Moments after the Crew finished off a 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, defender Josh Williams said he spoke to his teammates about bravery and courage. He was impressed with the team’s ability to keep its foot on the gas pedal and prevent New York from taking a shot for the final 18 minutes.

Crew SC won a high-pressure game and Williams’ reaction shifted significantly from the one he had a week earlier, when the Crew conceded a stoppage time goal to Tony Tchani to tie Vancouver 2-2.

“As a leader and as a center back that starts with me first. After the Vancouver game, I snapped. I actually shouldn’t have said some of the stuff that I said, but I wanted to make sure everyone knew that it’s not nearly good enough,” Williams said. “Just because you bring five (defenders) in or whatever it’s not good enough to give up a goal because we’re in a different shape. That’s when we really need to maintain our calmness, maintain a steady head and fight. We’ve got to be fighters.”

The Tchani goal was a gut punch, but the kind of goal Crew SC hadn’t surrendered in months.

Barring defensive meltdowns in its final three regular-season games, Crew SC (14-12-5, 48 goals for, 47 goals against) will finish the regular season with a goals against figure similar to what it gave up in 2015 (53) and less than what it gave up in 2016 (58). But it will likely be significantly improved in a category that includes when, as Williams put it, “games are won or lost.”

In 2016, Crew SC allowed a league-high 22 goals between the 75th minute and the end of the game. Through 31 games in 2017, that number is down to 12.

Presented with the figure, coach Gregg Berhalter recommended a narrower focus.

“Last year was a little bit out of proportion because there are some games where we’re losing 2-0 and they score the third goal in that time,” Berhalter said. “So I think you should look at meaningful goals, but there were enough of those last year. There were enough of those.”

If “meaningful goals” are defined as goals given up between the 75th minute and the end of a game in which A.) Crew SC was tied with or leading its opponent in the 75th minute and B.) the Crew dropped points — went from a wining position to a tie or loss or went from a tie to a loss — after that point, the proportions are similar.

Crew SC gave up 13 goals fitting those criteria in 2016. It has given up six this season: one to NYCFC on April 29 (3-2 loss), two to Toronto FC on May 10 (2-1 loss), two to the Colorado Rapids on June 3 (2-1 loss) and one to the Whitecaps on Sept. 16 (2-2 tie).

“Let’s think about those six goals. It was Toronto, Colorado, NYCFC, Vancouver. It happened in four games, so that’s good to know,” Berhalter said. “It’s happening less frequently, that’s important. But it goes without saying that if you’re up or tied with 15 minutes left in the game, you don’t want to concede. That’s not rocket science. Now it’s about executing and I think we’ve been executing to a reasonable degree.”

Are the goals easier to swallow because just one has happened in the second half of the season?

“No, because I still have a sick feeling in my stomach about all those games,” Berhalter said. “When you think about those games, you get a little pit in your stomach and you think, ‘Right now this could be another 10 points.’”

Avoiding meaningful goals allowed late has been a topic for Crew SC all season and will continue to be one in the final weeks leading up to the playoffs.

“It’s something we talked about early in the year, it’s something we talked about in the middle of the year, it’s something we’re talking about now,” Williams said. “Those are when games are won and lost. We’re still not at that (top level).”

Stoppage time

Left back Waylon Francis (left thigh strain) participated in team warmup, passing, acceleration drills and “a whole bunch” Tuesday, Berhalter said. Francis has not played since injuring his left thigh against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 23. … Defenders Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful were named to Ghana’s 23-man roster for its Oct. 7 game against Uganda. … Goalkeeper Zack Steffen was sick Tuesday and was sent home from practice early.

He said it

“Literally the first thing I thought is, ‘How did Pipa not make it?’”

—Williams, on making the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week. Federico Higuain, who recorded three assists Saturday, made the team of the week “bench.”

aerickson@dispatch.com

@AEricksonCD