Carlos Coronel made three penalty saves as the New York Red Bulls won 5-4 in a shootout to knock the reigning MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew out of the playoffs on Sunday night.
New York won 1-0 away from home on Tuesday night and needed to win on Sunday to sweep Columbus and advance into the next round. The win tonight also means the Red Bulls advance past the first round for the first time since 2018 and have 20 days to rest before playing their next match in the Eastern Conference semifinals on either Nov. 23 or 24. They will face the winner of New York City FC and FC Cincinnati, who play their deciding game next Saturday.
“I said we could win it, why not?” Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg said. “It’s the kind of mentality we got to have. I’m so proud of this team and the fans. We’re through.”
The first half was all Columbus, as the Crew had 61% of possession. They created four big chances from their nine shots, and Coronel had to come in with a save to keep the game level. The Red Bulls managed two shots in the first 45, but both went well wide.
Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy felt the need to change things up 10 minutes into the second half, substituting the more defensive DeJuan Jones for the attack-minded Maximillian Arfsten. It proved to be a masterstroke, as Dylan Chambost’s cross found Cucho Hernandez on the edge of the box. He was allowed time to take a couple of touches and lay it off to Arfsten for his first-time finish for the breakthrough goal.
With Columbus holding a 16-1-3 record when scoring the first goal, New York felt the pressure, opting to kick it long and use the legs of Lewis Morgan and Dante Vanzeir to win the aerial duels and get the second ball. However, the Red Bulls’ equalizer came through Morgan winning the ball on the halfway line. He found Forsberg, who laid it off to Vanzeir at the edge of the six-yard box, rifling his shot across goal.
The goal seemed to have energized Red Bull as they started to play through midfield and created more chances. John Tolkin had a good chance to put the Red Bulls up but ended up volleying his shot just over the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
The momentum had swung New York’s way, as RBNY kept surging forward. Forsberg found himself in on goal in the 76th minute but was subsequently hacked down by center-back Rudy Camacho. Forsberg duly slotted the spot kick to wild celebrations in the Red Bull Arena’s supporter’s section and New York suddenly found themselves with a lead to defend.
Columbus Crew obliged, sending wave after wave of yellow shirts to attack Carlos Coronel in the Red Bulls goal. Hernandez had a penalty shout waved off by VAR, the referee deciding that he was fouled just outside the 18-yard box. He was booked for his protests and the free-kick found the wall.
Boos rang out around Red Bull Arena when the fourth official put up the board to indicate 12 minutes of added time, but each player in a red shirt hounded and fought for every ball. However, the pressure was too much, as Columbus found their equalizer in the 90+6th minute. Substitute Christian Ramirez found himself at the Red Bulls’ front post, nodding in his header from three yards out surrounded by red jerseys.
Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz was left visibly frustrated on the touchline and the game was forced to penalties.
Diego Rossi converted the first spot kick, and Tolkin had his effort saved by Patrick Schulte. The next six penalties were scored, but in a heart-in-mouth moment, Wikelman Carmona almost saw his shot saved as it slid right under Schulte.
Yevhen Cheberko took the Crew’s fifth penalty which, if scored, would have won the shootout for his team and forced a Game 3. However, the defender who scored against the Red Bulls on Decision Day saw his effort saved by Coronel.
Forsberg stepped up to take his team’s fifth penalty and sent Schulte the wrong way again to tie it up. Coronel made an outstanding save to keep goalscorer Arfsten’s attempt out, and he knew it as well — he turned straight to the supporter’s section behind the goal to celebrate with his fans.
Schulte got in on the penalty-saving act, saving Sean Nealis’s match-winning attempt, but Coronel made it three saves in a row, diving to his right to give Daniel Edelman the chance to win it.
The 23-year-old who grew up a 30-minute drive from Red Bull Arena rifled his penalty to Schulte’s left and the arena erupted as Edelman’s shirt came flying off.
