Hell is Real turns into an exorcism for FC Cincinnati
Crew lack finish in Darlington Nagbe's final game
CINCINNATI – It was a terrific series, was Hell is Real, playoff style, part II. It was decided in a rubber-match Game 3 at TQL Stadium, where the Columbus Crew pushed to find the equalizer right through nine (!) minutes of stoppage time, but failed. Crew Midfielder Darlington Nagbe admitted he was looking for one last banger to extend the Crew's season, and prolong his career. It did not come.
"It has been a great ride. I have no regrets," said Nagbe, 35, who announced a month ago that he'd be retiring at the end of the season. Saturday night was the end.
No. 2 seed FC Cincinnati defeated the No. 7 Crew 2-1 before a sellout crowd of 25,000 plus. Although the field tilted Cincinnati's way during a crucial stretch of the second half, the stats bear out that this was an evenly played game. The difference was the quality in the final third.
Brenner, arguably FCC's best player, had the touch and the finish in a hotly contested box to score both of the Garys' goals in a come-from-behind victory. Meanwhile, Diego Rossi, the Crew's leading scorer, couldn't quite find enough space or the right strike. The game summary is more complicated than that – or, is it?
“I am emotional," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "It was difficult to talk with the players because obviously, yes, we lost, but during the game I had flashes regarding Darlington, what he did, the person that he is. We wanted to go as far as possible so it was tough. It was tough to tell the team that the season is over and it was the last game of Darlington. Emotional because, again, you know Darlington. Difficult.”
The Crew (14-8-12, 54 points) posted one of the four best regular seasons, points-wise, in franchise history – but due to injuries, offensive anemia and other factors, they just didn't bury enough of their chances. It's fair to say that the story of the Crew's 2025 season ended in an appropriate fashion. They needed at least one more goal.
Cincinnati (20-9-5, 65 points) won Game 1 in their Porkopolis home by a score of 1-0.
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The series then shifted to Columbus, where the Crew rolled to a 4-0 victory in Game 2. Cincinnati was thrown off-kilter in the middle game and when Yuya Kubo was tossed on a red card in the 31st minute, the rout was on.
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Game 3 was akin to Game 1. The Cincinnatis did a good job with their defensive shape, especially their box defending. They got a couple of big saves from their keeper, Roman Celentano. Their multi-million-dollar front line – featuring attacking mid Evander, Kevin Denkey up top and Brenner – decided to be dangerous. Brenner was indispensable.
Yet, this thing was right there in the offing for the Crew. (How many times this season have Crew fans uttered the same lament?) They had the better of play in the first half, which ended 0-0. They took a 1-0 lead on a lethal counter in the 57th minute: Crew keeper Patrick Schulte ICBMed a goal kick for right wingback Andres Herrera to run onto, Herrera sent a cross to the middle of the box and forward Jacen Russell-Rowe, who'd just come off the bench, pured a volley over Celantano's belated leap. It was bang-bang-bang.
At that point, you had to figure that minds of the Cincinnatis might be compromised. The crowd turned deathly quiet. Everyone in the building was thinking the same thing – they were having flashbacks to the 2023 Eastern Conference final, when the Crew came from two goals down in the second half and won in added extra time in this same venue. It was one of the greatest playoff games in MLS history, and for Cincy, it introduced a demon that has darkened their door ever since.
The demon is gone now.
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“Yeah, (it's) painful – painful because I think we deserve better," Nancy said. "We had a fantastic performance. So difficult, so difficult to play two games like this, a do-or-die game and this game away. Yes, we conceded two goals, but with the way we played and the personality that we had, we fell short. We could have scored more goals. Sad. Sad for the players because they gave it all. We wanted also to push to avoid the last game of Darlington. Yeah, this is painful. This is difficult. This is also our job. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Yeah, a tough one.”
Brenner struck for his first goal in the 67th minute, just 300 seconds after the Crew scored. The goal was the product of a corner kick and weird bounce in a chaotic box. Somehow, Brenner was left unmarked and he made no mistake from close range.
That got the crowd back into it. Oh, how the volume ratcheted.
Brenner struck again in the 86th minute. He finished off a quick counter (set up by a turnover by midfielder Dylan Chambost). Once again, he found some room – this time near the top of the box – took a drop pass from Samuel Gidi and found a shooting lane that terminated inside the far (left) post.
"We knew it was going to be a tight game and we left our hearts out there," center back Malte Amundsen said.
The Crew went hard after an equalizer in the final 14 minutes of regulation and through stoppage time. Nancy brought Lassi Lappalainen into the game in the 84th minute and Ibrahim Aliyu, Daniel Gazdag and Yevhen Cheberko brought fresh legs to stoppage time. The Crew had their chances.
Diminutive forward Hugo Picard, who had a point-blank header thwarted, impressively, by Celantano early in the second half, was denied again on a volley in the 89th minute. Cheberko, sliding toward the back post, nearly got his foot on a wicked cross by Russell-Rowe in the 92nd minute.
After referee Chris Penso sounded the final whistle, players and coaches from both benches lined up to embrace Nagbe.
Pregame thirst quenching at Cobblestone, corner of Race & 12th, Cincinnati. Left, Nov. 8, 2025. Right, Dec. 2, 2023.
Cincinnati (20-9-5, 65 points) will meet No. 3 Miami (19-7-8, 65 points) in the conference final at TQL Stadium in two weeks time, after the international break. Neither club has won an MLS Cup. Perhaps Lionel Messi, who had two goals and two assists in the Beckhams' 4-0 victory over Nashville, will have something to say about that.
Which team do you root for?
Man, that's a tough one. Perhaps we should take a cue from Nagbe and just spend some quality time with the family. Maybe a board game.
"What a way to go out, against a good team, a good opponent," Nagbe said. "Especially for soccer in Ohio – you have two great teams, two beautiful stadiums and a great atmosphere. Credit to them. All the best to them."
Pure class.
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