The Crew SC's inability to maintain one-goal leads is a major reason the club finds itself six points out of the last playoff spot with nine games remaining.

It's why the team's steady play after scoring first in a 2-0 win over San Jose on Saturday night at Mapfre Stadium was noteworthy. Columbus held a one-goal lead for 50-plus minutes for the first time since April 23 – spanning 17 MLS contests.

The Crew SC�s inability to maintain one-goal leads is a major reason the club finds itself six points out of the last playoff spot with nine games remaining.

It�s why the team�s steady play after scoring first in a 2-0 win over San Jose on Saturday night at Mapfre Stadium was noteworthy. Columbus held a one-goal lead for 50-plus minutes for the first time since April 23 – spanning 17 MLS contests.

The Earthquakes are nobody�s idea of a title contender, and they were so poor against the Crew that their general manager as was fired after the game. Nevertheless, the team didn�t crack under pressure in the second half and sealed the win with an 84 th minute penalty kick from Justin Meram.

Imagine where the side might be in the standings if it killed off just two or three games in which late leads turned into home ties.

�That�s how most high-level games are played after a team goes up 1-0,� coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said. �There�s a lot to be said for a team that can get a goal and withstand pressure for an extended period and then finish it up late with another goal.�

There�s little question the issue had become a mental hurdle through a span of six consecutive home ties which was broken with the 2-1 loss to Philadelphia last week. They had blown four second-half leads at home.

Protecting a goal advantage one time for 50 minutes is hardly much of a sample size. The Crew did, however, maintain a one-goal lead for 41 minutes in the 2-0 at New England on Aug. 20 so at least the club is trending in the right direction.

�We always want that second goal but if it doesn�t come you have to do whatever you can to hold on,� captain Michael Parkhurst said. �I thought it was a good performance (against San Jose). In the second half we didn�t give them that big opportunity.�

Other notes from Tuesday:

--- In a conference call, Berhalter conceded the raft of injuries and international call-ups might force him to change formations for Saturday�s game in Los Angeles.

I can see the collective eye rolls on the other side of the computer and cell phone screens. Berhalter almost never deviates from his 4-2-3-1 set up. He did it for the last 10 minutes of the 3-3 tie against New York City FC, playing Ola Kamara and Adam Jahn up top in a 4-4-2 look, and the formation helped produced a last-second equalizer.

--- The news is encouraging regarding Higuain. Berhalter said the inflammation is gone. The 31-year-old Argentine worked extensively on the side Tuesday, but did not participate in team activity. We should have a better idea on his availability Thursday, the next time the club practices.

--- Wil Trapp (concussion) continues to sit out practice. Hard to imagine him returning in time for Galaxy match.

--- The Crew won�t be the only club shorthanded Saturday night. The Galaxy also will be missing key players. Steven Gerrard (hamstring), Robbie Keane (international duty), Jelle Van Damme (knee), Gyasi Zardes (broken fifth metatarsal) are expected to be sidelined. Los Angeles also might lose veteran midfielder Nigel de Jong on the transfer market. He�s rumored to join the Turkish side Galatasaray before the window closes Wednesday.

�Sh** happens,� Bruce Arena told reporters in LA. �That�s all part of it. It�s been an awkward year with all of this stuff. We haven�t been able to wrestle to a point where we�ve got the whole team on the field. We just haven�t been able to do it for a variety of reasons. That�s why we build a roster. We build a roster to deal with adversity and injuries. That�s what we�re doing.�

--- The Crew is off Wednesday, but we�ll have plenty on the blog. We�ll break down a key moment from the San Jose win (hint: it�s not a goal) and post the latest Soccer Speakeasy podcast. We�ll also have a story on Ethan Finlay, who�s scoring goals again and looking forward to his next shot with the national team.

treed@dispatch.com

Twitter: @treed1919