FC Cincinnati showed strength, composure, and confidence on a nerve-filled evening at TQL Stadium that felt like a test of character from start to finish. In front of a packed home crowd and under the heavy pressure of a decisive state rivalry, the team found a way to turn the game around against the Columbus Crew, winning 2–1 and earning a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2025 MLS Cup. The performance once again put the club among the league’s main contenders, and the name on everyone’s lips was Brenner, the Brazilian forward who scored both goals that sealed the comeback and wrote another memorable chapter in Cincinnati’s growing story.
A comeback built on grit and calm
For much of the match, the tension in the air was obvious as both sides fought for control. The score finally changed in the second half when Columbus took the lead in the 63rd minute. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte launched a long ball down the right flank to Andrés Herrera, who cut inside the box and crossed perfectly for Jacen Russell-Rowe to finish first-time into the net. The home crowd went silent for a moment, but Cincinnati’s response was almost immediate.
Just four minutes later, in the 67th minute, Evander delivered a corner kick that was partially cleared. The ball deflected off Teenage Hadebe, bounced loose inside the area, and Brenner reacted quicker than everyone else, striking a close-range shot to level the score. It was his first playoff goal wearing the orange and blue, and it reignited the energy inside the stadium.
Brenner seals the win and the crowd erupts
The decisive moment arrived in the closing minutes, when Cincinnati pushed forward again. At the 86-minute mark, Pavel Bucha started a quick passing move that ended with Samuel Gidi inside the box. Gidi slipped a clever pass to Brenner, who controlled the ball, kept his composure, and fired a low shot into the left corner. The ball rolled slowly over the line, and for a second, time seemed to stop before the roar of the crowd took over TQL Stadium. That goal, Brenner’s second of the night and his second in the playoffs, all but decided the contest and sent the fans into celebration.
The win carried extra meaning for the club. It marked the fourth time in FC Cincinnati’s history that the team has come from behind to win after conceding the first goal in the second half, and two of those comebacks have happened in the MLS Cup playoffs. The result also sends Cincinnati to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third time in four seasons, reinforcing the team’s identity as one that refuses to fold under pressure and continues to grow stronger in decisive moments.