COLUMBUS, OH – A brisk evening in the Buckeye state, saw the Columbus Crew’s reserve team, Columbus Crew 2 take on Toronto FC II at Historic Crew Stadium. The winner would advance to the MLS Next Pro Final. It wasn’t an easy task, but the infamous Capybara’s swam their way through muddy waters to victory.
The visiting side in Toronto FC II started out strong, testing the ability of Crew 2 with attacking chances. Being able to sustain pressure is one thing, but TFC II were there to spoil the party of the MLS Next Pro regular season champions.
The Crew did just that, settling into the game and being able to play the way they wanted. Dictating how the opposition would play fell into their favor throughout first half.
Toronto FC II however, held the attack at bay, not giving them any good chances.
Noah Fuson opens the scoring
The 32nd minute saw the home side get the breakthrough, when Ryan Telfer slotted a pass through the penalty area, connecting with Noah Fuson to give the Black & Gold a 1-0 lead. With the goal, the Crew were in the drivers seat, just like they had been 3/4 of their inaugural MLS Next Pro campaign.
Leading into the break, Crew 2 were 45 minutes away from booking their spot in the MLS Next Pro Final.
Toronto FC II claws back
As mentioned before, this game wasn’t an easy task for Crew 2.
In the 47th minute, just after halftime, the Canadian side equalized when Paul Rothrock put Crew defender Phillip Quinton under pressure, causing the centerback to make a mistake. Rothrock collected, and slotted home his shot far post by goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
Game on.
As the second half dwindled down, the Crew were awarded a penalty kick in the 60th minute when a Toronto FC II player was called for handling inside the penalty box. Isaiah Parente converted the spot kick, to put Crew 2 back in front.
Just when you thought it was over
Things were looking good for the Black & Gold. The opposition couldn’t get any chances created, mistakes in the midfield, and shots off target. But it wasn’t until second half stoppage time, when the Reds were awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box.
