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THE CREW WINS!

Lionel Messi came to Columbus, scored the sort of impossible goal people pay hundreds of dollars to witness and still went home without the points.

The Columbus Crew defeated Inter Miami 2-1 Sunday night before a sellout crowd at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The victory arrived late enough that some fans may already have been considering the traffic outside the stadium.

Josef Martínez opened the scoring with a penalty in the 28th minute. Miami’s Yannick Bright pulled Martínez down in front of the goal during a corner kick, although play continued until officials reviewed the incident. Martínez converted the penalty for his 131st MLS goal and his first in nine matches with Columbus.

Five minutes later, Messi reminded everyone why half the stadium appeared to be wearing his shirt.

Standing near the right side of the field at an angle that suggested a cross rather than a shot, Messi curled a free kick over the defense and inside the far upper corner. Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte could do little more than watch it arrive. The goal was Messi’s league-leading 21st of the season.

For a while, that seemed destined to be the moment everyone remembered. Messi had appeared in Columbus, delivered the required piece of magic and restored order to the traveling collection of international stars wearing Miami pink.

The Crew had other plans—and considerably more stoppage time than anyone expected.

Miami’s Santiago Morales received two yellow cards within three minutes late in the match, reducing the visitors to 10 players. Then, in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, Brais Méndez drove a shot toward goal. Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo failed to secure it, and substitute Jamal Thiaré buried the rebound.

Thiaré had entered the match only 15 minutes earlier. That was apparently sufficient time to study the situation and conclude that Columbus would prefer to win.

The numbers suggest the result was not a fluke. Columbus outshot Miami 14-5, placed six attempts on target and earned nine corner kicks to Miami’s one. Miami held slightly more possession, but the Crew created most of the evening’s opportunities.

The victory was Columbus’ first in league play against Miami since August 2022. More importantly, it kept the Crew within four points of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff position with seven regular-season matches remaining.

Miami arrived with Messi, Luis Suárez, Casemiro and Rodrigo De Paul. Columbus countered with pressure, persistence and one very alert substitute.

Messi supplied the masterpiece. The Crew kept the result.

It was a useful reminder that soccer is played by 11 people, lasts at least 90 minutes and occasionally continues until Miami loses.

Scarlet Letter Trivia

The design of Columbus’ Palace Theatre was inspired by which European landmark?

A. Buckingham Palace
B. The Palace of Versailles
C. The Roman Colosseum
D. Neuschwanstein Castle

OHIO CONSIDERS A HOLIDAY AT THE PUMP

Ohio lawmakers are interrupting their election-season recess to consider giving drivers a 90-day vacation from the state gas tax.

The proposal would temporarily eliminate Ohio’s tax of 38.5 cents per gallon of gasoline and 47 cents per gallon of diesel. Legislative leaders plan to return to Columbus for a Sept. 30 vote, with the suspension potentially beginning in October and continuing through the holiday season.

The appeal is obvious. Regular gasoline recently averaged approximately $4.50 per gallon in Ohio, substantially higher than it was a year ago. Nearly every product eventually spends time inside a truck, meaning higher fuel prices reach consumers even if they never personally approach a gas pump.

A driver filling a 15-gallon tank would save about $5.78 if the entire tax reduction reached the retail price. Over several months, the savings would become meaningful for commuters and families operating multiple vehicles.

The phrase doing most of the work in that sentence is “if the entire tax reduction reached the retail price.” Gas prices respond to oil markets, regional supplies, transportation costs and retailer decisions. Eliminating a tax does not guarantee that every station will reduce its posted price by precisely 38.5 cents.

The political support is nevertheless broad. Both major candidates for governor favor some version of a gas-tax holiday. Democrat Amy Acton called for emergency relief before Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced a more detailed 90-day proposal with legislative leaders.

The disagreement begins when someone asks who pays for it.

Ohio uses fuel-tax revenue to maintain highways and bridges while distributing portions to counties, cities, villages and townships. House Speaker Matt Huffman estimates that a 90-day suspension would eliminate between $640 million and $700 million in revenue.

Ramaswamy has suggested replacing the money with a combination of Ohio Department of Transportation funds, general state revenue and, if necessary, money from the rainy-day fund. He has also discussed recovering money lost to Medicaid fraud, although questions remain about how much could be recovered and whether the federal government would allow it to be spent on roads.

Gov. Mike DeWine agrees that drivers need relief. He is considerably less enthusiastic about the financing plan.

DeWine called the use of ODOT money a “very, very bad idea,” arguing that the agency does not have hundreds of millions of dollars sitting around without a purpose. Its available money has already been assigned to construction, maintenance and safety projects requested by communities across Ohio.

He estimates that as much as $750 million could be removed from transportation funding and warns that the next governor would inherit the resulting crisis.

Supporters insist the state can cover the temporary loss without stopping road projects. Opponents worry that a three-month discount will create years of delayed repairs—and that local governments will discover the missing money only after the ceremonial bill signing is complete.

The debate therefore presents Ohioans with two familiar complaints: Gas costs too much, and the roads are terrible.

The state may soon make progress on one by risking the other.

FREE TREES, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Franklin County residents can add a tree to their property this fall without adding anything to their credit-card balance.

Green Columbus is giving away 3,000 young native trees raised by volunteers at the nonprofit’s Linden nursery. The annual program is intended to expand the region’s tree canopy and create cooler, healthier neighborhoods.

The remaining giveaways are scheduled for Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Franklinton and Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Linden. Any Franklin County resident can participate, although reserving a tree online before arriving is recommended.

The trees are between four and six feet tall, meaning recipients receive both a free plant and an immediate transportation puzzle. Compact-car owners may wish to bring a friend with a truck—or a friend who owes them a significant favor.

The giveaway serves a larger purpose. Trees provide shade, absorb stormwater, reduce erosion, filter pollutants and create habitat for birds and other wildlife. A mature canopy can also lower neighborhood temperatures during the hottest months, when streets, roofs and parking lots retain heat.

Those benefits are not distributed evenly throughout Columbus. Older and wealthier neighborhoods often have more mature trees, while neighborhoods with fewer trees experience hotter summer temperatures and higher energy costs. Planting trees cannot correct every environmental inequality, but it is one of the simplest improvements a homeowner can make.

There is, of course, a delay between planting a young tree and reclining beneath a magnificent canopy. Trees operate on a schedule generally incompatible with modern expectations of immediate delivery.

That patience is part of their value. Planting one is an investment made for a future resident, a future family or a future version of the person holding the shovel.

The program also offers Columbus residents the increasingly rare opportunity to obtain something valuable for free without entering a promotional code, sitting through a sales presentation or agreeing to a subscription that becomes impossible to cancel.

The tree costs nothing. Digging the hole remains between you, the soil and your lower back.

MAC, CHEESE AND A GOOD CAUSE

The Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival returns to The Yard at Easton from 4–7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.

Now in its ninth year, the festival brings together local restaurants competing for the coveted title of Best Mac & Cheese in Columbus—a distinction carrying considerable prestige and, presumably, considerable lactose.

The event attracts more than 2,000 people annually and has raised over $591,000 for the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program at the OSUCCC–James. Guests can enjoy local mac and cheese, live music and the satisfaction of supporting young cancer patients and their families.

Get tickets for the Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival.

Answer: B — The Palace of Versailles.

The Palace brought a taste of French royal architecture to downtown Columbus in 1926. Unlike Versailles, it offers nearby parking—although neither experience can be described as inexpensive.