Ghanaian defender, Jonathan Mensah, has heaped praises on Columbus Crew record signing, Lucas Zelarayan, after their 2-0 win over New York Red Bull in the 'MLS is Back' tournament.

The 30-year-old defender starred as the Gold and Blacks strolled to victory, but it was the eye-catching display of Lucas Zelarayan that got the headlines.

Speaking to a press after the game, the Columbus Crew captain said, "The Club actually looked at him for a long time before they brought him on board. We’ve seen just a glimpse of what he can do. We’ve seen things he does at training and we know he’s got more inside."

"We’re just happy to have him here. He’s such a great player and even a better person off the field. We’re in a great spot having him in our team," he added.

American born Ghanaian forward Gyasi Zardes opened the scoring after 22 minutes after collecting a Pedro Santos throw and finished it off brilliantly. Lucas Zelarayan netted the second just two minutes after the break.

The win lifted Crew to top of Group E, handing them passage to the next stage.

Meanwhile, midfielder Hector Jimenez believes Mensah's performance deserved the Man of the Match award.

"Everyone’s been up for the challenge and like coach Caleb Porter said today, I totally agree that Jonathan was also our MVP of the game today. As you see, he cleared everything off and he was a warrior. At the end of the day, we all step up in big moments and we’re extremely happy to have six points, two shutouts and obviously we look forward to the game against Atlanta," said Jimenez.