Crew crush Toronto FC for fourth straight win

Diego Rossi scored and had two assists while Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez each had a goal and an assist to help the host Columbus Crew rout Toronto FC 4-0 for their fourth straight win and eighth in the past nine matches,

Patrick Schulte, who was named Saturday to the U.S. Olympic team, made two saves for his seventh shutout as the Crew (11-3-6, 39 points) have outscored opponents 15-1 during the winning streak.

Toronto (7-13-3, 24 points) has lost six straight having been outscored 17-4, and is 0-7-2 in its past nine matches.

Hernandez made it 1-0 in the 15th minute on a header from 6 yards off a left corner kick by Rossi.

Ramirez scored in the 52nd before Mohamed Farsi in the 81st and Rossi four minutes later completed the scoring.

Nearly the exact play as the first goal resulted in the same result for Hernandez in the 29th minute, but after video review, referee Ted Unkel ruled that Crew defender Steven Moreira had set a pick on Derrick Etienne Jr.

In the past four matches, Hernandez has five goals and five assists, and Rossi has three goals and five assists. Hernandez has a contribution in six straight matches (seven goals, six assists).

Rossi has a career-high 10 assists this season, one more than he had with Los Angeles FC in 2018.

Ramirez has three goals and three assists in his past five matches.

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Toronto had two shots on target against Schulte, whose last match before the Olympics will be next Saturday at LAFC.

The Crew nearly took a two-goal lead into the break when Sean Johnson saved a shot from the middle of the box by Max Arfsten. Johnson made two saves in the match.

--Field Level Media