Teenager Julian Hall scored three goals, including the late winner for the New York Red Bulls in a 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew in Harrison, N.J., on Wednesday.
He poked in a loose ball off a corner kick in the 79th minute to break a 2-2 deadlock for his first career hat trick.
Hall, 18, has nine goals to lead the Red Bulls (5-5-3, 18 points), who have won two straight after a five-match winless streak.
The Crew also allowed a hat trick to New York City FC’s Hannes Wolf in a 3-0 loss on Sunday.
Cade Cowell assisted Hall’s first two goals.
Hall’s goals in the 7th and 40th minutes sandwiched a Max Arfsten score in the 22nd for the Crew (3-7-3, 12 points), losers of three straight, before Diego Rossi tied it 2-2 with a penalty in the 64th minutes, five minutes after entering the match.
Rossi’s fifth goal of the season, going inside the right post, came after Omar Valencia was called for a handball on a shot by Taha Habroune.
The Red Bulls opened the scoring after the Crew was dispossessed outside the box. Emil Forsberg found Cowell on the right side and he sent a low ball in front of the goal where Hall stretched back with his right leg and redirected the pass.
It was the seventh consecutive goal allowed by the Crew in the past 2 1/2 matches.
Arfsten, who will find out on May 26 if he is named to the U.S. World Cup roster, tied it from the build-up started by Andre Gomes, the former Barcelona midfielder who earned his first MLS goal contribution in his seventh match.
Gomes passed to his left to Habroune, who sent a cross to the center of the box where Arfsten stepped in front of Gomes to finish the play. All four of Arfsten’s career-tying four goals and three of his four assists have come in the past eight matches.
Hall made it 2-1 off a perfect pass which split two defenders for the tap-in when the Crew was caught napping after what they perceived to be a foul at midfield which led to the New York breakout.
–Field Level Media
