Late-Game Magic: New York Red Bulls Edge Columbus Crew 1-0
Updated: Sep 16
September 12, 2026 ScottsMiracle-Gro Field Colombus, Ohio
Ronald Donkor's dramatic 89th-minute strike snapped the New York Red Bulls' six-match league winless streak, securing a vital 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. The late-game triumph at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field provided much-needed three points for the Michael Bradley's side, thrusting them back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Going into the third match of their road trip, the Red Bulls were in desperate need of a victory to help change the dynamic and to help them back into the playoff race. Bradley made some lineup changes, notably adding Tim Parker, Mo Sofo, and Cameron Harper in hopes of finally securing a vital three points. The opening half was a tightly contested battle characterized by defensive resilience. Columbus controlled the rhythm, dominating 58% of the possession, but struggled to consistently unpack the Red Bulls' defensive shape. New York's backline held firm through the opening 45 minutes, limiting clear-cut opportunities and keeping the scoreline deadlocked at 0-0 going into the halftime interval.
The second half saw the intensity escalate as both clubs pushed for a breakthrough, but the match appeared destined for a scoreless draw as the clock ticked down. Red Bulls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath came up massive under pressure, notably denying a dangerous second-half header from Crew forward Jamal Thiaré to preserve his third clean sheet of the season. Just as a point apiece seemed a certainty, New York provided an excellent team sequence in the 89th minute. Defender Dylan Nealis triggered the attack with a pass wide down the flank to winger Cameron Harper. Harper drove toward the touchline and cut a low cross back toward the 18-yard box. Arriving perfectly, midfielder Ronald Donkor met the ball cleanly, striking a first-time shot through traffic into the back of the net to ignite celebrations on Red Bulls' bench.
With the victory, Red Bulls halted a rough 0-4-2 stretch, breathing some life back into their postseason push. While many of the same issues that have plagued New York's attack remained on display, the improved defensive performance is a positive that can be taken from the match. New York still faces an uphill climb if they want to qualify for the playoffs, but beating a poor Columbus Crew side was a much-needed result.
Head Coach Michael Bradley commented on the victory.
"They spilled their guts on the field, so we are very proud of them. Proud of the 11 guys who started, the five guys who came on as reserves, proud of the every single guy on the bench who did not come on. I am proud of the guys who were here with the team but not in the squad tonight, proud of the team behind the team, the staff, the medical staff, the equipment staff, the operations, the coaching staff I have around me. It is a long trip, it is as challenging a week as you can have in this league, you start with a game in Seattle on the turf and you go L.A. on the Wednesday night, you catch Los Angeles in like two of the hottest days like on record in the the history of the city and then have to fly just about across the country to Columbus on Thursday, get in late Thursday night, do a very little bit in training on Friday, and now be ready to play Saturday night. So, we took advantage of every single person here on the field, off the field, and so it is really special. It is a special feeling for the group when you can win a game like that and be rewarded for all of the work. I said to them after the game, that we challenged them in this last period to believe in ourselves, believe in our ideas, believe in our football, and it has been a stretch where things have not come easy. Not everything has gone our way, but there is no reward for feeling sorry for yourself. There is no reward for stopping, complaining, for telling yourself that you are tired or angry or frustrated, you have to keep going and the group did that in every possible way tonight. So, yes we are very proud."
Red Bull New York 1, Columbus Crew 0
Scoring Summary:
NY – Ronald Donkor 2 (Harper, Nealis) 89’
Misconduct Summary:
NY – Ronald Donkor (caution, dissent) 69’
CLB– Santiago Rodriguez (caution, dissent) 69’
NY – Mohammed Sofo (caution, foul) 73’
CLB– Brais Méndez (caution, foul) 90’+1’
CLB– Steven Moreira (caution, dissent) 90’+2’’
Red Bull New York: Ethan Horvath; Matthew Dos Santos (Devin Padelford, 65’), Julián Bazán, Tim Parker, Dylan Nealis ©, Adri Mehmeti (David Ruiz, 80’), Ronald Donkor, Mohammed Sofo, Jorge Ruvalcaba (Cade Cowell, 66’), Julian Hall (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 80’), Cameron Harper (Dennis Nelich, 90’)
Unused Subs: John McCarthy, Emil Forsberg, Sekou Kone, Robert Voloder
Columbus Crew: Patrick Schulte ; Malte Amundsen, Sean Zawadzki ©, Andre Gomes (Dylan Chambost, 83’), Tarun Karumanchi, Santiago Rodriguez (Taha Habrone, 76’), Brais Mendez, Brooks Lennon, Lautaro Giaccone (Jamal Thiare, 83’), Steven Moreira, Gonzalo Tapia ( Josef Martinez, 71’)
Unused Subs: Nicholas Hagen, Evan Bush, Eric Bailly, Cesar Ruvalcaba, Amar Sejdic
Match Statistics:
Possession: RBNY 41% - CC 59%
Total Shots: RBNY 15 - CC 12
Shots on Goal: RBNY 5 - CC 4
Offsides: RBNY 3 - CC 2
Fouls Committed: RBNY 14 - CC 12
Corner Kicks: RBNY 3 - CC 7
Saves: RBNY 3 - CC 4
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