TUCSON, Ariz. — The Crew changed all but two players in its starting lineup from Saturday’s match on Wednesday in a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls at Kino Sports Complex.

New addition Derrick Etienne Jr. scored against his former team 33 seconds into the game. The Crew allowed a goal to Red Bulls forward Brian White in the 68th minute after midfielder Sebastian Berhalter was sent off via red card in the 59th minute, leaving the Crew to play with 10 men for the final 30 minutes.

The Crew has one final tuneup Saturday against the Houston Dynamo at 7 p.m. ET with a chance to finish the preseason unbeaten. Here are a few things that stuck out from the Crew’s latest result.

1. Did you blink?

If so, you might have missed the Crew’s opening goal. It happened on the very first possession. There were 12 passes with nine different guys touching the ball. It started from the back and finished with a left-footed shot from Etienne past the goalkeeper.

Midfielder Pedro Santos passed to Etienne to get the play near the box. Etienne passed over to new right back Chris Cadden who gave it back to Etienne for the stunning opener. The Crew couldn’t have asked for a better start.

Precision from @chrissycadds

Smooooooth from @detienne_10 #Crew96 pic.twitter.com/d6748aoMjm

— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) February 20, 2020

2. Etienne makes an impact

It was the first real look for several Crew fans at some of the new players on the roster. Etienne made the most of that opportunity with a crisp finish and had several moments in which he showed impressive acceleration down the right flank that should make him a threat off the bench in 2020. He can play on the left as well but is more natural on the right.

Wednesday’s game was also Etienne’s first time playing against his former club that signed him as a homegrown in 2016 and cut him after this past season.

3. Crossing and finishing still need work

In the first half before both teams dug deeper into their bench, the Crew was in the Red Bulls’ half of the field often and trying to play in crosses from wide positions.

Cadden, in his first extended look in a public match, sent in a few that missed striker Fanendo Adi in the box. On another occasion, Adi had a clear header from a rather deep position in the box and put it nowhere near the goal.

Crossing and finishing was an issue for most of the season for the Crew in 2019. There can’t be too much stock put into any preseason game, but this is an area that will be used to measure the team’s growth this season. Adi did have a chance that would have been on target from a cross by Jimenez in the 32nd minute, but it was blocked.

4. Tarbell makes his case for backup

Just hours after the trade was made official by the Crew, goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell put both feet firmly forward in his shot to claim the primary backup spot. Tarbell made at least four saves after he entered the game for Jon Kempin in the second half, including a diving stop before the 50th minute and another massive save in the 86th to preserve the draw.

Tarbell was acquired from the San Jose Earthquakes for $75,000 in general allocation money.

Reflexes like @SCMascot #Crew96 pic.twitter.com/2mahSrc3Ep

— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) February 20, 2020

5. Work to do in the boxes

Not only will crossing and finishing be a focal point until it’s at the level that the Crew wants to be, for a second straight game the Crew has to clean up its defensive work in the boxes. There were issues on set pieces again, and the goal scored by White only happened when Hector Jimenez passed it directly to him inside the 6-yard box after a failed clearing.

6. Sebastian Berhalter, the backup behind Nagbe and Artur

If there’s one spot on the Crew’s roster that needs some immediate help, it’s the third defensive midfielder that will be the primary backup to Darlington Nagbe and Artur. For now, the club has only 18-year-old homegrowns Sebastian Berhalter and Aidan Morris, and so far it appears Berhalter is leading that battle. Berhalter had a key pass on Etienne’s goal.

Berhalter started at the No. 8 position with Nagbe playing the No. 6 spot. Berhalter likely would have played longer had he not been given a red card in the 59th minute for an aggressive tackle on Omir Fernandez. Morris entered for Nagbe at the 45th minute mark. Artur also entered at halftime for Santos, which moved Berhalter to Santos spot.

Omir Fernandez is down. He will need to be helped off the field by training staff.



Brian White on for him. Kyle Duncan also enters for Rece Buckmaster.



| https://t.co/P3jnFx4lPk



0-1 #RBNYvCLB | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/BB4MYLOCvN

— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) February 20, 2020

7. Cadden shows off speed down the wing

The Scottish outside back who played half a season with Oxford United is probably in better form than most players who entered preseason, but he was still unknown to Crew fans. He played all 90 minutes Wednesday and had an immediate impact with an assist on the Etienne goal.

Cadden showed that he wasn’t afraid to make a run up the field or into the box, which he did in the 18th minute against a couple defenders. He didn’t stand out defensively, but didn’t make noticeable errors either.

8. Josh Williams struggled

This feels like a big season for Josh Williams, who renewed his contract at the end of the 2019 season. For a player who will turn 32 this season and will have primarily a reserve role, Wednesday was the opposite of the night he wanted to have.

In the 42nd minute, Williams made a pass from inside his own box directly to a Red Bulls player. A tackle by Nagbe saved a prime scoring chance. Then in the 66th minute, Williams practically whiffed on a ball in the box that then a Red Bulls player. The ball went wide, but it was one of several miscues out of the back from the Crew defense.

9. Nagbe escapes danger

Perhaps one of Nagbe’s greatest strengths as a player is one that won’t show up on the scoresheet but makes a big difference against a team that likes to press like the Red Bulls.

On two occasions in the first half, Nagbe had three players surrounding him, once at the top of the Crew penalty area and another higher up in its own half. Nagbe alluded a defender then was able to draw a foul both times, which allowed the play to advance into the Red Bulls half of the field.

10. Still getting a point

Only Nagbe and Santos were the two players who started last Saturday and Wednesday, the Crew played with 10 men for 30 minutes, and were still able to gut out a point.

Last season, the Crew conceded 10 goals in the 85th minute or later, which cost them dearly down the stretch of the season. It wasn’t at all pretty — and yes, it was all reserve players by the end of the night — but there’s a silver lining knowing that late in games the Crew made enough plays to get away with a draw.

The only reserve player that didn’t play for the Crew was Axel Sjoberg, who might’ve gone in had the Crew still had 11 players on the field. Even first-round draft pick Miguel Berry, who has not yet signed a contract, played in the second half.

Goalkeeper Matt Lampson didn’t play because of a knee injury and forward JJ Williams is not in preseason with the club.

jmyers@dispatch.com

@_jcmyers