FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew 0-2

Columbus Crew left TQL Stadium with a 2-0 win after controlling the first half and adding a second goal early after the break. Gonzalo Tapia and Taha Habroune scored either side of half-time to decide it.

Tapia opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, finishing from Brais Méndez to make it 1-0. FC Cincinnati had already been forced into a change on 18 minutes, when Julian Malatini went off for Nick Hagglund, and the hosts picked up bookings for Samuel Mawuena Gidi on 28 minutes and Teenage Hadebe on 31 minutes. Columbus reached the interval in front after André Gomes was booked in first-half stoppage time. The half-time score was FC Cincinnati 0-1 Columbus Crew.

Habroune made it 2-0 in the 54th minute, with Tapia providing the assist for his second direct contribution of the afternoon. FC Cincinnati made two changes on 59 minutes, sending on Kenji Mboma Dem and Ender Jesús Echenique Peña, while Columbus also shuffled its side, with Brais Méndez replaced at the interval before Santiago Rodriguez, Steven Moreira and Habroune all came off by the 66th minute in another double change window. The hosts made two more changes on 79 minutes, but they never found a way back into the match. Columbus protected the lead through the final stages, and Dylan Chambost was booked in stoppage time.

The numbers pointed to a different shape to the result. FC Cincinnati had 55% of the ball, made 606 passes to Columbus Crew's 287 and finished with 22 shots to 3, including 7 on target to 2. They also posted 2.12 expected goals to 0.36, while corners finished level at 2-2 and the away side were caught offside 4 times to Cincinnati's 2. Columbus had 7 saves to Cincinnati's 0, which matched the clean sheet and the two-goal margin.

There were four yellow cards in total, two for each side. FC Cincinnati's bookings went to Samuel Mawuena Gidi on 28 minutes and Teenage Hadebe on 31 minutes. Columbus Crew's cautions were André Gomes on 45+7 minutes and Dylan Chambost on 90+3 minutes. There were no red cards.