RECAP: Red Bulls Stun Columbus, Advance to Conf. Semifinals, 2-2 (5:4)
The New York Red Bulls win over the Columbus Crew on Sunday, 2-2 (5:4 on penalty kicks) is the biggest upset thus far in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. The Crew, a second seed in the Eastern Conference and defending MLS Cup champions, were expected to easily get past #7 RBNY in the First Round.
Instead, New York is the one heading to the Eastern Conference Semifinals after two straight wins.
This is the Red Bulls’ first time getting past the First Round (Conference Quarterfinals) since 2018, when they also beat the Columbus Crew.
New York head coach Sandro Schwarz did not hold back in the post match media press conference, saying the reaction from the fans will stick with him for a long time to come.
“Yeah, it was unbelievable,” Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz said after the game, still visibly dealing with the emotional result.
“I’m so happy to see all these faces. Yeah, it’s very emotional from my side as well, and I’m very happy, I’m very proud, and I love — I will never forget for sure this day and the best messages, and I said this directly to our group is that the season is not over. That’s the best message today. Yeah, now I think in three weeks is the next game after the international break, and now is to enjoy these pictures in our stadium, to enjoy, also, these pictures which we create in our atmosphere in the locker room, and then to prepare for the next round.”
Nealis Bros Come Up Big
The last time Columbus played at Red Bull Arena, the visitors scored two goals in 15 minutes. On Sunday night, with an unchanged lineup from Game 1’s 1-0 win, New York was able to hold back the Crew for 45 minutes.
Sean and Dylan Nealis, playing part of a five-man backline, stood on their heads multiple times to keep these visitors away from the box. Sean, in particular, helped New York clear multiple early corner kicks from the Crew. On the other hand, John Tolkin started off well, battling Mohamed Farsi on the right side. The two even engaged in a brief scuffle midway through the opening half. However, as time wore on, the New Jersey native was getting beaten a lot on his side and leaving his teammates to back him up.
Columbus did have looks on the net, which isn’t surprising since the Crew had 61% possession. Cucho Hernandez took two free kicks that sailed over the crossbar from dangerous spots. In the 40th minute, Diego Rossi got the ball in the box and shot low. It was deflected by Coronel and hit off the left post back into play. The subsequent play saw Hernandez hit a long shot off the left post. In the 42nd minute, Coronel made two back-to-back saves on one-on-one attempts to keep the game scoreless.
New York was playing like a team that earned 14 draws this year. Despite conceding possession and getting two shots in the first half, the defense was doing enough. It would be up to the offense to get them ahead or risk a 50/50 chance in a penalty kickdown.
Head coach Schwarz said after the game that this being a new competition was always going to be a big deal, especially considering how Decision Day went.
“This was also our topic after we finished the regular season. So now it’s a new competition, and I heard this many times from many players in our personal conversation. Now it’s a new competition, and we showed this, and to believe in that,” Schwarz told New York Sports Nation after the game.
“We talked about principles and tactical points, especially against Columbus, you need also a good tactical performance. But in the end, it’s also to have this confidence and to believe in that. This is then — if you don’t do that, you can have the best match plan, and I don’t know the best tactics, but if you don’t believe if you don’t give your best, if you don’t try everything, and when you make a mistake, to help each other, to communicate, to coach each other.”
Vanzeir & Forsberg Slot Up
The second half opened with Crew coach substituting DeJuan Jones for Maximillian Arfsten early on. That paid off immediately, and a minute later, Dylan Chambost’s cross found Cucho Hernandez on the edge of the box. He beat both Felipe Carballo and Cameron Harper before he passed it off to Arfstan on the left side of the box, who one-touched into the right corner of the net in the 55th minute.
It was Columbus’ first goal in the playoffs, and it came at no bigger time for the defending champions.
New York knew something had to change, so head coach Sandro Schwarz began to prep subs. Both Ronald Donkor and Elias Manoel readied themselves to enter the match in the 64th minute. At the same time, Lewis Morgan battled a Crew defender near midfield and the outfield, keeping the ball in play and going on a run on the left side. He passed to Emil Forsberg, who moved the ball up to Dante Vanzeir in the box. The low shot from the left side beat keeper Patrick Schulte to tie the game at 1-1.
Interestingly, after the refs made sure the ball never went out of play, only Donkor entered the match for Carballo.
It seemed as though Vanzeir was going to come off, but that critical goal kept the Belgian on the field for a little longer.
The momentum was fully on New York’s side for a moment. The fans began to believe a go-ahead goal was coming. In the 76th minute, Forsberg was on a run in the box but was taken down by Crew defender Rudy Camacho. Despite protests from the visitors that the foul was outside the box, Forsberg calmly converted from the spot in the 80th minute.
With a one-goal lead, New York found out it would have to defend it for the rest of regulation and 12 minutes of stoppage. Diego Rossi caused Coronel to make a diving save in the 84th minute, but the Crew’s offense proved too much. A corner kick in the 90+6th minute was headed away by substitute Christian Ramirez to tie the game at two goals each.
Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz was visibly frustrated on the bench. The arena went silent. The script felt set for another playoff loss, with the Crew heading back to Ohio with tons of momentum. The defending MLS Cup Champions were no slouches, and a win against New York was always predicted.
Coronel Has A Come-Up
With 12 minutes of stoppage time past, the game proceeded directly to penalty kicks. Goal scorer Vanzeir and season-leading scorer Morgan were already subbed off. Game 1 hero Felipe Carballo was also off the field for New York, meaning some unorthodox kickers.
PHOTO: New York Red Bulls
After Diego Rossi converted his first kick, John Tolkin went to the spot for New York’s first attempt. The Chatham, NJ native kicked low and down the middle, which was saved by Schulte to give the visitors the early edge.
The next few rounds saw Columbus push Coronel the wrong way each time, with Christian Ramirez, Cucho Hernández, and Jasen Russell-Rowe all converting. New York sent up Noah Eile, Wiki Carmona, and Elias Manoel, who all also scored.
With the game on the line, the Crew sent Yevhen Cheberko to the spot in the fifth round. The Ukrainian defender scored his first goal of the season back on Decision Day against RBNY. A successful attempt would send the series back to Ohio for Game 3. He shot high and to the right, and Coronel guessed correctly to block it out. Forsberg stepped up to the spot and beat a diving Schulte to send it to sudden death.
In Round 6, the game’s first goal scorer, Arfsten, attempted to shoot to the left and high. Coronel predicted this and beat him there, diving to keep the ball out. New York’s assistant captain Sean Nealis tried to seal the result, but Schulte easily stopped the slow roller to force Round 7. Things felt very Metro at this moment, with fears of another playoff loss starting to swirl.
Columbus sent up Alexandru Mățan for the seventh round, who went in the same direction as Arfsten though lower and slower. Coronel dove and made his third straight save to once again put New York on the cusp of advancing.
Once again, the keeper raised his shirt and looked towards the South Ward to rally the crowd into a frenzy.
“I (was) very frustrated because I was not going to the right corners,” Coronel said about starting the PK shootout allowing four straight successful shots.
“From the last three saves, we analyzed almost every play from Columbus. For sure, I must give a little credit to Ryan and Jeremy because this was a lot of teamwork. I did not start how I wanted to, but I finished very well. We analyzed Columbus as a team together, and in the end, that’s what worked.”
Homegrown Daniel Edelman converted his shot, a high strike into the right corner, to give New York the win, 5:4.
In a way, it was a redemption moment for the New Jersey native after he’d missed his penalty against Toronto FC in the Leagues Cup earlier in the season.
“I’ve been begging for a moment like that to redeem myself. I’m a guy that, despite the difficulty of missing the penalty versus Toronto in the Leagues Cup, I want it. I want those moments,” Edelman said after the game.
“It just shows I stay locked in, and I’m super proud of myself to be able to step up there and to have the team trusted me in that moment as well, to step up and bury it.”
Next Up?
The Red Bulls won’t know who they face in the next round for a few days. #3 FC Cincinnati and #6 New York City FC are heading back to Ohio after NYCFC claimed a 3-1 win at Citi Field on Saturday. The winner of that game will host the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the overall Quarterfinals of the playoffs itself.
If Cincinnati wins, it will mark the third straight playoffs where RBNY plays the orange and blue. In 2022, Cincy knocked off New York in an afternoon game at Red Bull Arena. Last year, the Ohio side beat the Red Bulls in two games, most remembered for Matt Miazga breaking into the referee’s locker room after the game. The two teams have also met in other recent knockout tournaments, such as the 2023 U.S. Open Cup, which Cincinnati also won on penalty kicks.
A match against New York City FC would be the first Hudson River Derby to ever happen in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game would most likely be at Citi Field since Yankee Stadium’s November is already busy enough with multiple college football games scheduled. The last time RBNY played in Queens, the team lost 2-1 earlier this year. RBNY does have the edge over NYCFC in knockout tournaments with three USOC wins and one Leagues Cup win, all of which have taken place at Red Bull Arena.
Coronel was asked after the game which team he’d prefer to face in the next round. The Paraguay national team keeper didn’t really have a preference, though Cincinnati’s facilities compared to NYCFC did come up.
“I don’t have, like, a preference,” Coronel said.
“I don’t know maybe against Cincy because has like a soccer stadium. Not like a baseball stadium. Then maybe its better to play soccer and so on. I think that’s good because you go to play against New York City, and the field is not great.”
From this point on, the playoffs are single-game elimination, with games hosted by the higher seed. The Red Bulls will only return to Harrison under two conditions.
If #9 Atlanta United FC beats Supporter’s Shield champion Inter Miami CF later this week in their Game 3 and advances to the Eastern Conference Final, they would travel to Harrison if RBNY also makes it that far.
New York can also host the MLS Cup Final if Western Conference #9 Vancouver Whitecaps make a Cinderella run to the championship game.
PHOTO: New York Red Bulls
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