Chris Smith 

New York Red Bulls fail test again as Columbus Crew advance to MLS Cup

Columbus Crew send up a final showdown with the Portland Timbers after holding off New York at Red Bulls arena
  
  

Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew’s Tony Tchani, center right, is held back by team-mate Michael Parkhurst, during an altercation with New York Red Bulls players. Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP

The Columbus Crew survived a dramatic late surge from the New York Red Bulls to secure a 2-1 aggregate win, the Eastern Conference Championship and a place in the MLS Cup for the first time since 2008.

After a pulsating encounter, an Anatole Abang header with 90 seconds of stoppage time left gave the New York Red Bulls hope, before Bradley Wright-Phillips came inches away from forcing extra time when his flicked header bounced agonisingly off the post just before the final whistle.

The Crew will now host the Portland Timbers in next Sunday’s final, after Portland completed a 5-3 aggregate victory over FC Dallas in the Western Conference Finals earlier in the day.

The Ohioans had comfortably maintained their 2-0 first leg advantage for much of the night, and had multiple opportunities to extend it during a fiery end-to-end clash at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Top scorer Kei Kamara and midfielder Ethan Finlay spurned several great chances to make the tie safe, against a Red Bulls side attempting to become the first MLS side to overcome a two-goal first leg deficit in a decade.

Columbus, who led just nine seconds into the first leg, should have repeated their quick start in the return game. After 90 seconds a neat touch from Finlay cut open the Red Bulls’ back four, but the busy midfielder saw his effort well saved by the excellent Luis Robles.

Five minutes later another Crew counter-attack gave golden boot winner Kamara a sight of goal, but his effort from a tight angle was parried away.

Despite plentiful possession and endeavour, the home side lacked composure early on and Columbus enjoyed much the better of the opening exchanges.

Tempers boiled over midway through the half after Felipe was booked for a crunching slide on Federico Higuain. In the ensuing melee Tony Tchani was fortunate to escape action for a butt on Mike Grella.

On the half-hour mark Finlay’s deft pullback gave Kamara another golden opportunity to seal the tie, but he was denied superbly by Matt Miazga’s block.

In the best moment of the half, the striker was thwarted again after a flicking the ball up and volleying on the turn, but Robles – named best goalkeeper in the league’s end of season awards on Sunday – was again equal to it with a stunning diving save.

The chance seemed to spark New York, whose failure to find the net in the first leg represented their first shut out in five months. With the last action of the half, top-scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips had his side’s best opportunity, but his header was comfortably saved.

The home side started the second half well on top, with Wright-Phillips increasingly involved. Wayward shooting had undermined some promising build-up play, before Sacha Kljestan forced a fine save from Steve Clark with a dipping 20-yard effort.

The introduction of former Manchester City and England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips to play alongside his brother added an edge to the New York attack as they desperately sought a way back into the tie.

Finlay wasted two more golden opportunities to make the game safe before the Red Bulls finally got on the scoreboard in stoppage time.

In the 93rd minute Abang nodded home following a goalmouth scramble before Wil Trapp’s header set up Bradley Wright-Phillips, his flicked header from inside the six-yard box struck against the upright with the last action of the game. The whistle was blown before Wright-Phillips could remove his head from his hands.

For the Red Bulls and coach of the year Jesse Marsch, whose team once again won the MLS Supporters Shield for the best regular season record, the long wait for a title goes on.

For the Crew’s Kamara, who, along with his family, fled war-torn Sierra Leone for the United States aged just 16, the result puts him just one game away from completing an incredible journey from refugee to MLS Cup winner.

Next Sunday, he and his team-mates face an opponent making its first appearance in the league’s showpiece event. Columbus’ only previous visit to the MLS Cup final in 2008 ended in victory against the Red Bulls. Due to a superior regular reason record the Crew will host the Timberrs at Mapfire Stadium next week.

 

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