In front of a sold-out TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati looked to take control of the “Hell is Real” derby after jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. But what followed was a complete collapse, as the Columbus Crew responded with four unanswered goals to claim a 4-2 victory and tighten the race atop the Eastern Conference.
First Half
FCC came out flying, as Pavel Bucha fired a shot home after a beautiful ball from Luka Engel.
Only a couple of minutes later, Evander fired a rebound home, giving FCC an early 2-0 lead.
Head coach Pat Noonan praised the team’s fast start, saying, “I think we started well. We had some exposure early that allowed us to get into the game, and we created a lot of transition moments.”
Near the end of the half, FCC began to play more passively, and Columbus made them pay. Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew) scored with a shot from the center of the box off a ball from Ibrahim Aliyu.
Max Arfsten later tied it up for Columbus on a redirected shot that found its way past keeper Roman Celentano, making it 2-2 heading to halftime.
Noonan acknowledged the shift in intensity, noting, “We took our foot off the gas and stopped playing. There were still moments there, but we didn’t capitalize. We missed out on some of our transition moments and decision-making in the final third.”
Second Half
Opening up the second half, Miles Robinson of FCC would score an own goal trying to kick the ball out after a centered ball, making it 3-2 Columbus.
The Crew finished FCC off after Taha Habroune scored on a breakaway, ending the game at 4-2 Columbus.
“We weren’t trying to see the game out at 2-0,” Noonan said. “We were still trying to play, but it was too early to manage the game like that. We just didn’t execute.”
FCC came out hot and looked sharp early, dominating possession and creating chances. Columbus struggled to get anything going in the first 30 minutes—too many turnovers, bad passes, and blown defensive coverages kept them pinned back.
But everything flipped after the Crew scored their first goal. From that point on, Columbus took control of the match. They dominated possession, moved the ball with purpose, and exposed FCC’s defensive lapses.
“It got pretty heated,” Noonan said. “You have to be able to control that. Some guys handled it well, others didn’t. These aren’t ideal conditions, but we have to be better.”
On Evander’s performance, Noonan added, “He scored the first goal because he puts in the work. He’s always doing the little things right, and that showed tonight.”
FCC’s passive play after going up 2-0 was costly. The energy dropped, the pressure faded, and the Crew took full advantage. Scoring four unanswered goals, Columbus looked sharper in every phase after halftime and walked away with a statement win.
“There’s disappointment behind this, no doubt,” Noonan said. “We gave up momentum and didn’t respond. We’ll look at the film and talk about it. We have to turn this around.”
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