When a previously leaky Crew SC defense became watertight late last season, it turned a contending team into an MLS Cup finalist. For the most part, the patch job has held up.

When a previously leaky Crew SC defense became watertight late last season, it turned a contending team into an MLS Cup finalist.

For the most part, the patch job has held up.

�Overall, we�ve been quite good except for a couple of lapses,� said goalkeeper Steve Clark, who made a season-high seven saves in a 1-0 loss at Seattle last week after pitching a shutout against Houston the week before.

The numbers bear him out.

Despite playing an attack-minded style that can leave Clark susceptible, the Crew has allowed 10 goals through eight games, an average of 1.25 that is tied for 10th in 20-team MLS.

The Crew ranked 15th in goals against last season, allowing an average of 1.56 per game, though it allowed only four goals in the six games leading up the MLS Cup final.

The offense, meanwhile, pumped in 58 goals to keep the Crew in the race.

That well has gone dry, and it is the most glaring reason for a 2-4-2 start.

The Crew has only seven goals this season and is tied for last in scoring.

�Our defense is playing great,� midfielder Justin Meram said. �But I don�t think it�s (attacking players) bailing them out or them bailing us out.�

The link between them agreed.

�Defensively, there has been intensity and focus," midfield lynchpin Wil Trapp said. �But the last thing you want to do is start panicking and overthinking the stats. We have enough quality strikers that the goals will come.�

It took a pair of summer acquisitions to sufficiently fortify the Crew defense last season. Right back Harrison Afful and center back Gaston Sauro were signed on July 30 and Aug. 6, respectively.

But Crew coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter was confident enough in his current personnel to place reserve center back Amro Tarek on waivers on Thursday.

�When I look at the rotation at center back (Sauro, Michael Parkhurst and Tyson Wahl), I�m comfortable with it,� Berhalter said. �When I look at the rotation of outside backs (Afful and Waylon Francis, essentially) I�m also comfortable with it.

�But defensive work, you�re never fully satisfied. You want to keep improving.�

The goal in Seattle that spoiled what would have been a second straight shutout was scored by rookie Jordan Morris in the 88th minute, the product of an organizational breakdown after a free kick.

�There have been a couple of games this year where we�ve felt like we deserved that shutout, which we covet,� Clark said. �But there is just no time to dwell on it.�

Certainly not this week. The Montreal Impact, spearheaded by star striker Didier Drogba, visits Mapfre Stadium on Saturday.

The Crew beat the Impact 4-3 in extra time of a two-leg Eastern Conference semifinal series last fall, but Montreal has outscored Columbus 7-1 in their previous three regular-season meetings.

�You can�t step on the field and assume that your style of play and your spacing and your movement is going to win the game,� Trapp said. �That intensity and that focus, that�s what wins games in this league.�

smitchell@dispatch.com

@smitchcd