Columbus Crew silenced TQL Stadium with an improbable comeback against FC Cincinnati in another heated edition of the Hell is Real rivalry. In a six-goal match that included a weather delay and boiling stands, the visitors erased a 2–0 deficit and scored four straight to come away with a 4–2 win.
The result shifts the tone in the Eastern Conference. What seemed like a comfortable lead for Cincinnati is now under pressure, with the Crew just one point back. The Orange and Blue sit on 42 points (13 wins, 6 losses, 3 draws), while Columbus climbs to 41 (11 wins, 3 losses, 8 draws), riding a strong run with four wins in their last five matches.
Cincinnati’s fast start canceled out before half-time
The match kicked off at a playoff pace. Just 39 seconds in, Lukas Engel won the ball in midfield and sprinted down the left side. Near the end line, he delivered a low cross to Pavel Bucha, who arrived well inside the box and finished first-time into the net.
Before Columbus had a chance to settle, the second goal came. At five minutes, Miles Robinson fired from outside the area, it was blocked, and the rebound fell to Evander. He struck it across goal and doubled the lead. It was his fourth straight match finding the net, tying the club’s record streak in MLS. It was a brutal and historic start, the fastest two goals FCC has ever scored in a single match.
But early momentum doesn’t always last. The lead turned into a trap. The Crew stayed composed, kept the ball moving, looked for openings, and capitalized on Cincinnati’s mistakes. In the 43rd minute, Darlington Nagbe found Ibrahim Aliyu open on the right. He drove into the box, shook off the defender, and laid it off to Diego Rossi. The finish was clean, bringing Columbus back into the match. Minutes later, at 48 in the first half, Max Arfsten scored the equalizer.
Own goal flips the score and exposes FCC’s collapse
The shift was sealed in the second half. At the 59-minute mark, Miles Robinson tried to intercept a Crew attack but deflected the ball into his own net. That made it 3–2. What had looked like a controlled rivalry match for the home team turned into a technical and tactical breakdown.
Cincinnati couldn’t recover. In stoppage time, at 93 minutes, the Crew finished the job. Taha Habroune won the ball in the attacking half, broke into open space, and slotted it across goal to make it four.