Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Boateng’s early goal for New England Revolution was not enough to prevent a crushing 5-1 defeat against Columbus Crew in a one-sided Major League Soccer match on Saturday night.
Boateng, 30, opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a well-placed shot after intercepting a pass near the top left of the box, beating Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
Despite Boateng’s effort, New England struggled to maintain their momentum throughout the game.
Columbus Crew quickly responded, with Cucho Hernández equalizing shortly after Boateng’s goal.
The match turned decisively in Crew’s favor late in the first half. Max Arfsten scored from the top of the box in the 42nd minute, followed by a stoppage-time goal from Rossi, giving Crew a commanding 3-1 lead at halftime.
The second half saw no respite for New England as Rudy Camacho and Steven Moreira added two more goals for Columbus, sealing their sixth win in seven matches.
Boateng was substituted off in the 70th minute, while his compatriot Yaw Yeboah entered the game for Crew in the 80th minute.
Despite Boateng’s early contribution, New England’s four-match winning streak came to an abrupt end against a dominant Columbus side.