CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Karol Swiderski scored in the first half and goalkeeper George Marks made it stand up as Charlotte FC edged the Crew 1-0.
Charlotte (2-4-3) took the lead for good in the 37th minute when Swiderski used passes from Kamil Józwiak and Bill Tuiloma to score his second goal of the season.
Columbus (4-3-2) was tagged with a loss for just the sixth time in its last 31 regular-season matches.
Only Cincinnati, with four, has fewer defeats over that span.
The Crew faces the Indy Eleven in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round match Wednesday at Lower.com Field.