Columbus Crew defeats Nashville SC in extra time, advances to Eastern Conference final vs. New England Revolution

Only the truly great teams — those that are remembered by generations of fans — successfully manage the peaks and valleys of emotion in a season, and navigate the path to become the last team standing.

The road less traveled that the Columbus Crew ventured in the seven days leading into Sunday’s game against Nashville SC in the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs would have been new territory for Robert Frost, let alone a professional soccer team facing a win-or-go-home scenario.

How it happened is just history now. The Crew is one win away from advancing to MLS Cup.

Pedro Santos, maligned at times for inconsistent play, delivered what is sure to be one of the most memorable goals in recent Crew history to send the club to its first Eastern Conference final since 2015 at the end of a week in which seven Crew players tested positive for COVID-19.

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In the 99th minute, Santos finished a cross from forward Gyasi Zardes in the first session of extra time to unlock the deadlocked affair. Four minutes later, Zardes got one of his own to ice the game and defeat Nashville 2-0.

Missing starting goalkeeper Eloy Room and starting winger Derick Etienne Jr., the Crew still had their top playmakers in the lineup and they showed up when it mattered most in a game that seemed at times like it would never happen.

With the win, the Crew will host No. 8 seed New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference final next Sunday, Dec. 6, at Mapfre Stadium at 3 p.m.

Two of the top defenses in MLS in the regular season gave away nothing easy for the vast majority of 90 minutes of regulation, making clear that one season would end and another would continue in a crushing way. The Crew made sure it had at least one more game.

Star playmaker Lucas Zelarayan began the sequence that led to the opening goal with a pass behind the stout Nashville defense to Zardes. Nearing the end line, Zardes passed the ball into the center of the box where Santos hit it first time to beat Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis.

Jubilant screams from the Crew sideline echoed around the mostly empty Mapfre Stadium but was joined in chorus by family and guests of the Crew who were the only spectators allowed to attend due to the ongoing pandemic.

Santos sprinted and slid toward the northeast corner of the stadium where the most boisterous supporters, The Nordecke, would have been.

Four minutes later, winger Luis Diaz, who started in place of Etienne, finally connected a cross to Zardes in behind the Nashville defense for the second goal that locked the Crew into a date against New England in the next round.

Nashville had its chance early in the match to take the lead when midfielder Dax McCarty’s header banged off the crossbar in the 27th minute. Goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell, who started in place of Room, had to make just three saves on the night to preserve the club’s first shutout since Sept. 19 — the last match against Nashville.

Despite all the changes to the week’s preparation that a COVID-19 outbreak among players caused, there was more than relief in the end for the Crew that the season would continue.

The 2020 Crew still has the chance to make a legacy for itself — to be one of the greats.

Follow The Columbus Dispatch's Jacob Myers on Twitter @_jcmyers.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLS Cup Playoffs: Columbus Crew advance to Eastern Conference final