Sweet relief! Columbus Crew finally break through with first win | OneFootball

By José Nuñez

It took six matches and an international break, but the Columbus Crew finally have their first victory of the year.

Designated Player striker Wessam Abou Ali struck for a brace, while USMNT defender Max Arfsten contributed a goal and an assist of his own to take a 3-1 road win at Atlanta United.

Road warriors

First-year head coach Henrik Rydström and his players got it done away from home at a difficult Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a win that brought much-needed points to a team that finished seventh in the Eastern Conference in 2025.

“I was quite positive about what we have done during the international break, but you don’t know what that leads into during a game,” shared Rydström after the match. “I think we added things in the way we want to play.”

WATCH: Wessam Abou Ali brace leads Columbus Crew to first win

Rydström took over for Wilfried Nancy in December after the French manager accepted a job with Celtic of the Scottish Premiership following three years with the Crew, which included an MLS Cup and a Leagues Cup title. He will now look to continue shaping the squad in his image after this victory.

“We gave ourselves the possibility. We felt that we really deserved it because we fought in a good way, and yeah, it is about winning," he said. "It is an amazing feeling.”

Abou Ali shines

To earn all three points, a full 90-minute shift was needed from Abou Ali. He secured the win not only with a beautiful header in the 48th minute, but also with an incredible golazo after a turn and shot from outside the 18-yard box, capping his brace on the night.

“It was a bit of a relief when I scored the second, that put us up 2-0. It gives you more confidence,” said Abou Ali.

The forward was likely the brightest part of what has been a slow start for the Crew in 2026. Abou Ali now has 5g/1a in MLS play.

However, tonight’s brace has a deeper meaning, not just for him, but for his squad.

“For the team, finally, five weeks waiting for this moment, a hard-fought one,” said the Palestinian international after the match.

USMNT dreaming

Supplementing the Man of the Match performance from Abou Ali, Arfsten added Crew's insurance goal in the 61st minute, following the play on the far post for a tap-in to give Rydström and his staff a sigh of relief after Atlanta made things more difficult by scoring just a minute earlier.

It was a crucial goal and assist from the US international, who was part of the final US men's national team tune-up camp for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of May’s FIFA World Cup roster announcement.

A call-up next month would potentially provide the Fresno, California native a chance to represent his nation in his home state during the group stages of the tournament.

Up next, Abou Ali and Arfsten will look to build on this performance as Marco Pašalić and Orlando City visit Columbus on April 12 for another edition of Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (7 pm ET | Apple TV).