Dallas took more shots than usual but lost 2-0 to Columbus

Columbus won 2-0 at Toyota Stadium, with a Dallas goal ruled out by VAR and Columbus's chances better than their usual.

A goal by Shaquell Moore was ruled out by VAR in the 60th minute, and that decision shaped this 2-0 win for Columbus Crew at Toyota Stadium. Dallas were already a goal down at that point, so the ruling kept them behind until Santiago Rodríguez doubled the lead in the 70th minute.

Columbus had struck first in the 18th minute, when Gonzalo Tapia finished a move that Anass Zaroury began. Dallas had the bigger share of the ball here, at 51%, which is well above the 44.5% they usually keep at home. Columbus had 49%, below the 53.1% they average away from home, so the early goal came from a side that was not used to sitting back.

Dallas created plenty, with 16 shots, and that figure sits above their usual 12.3 per match. Expected goals, a measure that scores each chance by where and how it was taken, tells a different story: their total of 1.18 is below the 1.38 they normally reach. Most of their efforts came from inside the penalty area, but they were not the high-value chances the shot count suggested.

Columbus took fewer shots than they usually do, nine against an average of 13.7, yet their expected goals reached 1.54, a little above their normal 1.45. Their better chances therefore came from fewer attempts. Goalkeeper P. Schulte made five saves, and Rodríguez, who was rated 8.2 for his goal and his duels, was the clearest difference between the two sides in the final half hour.

Two goals is below the league average of 3.4 per match, which says something about how tight this game became. Dallas usually score 2.2 at home, and they managed none, so the absence of a goal mattered more than their shot count. They also conceded two, against a usual 1.4 at home, and that is the figure that makes this result stand out for them.

Dallas came into the game second in the table with 54 points from 31 matches, and their recent home form was three wins, two draws and one defeat. Columbus had been far more consistent away, winning five of their last six matches on the road, and this was another step in that run.

Columbus now have five wins from six away, a run that began before this match and carried on in Texas. Dallas, meanwhile, remain second on 54 points, but the defeat leaves them with a home record that no longer looks as secure as it did.

Player of the matchS. Rodríguez1 goal8.2

G. Tapia1 goal7.9

P. Schulte5 saves7.7

A. Zaroury1 assist7.4