Brenner’s second goal of the match in the 86th minute rallied host FC Cincinnati to a 2-1 victory against the Columbus Crew in the deciding match of the Eastern Conference first-round best-of-3 series on Saturday.
Brenner took a lay-off from Samuel Gidi at the top of the box and drilled a shot to the lower left corner.
FC Cincinnati will host a semifinal on Nov. 22 or 23 against Inter Miami, which blanked Nashville SC 4-0 in Game 3 of their series on Saturday night.
Jacen Russell-Rowe put the Crew up in the 63rd minute before Brenner scored the equalizer four minutes later from a corner kick.
Brenner was directly in front when the corner kick by Evander was headed by Teenage Hadebe toward the goal.
Russell-Rowe came off the bench to score in a second straight match. He replaced the injured Taha Habroune in the 39th minute.
Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte sent a long kick to Andres Herrera on the right flank. He dribbled deep, then sent a cross into Russell-Rowe for the right-footed shot.
No. 2 seed Cincinnati won the first match 1-0 at home on Oct. 27 before the No. 7 Crew countered with a 4-0 home victory last Sunday.
The first half is what would be expected from the Ohio rivals in a tense deciding match. There was the feeling-out period and then an exchange of chances but neither side could find a breakthrough.
Cincinnati finally found a chance in the 26th when MLS Best 11 forward Evander had a bouncing volley to force a save by Schulte (two saves). Soon after, Gidi sent a screamer from the right side of the box barely past the left post.
It took a half hour, but the Crew got their footing and Diego Rossi’s strike from distance was saved by Cincinnati goalie Roman Celentano (four saves).
Celentano and Schulte will be at the U.S. men’s national team camp next week and in the coming months could be vying for the third goalkeeper spot for the World Cup next year.
Celentano preserved the win with a save of Hugo Picard in the 89th minute and, moments later, a cross to Russell-Rowe at the goal line missed his foot for a tap-in by inches.
Columbus finished with 14 total shots, five on goal, while Cincinnati totaled 16 shots, four on target.
–Field Level Media
