Columbus Crew stun FC Cincinnati to reignite playoff push

Clinical Crew punish Cincinnati’s missed chances

Columbus Crew made the most of a pair of openings to claim a 2-0 win over FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, a result that revived the visitors’ MLS Cup Playoff hopes and dealt a setback to their Ohio rivals.

Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, heading home Brais Mendez’s deep corner at the far post after being left unmarked. Cincinnati pressed for an equalizer, with Tom Barlow and Evander testing goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, but Columbus doubled its lead nine minutes into the second half. Tapia broke down the right and cut the ball back for Taha Habroune, who finished first time into the bottom-left corner.

The scoreline belied Cincinnati’s control of much of the match. The hosts recorded 23 shots, seven on target, and 1.91 expected goals, while Columbus managed three attempts and 0.3 expected goals. Both of the Crew’s shots on target found the net.

Teenage Hadebe and David Doudera had earlier chances for Cincinnati. After falling behind, the hosts continued to threaten, but Sean Zawadzki struck his own post and Kevin Denkey sent a close-range effort wide as their comeback hopes faded.

Playoff race tightens as Crew prepare for cup final

The victory moved Columbus to within one point and two places of Cincinnati, who occupy the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card position. The Crew have now won five of their last six matches in all competitions, with one defeat in that run, ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final against St. Louis City.

Cincinnati’s defensive vulnerability remained a concern. Across the 2026 MLS regular season, their matches had produced 130 goals—68 scored and 62 conceded—with four games left. That total was six short of the league record cited in the report, set by Inter Miami in the 2025 MLS regular season with 136 goals for and against.