COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Max Arfsten had a goal and two assists, while Dylan Chambost scored a first-half goal on Sunday night to help the Columbus Crew avoid elimination from the MLS Cup playoffs. The Crew defeated FC Cincinnati 4-0 in Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series.
The series now returns to TQL Stadium for Game 3 on Saturday, where Cincinnati won the opener 1-0. The winner will advance to the one-game Eastern Conference semifinals against either No. 3 seed Miami or No. 6 seed Nashville.
Jacen Russell-Rowe, who replaced Diego Rossi in the 61st minute, assisted Andrés Herrera’s goal in the 65th minute and then scored his first career playoff goal in the 69th minute. Arfsten opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Rossi, on the counter-attack, won a loose ball from defender Alvas Powell at the edge of the 18-yard box and passed it to Arfsten on the left side of the area. The 24-year-old midfielder cut outside to evade goalkeeper Roman Celantano, who had charged off his line, and blasted a shot from the corner of the 6-yard box into the top net for his third career playoff goal.
Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo received a yellow card in the seventh minute and a second yellow in the 38th, leaving the No. 2 seed a man down for the rest of the match.
Chambost, whose shot earlier in the seventh minute was stopped by Celantano, converted the ensuing free kick from just outside the top of the box on the right side. He bent the ball inside the near post to make it 2-0 in the 41st minute.
The seventh-seeded Crew dominated the game, outshooting Cincinnati 19-1. Columbus defender Rudy Camacho made his season debut after being sidelined with a thigh injury, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute.
Goalkeeper Roman Celantano finished the match with five saves. Early in the game, he dove to break up a cross played by Taha Habroune and was accidentally kicked in the head by Hugo Picard in the third minute. Celantano was evaluated for a head injury but was cleared to continue playing.
