Gregg Berhalter's session with the media Monday turned into a math lesson. The Crew SC coach and sporting director began computing the points lost in the standings to late goals allowed by his club. In his mind's eye he saw potential wins that became ties and ties that ended in losses. By the time his count stopped, the point total had reached nine.

Gregg Berhalter�s session with the media Monday turned into a math lesson.



The Crew SC coach and sporting director began computing the points lost in the standings to late goals allowed by his club. In his mind�s eye he saw potential wins that became ties and ties that ended in losses. By the time his count stopped, the point total had reached nine.



�If you take away goals late in the 80s (minutes) and in injury time we�re probably third in our conference,� he said.



For a moment, Berhalter sounded like former Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis trying to put a more positive spin on Jamal Lewis� 500 yards rushing in two games against his defense in 2003.



But Berhalter�s point is valid and almost accurate. The Crew would be sitting fourth in the East. Crunching numbers, however, doesn�t explain why the late letdowns persist. Unless the alarming habit stops, the Crew (3-7-9) has no chance to qualify for its third straight playoff berth.



The club has surrendered an MLS-worst 11 goals in the final 15 minutes of regulation. It occurred again Saturday night, when D.C. United�s Fabian Espindola tallied in the 89th minute to salvage a 1-1 tie for the visitors and extend the Crew�s winless streak to seven games (0-3-4).



�I�m aware of that, and it�s not something I�m proud of,� said goalkeeper Steve Clark, who was blameless on the United equalizer. �I don�t really want to speak too much about that other than to say that�s not who I want to be and who we want to be as a team.�



Why does a team that went 9-5 in one-goal games a year ago -- tied for the league-best winning percentage in that category -- keep faltering down the stretch?



There�s no simple explanation. A variety of factors apply.



The loss of valuable center back Gaston Sauro (knee) is certainly a key. He anchored a back line that helped the Crew reach the MLS Cup Final a year ago. But every team suffers injuries.



The club has yielded late goals in two games in which it was playing with 10 men, including Saturday night when Harrision Afful was sent off for a controversial challenge in the 74th minute. Once again, most teams deal with such adversity. Good ones find ways to minimize the damage. That�s not the Crew in 2016.



Columbus is an unsightly 2-2-5 when scoring the first goal.



�We�re in position and it�s seeing these games out and taking advantage of some of the plays that are on the field,� Berhalter said. �We just didn�t do that. We were careless in some of these instances.�



It�s fair to wonder whether the Crew is becoming mentally spooked in these late-game situations, almost waiting for something bad to happen.



�I think it can become (mental),� Berhalter said. �I don�t think it�s at that stage.�



The coach volunteered another theory. The club lacks �closers,� substitutes who can enter the game and help protect a lead or tie. He cited the loss of forward Aaron Schoenfeld, who chose to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League in the offseason.



�You think about a Schoenfeld from last year, who�s big and tall and his brain works like crazy,� the coach said. �He possibly could give Ola (Kamara) a blow after he�s been going for three straight games. We don�t have that luxury right now so you�re forced to adapt in other ways. Sometimes, the opponent can take advantage of that.�



Is that a tacit admission of not having such players on the roster? Or is it simply a matter of players not excelling in late-game assignments?



Whatever the case, Berhalter has until Aug. 3 to improve his lineup through transfers. Upgrading the center-back position seems like a good place to start as Sauro is probably a month from returning.



Another way to protect a lead is to build on it. The Crew hasn�t owned a two-goal advantage since May 28. It has failed to score more than two goals in any match during the seven-game slide.



For now, Berhalter is focused on ways to win close games again. The club is 3-5 in one-goal games this season.



�That defines the group,� he said. �It shows what kind of character you have.�

treed@dispatch.com

@treed1919