HARRISON, N.J. — In a thrilling conclusion to a tightly contested matchup, Daniel Edelman netted the crucial goal during the shootout, leading the New York Red Bulls to a narrow victory over Columbus with a score of 7-6 after the teams finished regulation tied at 2-2. This outcome meant that the defending champions, the Crew, were eliminated from the playoffs in a first-round sweep of the best-of-three series.
The Red Bulls, who entered the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, took a 2-1 advantage late in the game. Emil Forsberg contributed significantly, achieving his first-ever assist in the postseason followed by scoring his first playoff goal from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.
The Crew, ranked as the No. 2 seed, managed to level the score in dramatic fashion during the sixth minute of stoppage time. Christian Ramírez capitalized on an assist from Alexandru Matan, marking his fourth goal across eight playoff appearances. This assist by Matan was his second in the postseason, showcasing his impact in crucial moments.
Columbus had a strong start in the penalty shootout, successfully converting their initial four attempts. However, Carlos Coronel of the Red Bulls stepped up, making key saves against Yevhen Cheberko, Max Arfsten, and Matan to propel New York into the next round.
The match remained scoreless until the 55th minute when Arfsten capitalized on assists from Juan “Cucho” Hernández and Dylan Chambost, scoring his second goal in the postseason. Arfsten had only one playoff appearance last season, while Hernández recorded his first assist of the playoffs after tallying two in previous seasons. Notably, Arfsten entered the match just one minute before scoring. Chambost also made his mark, earning his first playoff assist in his inaugural season in the league.
The Red Bulls found their equalizer in the 64th minute when Dante Vanzeir, assisted by Lewis Morgan and Forsberg, scored his first postseason goal during just his second appearance in the playoffs. Morgan’s assist was a standout moment, representing his second assist in this series as well as his postseason career.
Coronel performed admirably, finishing the match with two saves in regulation time. He had previously matched his career high with eight saves in the opening match, securing his first clean sheet in six playoff starts. This included a noteworthy solo save during a scoreless first half.
On the other side, Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made three stops, playing in his eighth career postseason match. The loss ended Columbus’s season, despite them having set club records during the regular season for total goals (72) and overall points (66).
Historically, Columbus maintains the upper hand in all competitions with a series lead of 40-37-14. However, the Red Bulls have excelled at home, boasting a record of 23-13-7 against the Crew, including an impressive 3-0-1 in playoff games, all of which have been contested at Red Bull Arena. New York is also on a positive trajectory with a record of 4-1-1 in their last five playoff matches at home.