A Nashville SC own goal in the 81st minute enabled the host Columbus Crew rally to tie 2-2 on Wednesday.
Hany Mukhtar put Nashville ahead 2-1 in the 78th minute but the Crew responded and a service by Malte Amundsen went off the leg of sliding Nashville defender Jeisson Palacios at the left post to level the score.
Nashville (8-4-4, 28 points) remained unbeaten in May with a 5-0-3 record that includes two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victories, conceding more than one goal once.
Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen made match-saving stop on Andy Najar in the 90+5 minute. Hagen, playing for the injured Patrick Schulte, made four saves.
The Crew (7-2-7, 28 points) have four ties and a loss in their past five matches and have not won since a 4-2 win over Charlotte FC on May 3.
Nashville opened the scoring in the second minute when Sam Surridge continued his hot streak with his third goal in two matches and seven in his past seven appearances.
Patrick Yazbek whipped in ball from the left side which deflected off a Crew player directly to an unmarked Surridge for his ninth goal of the season, three shy of his 2024 total.
Nashville nearly got the second goal of the match in the 40th minute against the run of play when Jonathan Perez hit the right post.
The Crew kept pushing for the equalizer and finally got it in the 69th minute. Center back Steven Moreira pushed forward and drilled a 22-yarder from the right side that Joe Willis saved but pushed the ball to Diego Rossi near the left post for his team-high eighth goal.
Nashville used a quick throw-in to take the temporary lead late in the match. Surridge got the ball to Jacob Shaffelburg for a shot that was saved by Hagen but Mukhtar was there to put it away.
It was the first goal allowed by the Crew in the final 15 minutes this season, but the lead would not last.
–Field Level Media
