Rossi scores go-ahead goal to boost Crew to win over Whitecaps

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Diego Rossi's ninth goal of the season capped the scoring for both teams in the first half and the Columbus Crew beat the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday.

Columbus (8-3-7) won for the first time since May 3 when it beat Charlotte FC, 4-2. Vancouver fell to 10-2-5. It was the Whitecaps' first Major League Soccer loss since a 3-1 defeat against the Chicago Fire on March 22. That snapped the 'Caps club record 11-match MLS unbeaten run.

Rossi scored the final goal in the 23rd minute as the Crew took advantage of a Vancouver turnover deep in its end. Dániel Gazdag stole a lazy Whitecaps pass and fed Rossi for a right-footed tap at the middle of the box.

Ibrahim Aliyu scored his second goal as a member of the Crew just 68 seconds in for a 1-0 Columbus lead. Aliyu took a pass from Lassi Lappalainen at the centre of the box for the goal. It was the second-fastest regular-season goal in the Crew's history.

J.C. Ngando scored his first goal for Whitecaps in the sixth minute from the middle outside the box off a pass from Mathias Laborda to level the score.

The Crew reached the back of the net three times in the second half, but the apparent goals were wiped clean due to offside calls.

Johnny Selemani and Rayan Elloumi from Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) both made their MLS debuts as second half substitutes, while Tristan Blackmon and Ranko Veselinović made their 100th career start together across all competitions for Whitecaps FC.

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