Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe (6) looks around as the crowd begins to honor him on his retirement after the game against New York Saturday. Credit: Macy Erickson | Lantern Photographer
Matchday 34 is officially in the books, closing out the 2025 MLS regular season for the Columbus Crew.
The Crew defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 Saturday night at Lower.com Field in a win that clinched the No. 7 seed in the Eastern conference playoffs, avoiding the single-game wild card round.
The match was also the final regular season game for center midfielder and Crew captain Darlington Nagbe. The 15-year MLS veteran was rightfully celebrated by the Crew faithful throughout the day, acknowledging his impact with “GOAT” signs, shirts, and more.
An emotional Nagbe was grateful to receive the praise and acknowledgement from his peers.
“I’m just proud to be part of this club, part of this team, the way they treated me, the way they welcomed me,” Nagbe said. “I couldn’t have dreamt of any better situation and to be a part of any [other] team.”
New York, having already been eliminated from playoff contention, was looking to play spoiler to Nagbe’s perfect sendoff.
11 minutes into the game, Red Bulls striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting blasted the ball from the center of the box past the diving arms of Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, taking an early 1-0 lead. Left wing Emil Forsberg and center midfielder Gustav Berggren were both credited with an assist.
Fortunately for Columbus, they did not trail for long.
Five minutes after conceding, Crew left wing Lassi Lappalainen sent the ball across the New York box to right wing Andrés Herrera, who tapped the ball in to tie the game at 1-1.
As the game progressed, both sides tried to take control of the pace. Columbus created three scoring chances in three consecutive minutes, but were denied each time in the 25th, 26th, and 27th minute.
Following the pressure from the Crew, New York created its own attack, but could not capitalize on their two shot attempts.
Crew defender Steven Moreira (31) fights for possession during the game against New York Saturday. Credit: Macy Erickson | Lantern Photographer
Through 45 minutes of play, Columbus maintained a slight edge in possession at 53.2%, while outshooting New York six to four.
Both clubs were aggressive on offense to begin the second half with each side recording two shots within 10 minutes, but no goals to show for it.
In the 66th minute, the pass-heavy approach from Columbus broke down New York.
Crew center forward Daniel Gazdag received a short pass inside the box from center midfielder Taha Habroune, allowing Gazdag to sneak the ball past Red Bulls goalkeeper John McCarthy for a 2-1 lead.
New York’s frustration started to show as the clock ticked away, seeing center back Dylan Nealis booked for a yellow card in the 70th minute.
With less than ten minutes remaining, Crew center forward Ibrahim Aliyu secured the victory with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner of the net, making it a 3-1 Columbus lead.
Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy was more than satisfied with his club’s efforts.
“I really, really liked the way we managed the game, and I think that when we are able to do that, we can go faster,” Nancy said. “I don’t believe in luck, but I believe in luck when we are proactive … tonight, we were proactive, so that’s why all the results were good for us.”
The Crew held their slight edge in possession through the final whistle at 52.3% and outshot New York 13 to eight.
Columbus will now turn its focus to FC Cincinnati in a best-of-three series in the first round of the MLS playoffs. Game 1 will kickoff Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m. at TQL Stadium.
