboah was whistled for a foul in the penalty box. Both Yeboah and Diego Rossi received yellow cards for arguing this call.
Evan Bush, who was filling in with Schulte away from the team, watched as Iuri Tavares' kick went high and far right.
It looked like the game would remain scoreless until the 83rd minute, when Charlotte's Ashley Westwood scored from outside the box. Patrick Agyemang scored for Charlotte five minutes later.
"Disappointed obviously with the result, but what the team showed was a real togetherness," Ampadu said. "Down to 10 men, they showed real bravery with the ball to continue to try to play our game."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew fall vs Charlotte FC after longest MLS first half ever
