Andrew Tarbell made five saves for the Houston Dynamo in a 0-0 tie at the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
The Crew (2-0-1, 7 points) had 12 shot attempts to three for the Dynamo (0-2-0, 1 point). Patrick Schulte made one save for Columbus.
The Dynamo had been outscored 6-2 in two home losses while the Crew scored five and allowed two in a pair of matches.
The Crew’s possession-with-purpose style was on full display, especially in the second half but Houston was able to avoid defensive breakdowns in its own end. The Dynamo didn’t mind getting physical, absorbing four cautions.
Columbus had 62 percent possession for the match as the all-time series in MLS play remained deadlocked at 8-8-12.
Tarbell came up big in the 45th minute, denying Mo Farsi.
Farsi took a goal kick from Schulte at the top of the box, touched the ball ahead then tried to push a shot over the charging Tarbell but was unable to lift the ball over him.
The Crew welcomed sunny skies and a 44-degree mid-afternoon kickoff after their first two matches in Columbus and at New England were played at night with wind chills in the teens.
As such, the Crew was flying early, forcing yellow cards on Femi Awodesu and Ezequiel Ponce within 21 minutes yet couldn’t find the opening score. Their best chance was a 25-yard free kick by Diego Rossi that Tarbell easily parried.
The Dynamo backline has been shuffled due to injuries and the lack of cohesion was evident when they were shredded 4-1 at home by Inter Miami, without Lionel Messi, in the previous match.
Houston was struck again when defender Franco Escobar left with an undisclosed injury in the 29th minute for Daniel Steres.
–Field Level Media
