Actor Cristo Fernández poses with a Crew jersey before the Columbus game against FC Cincinnati Sunday. Credit: Macy Erickson | Lantern Photographer
What a difference six days can make.
A shift from the Crew’s usual 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation sparked early rhythm and relentless pressure, setting up a decisive game three Thursday in Cincinnati.
“I think that during this game we had a certain moment we had the flow,” head coach Wilfried Nancy said. “The flow is a mix between the skills that we have and also the good energy that we have. And sometimes we don’t think about the game, we just play.”
The early stages of play saw Cincinnati have very little offensive success, as Columbus managed to control the ball in Cincinnati’s half of the field.
After 33 minutes of play, the scoring avalanche began.
Left wing back Max Arfsten made a slick move to shake Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano, placing the ball into the top of the net for a 1-0 Columbus lead, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Five minutes later, it would get even worse for Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo went for a low tackle on right wing back Andres Herrera, earning himself an immediate red card. The left midfielder was disqualified for the remainder of the game, forcing Cincinnati to play with 10 men.
The penalty resulted in a Crew free kick from the right-half space just outside of the box, and center midfielder Dylan Chambost took full advantage.
The French native blasted a left-footed kick over the wall of Cincinnati defenders, to the bottom right corner of the net, giving Columbus a 2-0 lead.
With 45 minutes still to play, Cincinnati had already appeared defeated. Columbus continued to apply their pressure from the start of the second half, not giving Cincinnati any opportunity to spark a comeback.
In the 65th minute, Herrera extended the lead to three for Columbus with a left-footed shot from the center of the box, and four minutes later, striker Jacen Russell-Rowe joined the scoring party, making it 4-0 Crew.
Columbus played keep-away for the final 20 minutes as the clock reached full-time.
Despite coming into the game with their backs against the wall, Russell-Rowe felt the team’s mindset allowed them to play loose and confident.
“I think we were having fun the whole time,” Russell-Rowe said. “Game 0-0, you know the guys are fighting to get the first goal, and I think we’re having fun in the tough moments. In difficult moments, we find joy in that.”
Columbus will travel to Cincinnati for the deciding game three on Nov. 8 at TQL Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.
