Daniel Gazdag scored the go-ahead goal as the Columbus Crew defeated the visiting New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Saturday in the regular-season finale to avoid the Eastern Conference wild-card play-in match.
Gazdag put the Crew (14-8-12, 54 points) ahead in the 66th minute and Ibrahim Aliyu added an insurance goal in the 84th as the Crew halted a four-match winless streak and won at home for the first time since July 19.
The Crew entered the match in ninth with the possibility of having to play in the knockout match on Wednesday. Instead, with Chicago tying New England and Orlando City losing to Toronto FC, Columbus finished seventh and will face FC Cincinnati in a first-round best-of-three series.
Gazdag scored with an assist by Taha Habroune, who used the outside of his right foot to flick the ball to him at the 6-yard box. He spun and quickly shot, scoring his fourth goal in 26 matches since being acquired from the Philadelphia Union.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting put the Red Bulls ahead in the 11th minute with his team-best 17th goal of the season. Andres Herrera tied it five minutes later with his fourth goal.
The Red Bulls (12-15-7, 43 points)’ 15-year postseason streak comes to an end, as they finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. They have qualified in 25 of their 30 seasons.
Columbus leading scorer Diego Rossi (16 goals) did not play because of a leg injury.
Choupo-Moting converted a one-bounce pass to the top of the box by Emil Forsberg, but the lead was short-lived when Lassi Lappalainen sent a weighted pass from the left side through the box where Herrera extended his leg and knocked the ball past former Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy.
Forsberg tested Crew keeper Patrick Schulte with a header in the 35th minute, but Schulte was up to the task.
Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe played his final regular-season home match. He announced Oct. 7 that he will end his 15-year career at the conclusion of the playoffs. After winning an NCAA championship at Akron, he won titles for the Portland Timbers (2015), Atlanta United (2018) and the Crew (2020 and 2023).
–Field Level Media
