A dramatic final five minutes saw the Columbus Crew snatch victory from what seemed like the inevitable jaws of defeat as a stunning brace from substitute Derrick Etienne Jr gave the Crew a 2-1 win over a stunned New York Red Bulls and kept the play-off dream alive.
As has been a common occurrence this season, very little happened throughout the first half, as both teams took turns trying to build attacks that failed to trouble the goalkeepers at either end as the Crew adjusted to play without the suspended Cucho and a rested Lucas Zelarayan.
New York broke the deadlock early in the second half with a deceiving shot from Frankie Amaya that left Eloy Room frozen to the spot in the Crew goal.
The Crew introduced Zelarayan and Etienne in the second half as the possibility of failing to win this must-win game began to linger, and at 88 minutes, the Crew winger picked up his first goal with a composed finish after controlling the ball in the box and slotting it into the net.
With time running out, Etienne once again found himself in the right place at the right time to fire home and saved shot to send the Lower.com crowd wild and keep the Crew’s season going with two games left to play.
For more information, visit columbuscrew.com.
Matt Ellis is a freelance photographer who covers music that happens in the city and the Columbus Crew SC home games. More photography from Matt can be found at his Instagram page.
All photos by Matt Ellis
