Following Wednesday night’s heartbreaker, Columbus Crew captain Sean Zawadzki said the club’s final four regular-season matches would each be a cup final. This is crunch time.
So, how did the Black & Gold perform in their first “cup final?” With the best offensive output of the regular season.
Playing a fourth match in 11 days, the Crew rattled off a season-high four goals to beat Toronto FC, 4-2, at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Perhaps more importantly, the three points leapfrogged Columbus over their northern neighbors and put the side into a play-in spot.
“We were expecting Toronto to try to come strong at us because of the scenario of the past few games for us. They did,” interim head coach Laurent Courtois said. “We were able to resist, and slowly, we were able to find our rhythm. We actually did some really interesting phases, but we couldn't capitalize the way we wanted. This is something that we need to find resources, a killer instinct or more nuances in the last pass to arrive at halftime in a better spot.
“What the guys did, the turnover after what happened Sunday, Wednesday and perform like this up until the red card was incredible.”
Columbus opened its scoring account 16 minutes in, when Gonzalo Tapia produced his third league goal since the 24-year-old striker joined from São Paulo in August. Santi Rodríguez set up the goal with a lovely ball into the box, which Mo Farsi caressed and slid toward Tapia for the tap in.
The lead doubled five minutes later from a Malte Amundsen header that kissed the back-post before twirling into the Toronto net. Dylan Chambost played a perfect corner to Amundsen, who nodded in his first MLS goal in 2026.
But Amundsen wasn’t done!
The Dane scored a second in the 48th minute – again from a Chambost cross. Similar to the first goal, this one also generated via a corner. This time, Amundsen finished a low cross for his first MLS brace.
“Obviously, I'm happy to score two goals. It's been a long time since I scored, and I'm happy for the win, but I'm also frustrated because we spent 30 minutes in hell,” he said after. “Happy with the result, and we also know that we played 120 minutes two nights ago. So, right now, happy with the result, but there are things we can improve, which is nice.”
Brooks Lennon added a fourth at the hour mark through a selfless Crew counter attack. With Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran off his line, Chambost played a pass to Lennon for a goal three minutes after he stepped onto the pitch for his first Columbus goal.
The assist was Chambost’s third – a career high – and his seventh this season. Chambost became the sixth player in Crew history to register three or more assists in a single match and the first since Alex Matan on Mar. 25, 2023, against Atlanta United FC.
“I'm proud. Three assists, it's rare, so yeah, I'm really happy to help the team today, and yeah, it was good night,” Chambost said.
The visitors eventually scored in the 69th minute, and more adversity arrived two minutes later when Sekou Bangoura was dismissed for a second yellow, but the Black & Gold saw out the three points to close a busy week with momentum.
As Amundsen said, it wasn’t easy. Once reduced to 10 men, Columbus was pinned into its own box. A Josh Sargeant goal in the 81st minute encouraged TFC to press, but the home side saw out the Trillium Cub dub.
With the win, the Crew left ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Saturday afternoon sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference standings – is which the final postseason spot. Toronto tumbled to 11th.
The Crew have won five-of-their-last-six league games.
“To be fair, I think we did a really good game on Wednesday,” Chambost said. “The difference is we scored tonight, and we didn't on Wednesday. So, I think we kept the same stuff as Wednesday, and we are confident. We know that we are good. We know what we are able to do, and tonight was really good before the red card, obviously. And then after the red card, we saw the team spirit, and that's also really good, and we're going to need it for the rest of the season.”
The Black & Gold play their final regular season match in the Ohio capital next Saturday, when they host D.C. United for another afternoon special. Don’t miss Fan Appreciation Day.
Before that, though, the Crew travel deep into the heart of Texas to face FC Dallas on Wednesday night in Frisco.
“With three games left, we said it before this game, every game is a final for us,” Lennon said. “You know, now we go away in Dallas, in a big game. They're doing well in the West, but yeah, we have to focus on one game at a time. We can't focus on the playoffs right now. Yes, we want to get in, but you have to focus on the process, not the outcome, and that's what we're doing.”
