Columbus Crew Stun FC Cincinnati With 4-2 Comeback in Lightning-Charged MLS Clash
Jul, 13 2025
Early Fireworks and a Stormy Twist
This MLS showdown between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew was never short of drama from the first minute. If anyone arrived late to TQL Stadium that evening, they missed two quick punches right out of the gate. Pavel Bucha stunned the Crew just seconds after kickoff, slotting home in the first minute. As fans barely settled, Evander doubled the lead with a cool finish by the fifth minute, sending the sell-out crowd of 25,513 into a frenzy.
Then the skies opened up. A severe weather delay halted play for nearly an hour, cranking up the tension. The break might have given both teams time to regroup, but it was Columbus who emerged sharper once the match resumed.
Crew’s Comeback Sparks New MLS Conversation
Columbus started to find their rhythm midway through the first half, and Diego Rossi—one of their most creative weapons—finally gave Crew fans something to shout about in the 42nd minute. His neatly-placed shot tucked past the Cincinnati defense, halving the deficit and giving Columbus a lifeline just before half-time.
The real turning point came just before the break. Max Arfsten, always buzzing with energy, saw his shot take a cruel deflection past Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano. Suddenly, a two-goal lead had evaporated, and the sides went into halftime locked at 2-2.
After the interval, the momentum completely swung Columbus’s way. In the 59th minute, Cincinnati’s normally steadfast defender Miles Robinson became the unfortunate headline, turning the ball into his own net. The own goal gave the Crew an unlikely lead and hushed the stands.
With Cincinnati chasing the game, Columbus drove the advantage home in stoppage time. Taha Habroune, the 18-year-old making his MLS debut, pounced on a loose ball to sew up the match at 4-2. For Habroune, it wasn't just a fairytale moment; it stamped him as a future name to watch in league circles.
- 2nd-minute opener from Bucha electrified the stadium
- Arfsten’s deflected goal and Robinson’s own goal turned the tide
- Habroune made the most of his debut with confidence
This loss ended Cincinnati’s recent four-game streak without a defeat. It wasn’t just about conceding four; it was the manner. Despite controlling early possession and surging ahead, Cincinnati’s defense fell apart in key moments, and their attack faded as Crew’s midfield asserted control. For Columbus, this kind of comeback cements their reputation as one of the most resilient teams in the MLS right now, and key figures like Rossi already look like postseason difference-makers.
Jason Lo
July 15, 2025 AT 03:29This is why you never trust a team that gets lucky with deflections. Columbus didn't earn that win-they got handed it by a lazy defender and a lucky bounce. If you're calling this a 'comeback,' you're lying to yourself.
Brian Gallagher
July 16, 2025 AT 20:51From a tactical standpoint, the weather interruption acted as a critical inflection point in the game's entropy. Columbus demonstrated superior metabolic recovery protocols and midfield spatial reorganization post-delay, whereas Cincinnati exhibited a collapse in defensive cohesion metrics, particularly in transition phases. The own goal was less a mistake and more a systemic failure of positional discipline.
Elizabeth Alfonso Prieto
July 18, 2025 AT 01:51OMG I CRIED WHEN HABROUNE SCORED!! I MEAN LIKE SERIOUSLY I WAS SO PROUD I COULDN'T BREATH!!! THAT BOY IS A LIVING LEGEND NOW AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF THEY DON'T GIVE HIM THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD I'M MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!
Harry Adams
July 18, 2025 AT 14:59How is this even noteworthy? Another MLS match decided by defensive incompetence and a teenager capitalizing on chaos. The league's entire identity is built on this kind of theatrical incompetence. The only thing more predictable than the result is the media's overreaction to it.
Kieran Scott
July 20, 2025 AT 05:53Let’s be real: this isn’t a comeback. It’s a collapse disguised as momentum. Columbus didn’t outplay them-they just waited for Cincinnati to self-destruct. Arfsten’s goal wasn’t skill, it was a statistical anomaly. Robinson’s own goal? A symptom of systemic coaching failure. And Habroune? He scored because Cincinnati’s defense was in a coma. Rossi? He’s good, sure, but he’s not a ‘difference-maker’-he’s just the guy who scored when the other team stopped defending. This isn’t resilience. It’s entropy wearing a jersey.
Joshua Gucilatar
July 20, 2025 AT 21:26That second half was pure alchemy-Columbus turned panic into poetry. Rossi didn’t just score; he sculpted a moment. Arfsten’s deflection? A cosmic wink. And Habroune? The kid didn’t just score-he announced himself to the league like a thunderclap in a cathedral. You could feel the air shift when that ball rolled in. Cincinnati had control, sure, but control without conviction is just a fancy way of saying ‘you’re about to get schooled.’ Columbus didn’t win because they were better-they won because they refused to stop believing when the world told them to quit. That’s the soul of the game right there.
jesse pinlac
July 22, 2025 AT 20:10It is deeply concerning that such a lack of tactical discipline is being celebrated as ‘resilience.’ The defensive errors exhibited by Cincinnati were not merely lapses-they were institutional failures. The notion that a debutant’s opportunistic finish constitutes a ‘stamp’ on his future is a reflection of the league’s low standards. This match should serve as a cautionary tale, not a rallying cry.
Jess Bryan
July 24, 2025 AT 09:12That weather delay? Not coincidence. They turned off the lights on purpose to reset the game. Cincinnati’s players were all wearing tracking chips-same ones used in the 2022 World Cup scandal. The deflection? AI-guided. Habroune was planted. You think a kid that young just happens to be on the pitch? Look at the broadcast feed timestamps. They cut away for exactly 47 seconds right before the goal. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Ronda Onstad
July 25, 2025 AT 10:37I just want to say how proud I am of how Columbus kept fighting. I watched this with my dad-he’s 72 and has been a Crew fan since the 90s. When Rossi scored, he stood up and clapped like he was at a family reunion. And when Habroune put it in? He cried. Not because he’s sentimental-he’s a retired engineer who thinks emotions are inefficient-but because he knew what that goal meant. It’s not just about the points. It’s about showing up, even when you’re down, even when the sky’s falling. That’s the kind of team you want to root for. And yeah, maybe it was messy. Maybe it was lucky. But it was real. And real matters more than perfect.
Zara Lawrence
July 26, 2025 AT 22:04Did anyone else notice the security guards all left their posts during the delay? I watched the replay five times. One of them was holding a tablet that looked like a control panel. And then-right before the own goal-the stadium lights flickered in a pattern. Three short, one long. Morse code? Or just a glitch? Either way, the timing is too perfect. Cincinnati’s defense didn’t collapse-it was disabled. Someone wanted Columbus to win. And now they’re calling it ‘resilience.’
Jason Lo
July 28, 2025 AT 12:51Oh please. You’re all just romanticizing incompetence. That kid scored because the defense was asleep. That’s not heart-that’s negligence. And you’re celebrating it like it’s the moon landing.