Brais Mendez keeps Columbus Crew from wildcard matchup in Cincinnati
Brais Mendez scored in added time to give the Columbus Crew a 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire, avoiding a wildcard road game at rival FC Cincinnati.
On November 7, 2026, the Columbus Crew narrowly avoided facing off against FC Cincinnati in a wildcard playoff matchup by defeating the Chicago Fire 4-3 at SeatGeek Stadium. The Crew finished the season with 47 points, securing seventh place in the Eastern Conference and finishing with a 9-1-0 record in their final 10 MLS games.
Brais Mendez scored the decisive goal in the fourth minute of added time, completing a comeback that saw the Crew overcome a 3-2 halftime deficit. Gonzalo Tapia was a standout player for the Crew, scoring two goals to lead the team, with his second goal coming in the 62nd minute to tie the game at 3-3. Chicago Fire's goals came from penalty kicks by Lewandowski and Haile-Selassie, as well as a goal from Lewandowski just before halftime.
The Crew's victory will see them face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in a best-of-three series, with the match date to be determined by MLS.
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