BAY LAKE – Columbus Crew SC managed a mammoth 4-0 derby win over in-state tical FC Cincinnati to claim the Hell is Real derby, at ESPN Wide World of Sports on Saturday.
The match was delayed due to the opening match of the day’s MLS is Back play, between the New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United FC, being affected by lightning. Pushing back kick-off to 11 p.m. in Florida, but it didn’t seem to impact Columbus.
Lucas Zelarayan opened the scoring in the 27th minute thanks to a free-kick. Zelarayan lined it up and curled it around the wall and out of reach of Cincinnati goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton to give his side the lead.
It didn’t take long for a second with Gyasi Zardes scoring on the half-hour. Somehow the defense lost track of the US International, giving him all the space in the world to put away Youness Mokhtar’s through ball.
Four minutes into the second half Zardes sealed his brace and effectively wrapped up the match for Columbus. Another great cross, this time from Zelarayan, perfectly found Zardes, who slammed it home.
From there, the Orange and Blue defense fell apart. They allowed opportunities left and right, and on the 60th minute, Mokhtar wrapped up a simple finish.
READ MORE: Sounders and Quakes Blow Chances in Scoreless Draw
It could have been a lot worse, but Crew SC couldn’t put away the other chances that came, leaving it to only a 4-0 scoreline.
In the other match of the day, a fourth-minute goal from Florian Valot was enough for NYRB to overcome Atlanta 1-0. A long ball from Kaku allowed Valot to be clear of the defense and left him with a smooth finish for the early goal.
The Red Bulls continued to attack and could have doubled the lead in the 25th when Daniel Royer got a shot away unmarked in the box. Kyle Duncan sent the cross in and found his teammate, but Royer’s shot was well saved by Brad Guzan, who kept his team in the match with some impressive goalkeeping.
In the latter stages of the first half, Atlanta could have been on level terms when George Bello launched one from distance. The shot went over goalkeeper David Jensen only to be denied by the crossbar, keeping the Jersey club in front.
Guzan time-and-time kept his team in front through the second half, keeping the former champions in the game. That allowed for one more stunning moment late when Adam Jahn looked sure to score with a header only for Jensen to stretch out, make the save, and keep all three points.
Featured Image Courtesy: Devin L’Amoreaux and Matthew Stith
Florida Soccer Report 