Wisconsin Soccer Central

After scoring his first professional goal last week, Ethan Finlay (Marshfield) was rewarded with his first start of the season for the Columbus Crew on Saturday night.

The third-year pro repaid Gregg Berhalter's decision by scoring once again in the Crew's 2-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Fire – and turning in a performance worthy of Man of the Match honors, according to his coach.

"He was player of the game, for me," Berhalter told MLSSoccer.com after his team won for the first time since March 29 to halt an eight-game winless streak (0-4-4). Read full article "He was excellent. But this game isn't something that comes out of the blue. If we look at what he's been doing over these last couple weeks, it's been leading toward a performance like this."

Making just his seventh career start – and first since Oct. 19, 2013 – Finlay opened the scoring in the 10th minute. The former Creighton standout ran on to a ball from Argentine playmaker Federico Higuain on the right side, went around Fire left back Greg Cochrane and goalkeeper Sean Johnson and slotted home from a tight angle.

"I'm most happy with the fact that a guy isn't a starter, and he's not in the (game-day roster of) 18, then he works his way into the 18, then he works his way into the starting lineup and he performs like this," Berhalter said of Finlay, who came on as a sub in seven of the Crew's first 11 matches and scored in a 3-3 draw against the Portland Timbers last Saturday.

After scoring his second career goal, the 23-year-old Finlay held up one finger on his left hand and all five on his right to create a 15 – the uniform number of his late teammate Kirk Urso, who was just 22 when he passed away of a genetic heart defect in August 2012.

"It was very special," said Finlay, who also was Urso's roommate. "I dedicate it to an old teammate, Kirk Urso. He never got to score a goal in the league. That was for him."

On Twitter: @EthanFinlay13

• Rochester defender Tony Walls (Wauwatosa East/UW-Green Bay) was named to last week's USL PRO Team of the Week after helping the Rhinos blank the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0, extending their league unbeaten streak to six (3-0-3). Their run ended on Friday with a 1-0 loss to Sacramento Republic FC. On Twitter: @TWalls20
• Midfielder Brad Ring, who played two seasons with the Madison 56ers in the National Premier Soccer League, scored the 76th-minute equalizer as Indy Eleven tied the host New York Cosmos 1-1 in a North American Soccer League match Saturday. It was the first professional goal for the 27-year-old Ring, who played four seasons in MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes and Portland Timbers from 2010 to '13. Andrew Stone (Green Bay Preble/UW-Milwaukee) made his second straight start at right back and played all 90 minutes for Indy, which is 0-4-3 with two games left in the spring season – the league will take a month off and start its fall season in July. On Twitter: @BradRing87
• Alex Horwath (UW) made three saves for his third consecutive shutout Saturday as Ljungskile SK and host GIF Sundsvall played a 0-0 draw in Sweden's second-tier Superettan. Horwath has posted clean sheets in five of the team's nine matches, and Ljungskile has conceded a league-low seven goals. On Twitter: @AlexHorwath
• Matt Pyzdrowski (Marquette) turned aside five shots for his first clean sheet of the season in Ängelholms FF's 2-0 victory over visiting Husqvarna FF in Superettan play Monday. Eric Pothast (Marquette) played all 90 minutes at center back in front of Pyzdrowski as Ängelholms ended a five-match winless streak. On Twitter: @MattPyzdrowski @Eric_Pothast
• Finally, let's play you make the call. Vancouver captain and center back Jay DeMerit (Green Bay/Bay Port) conceded a penalty kick in the 81st minute Saturday, with Gonzalo Pineda converting from the spot as the visiting Seattle Sounders pulled out a 2-2 tie. It was the second time in three weeks the former U.S. national teamer has give up a penalty kick, and the 34-year-old DeMerit told reporters after the game he's concerned about his future in the league considering his style of play. "That is the worry. And I'm too old to start changing my game and play less committed than I already do," he told MLSSoccer.com. Read full article "You know, it is hard and that's the thing that's really eating me inside, is that if I have to change my game, then I'm going to be in trouble and that's sad. ... I've been around this game for a long time. When you play hard and you play with your heart on your sleeve and get punished for that, again, it's disappointing." Watch the play and log in to the comments below – do you agree with referee Ismail Elfath's call? On Twitter: @D6MERIT