The Columbus Crew’s trip to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night ended in disappointment, as they fell 3-2 to New York City FC in a back-and-forth contest that highlighted both sides’ attacking quality. Despite a resilient effort and goals from Daniel Gazdag and Wessam Abou Ali, the Crew were undone by two strikes from Hannes Wolf and a decisive finish from Julian Fernandez.

The match opened with high intensity, with New York looking to dictate the pace on their narrow home pitch. Columbus, however, absorbed the pressure and grew into the game with moments of fluid combination play in midfield, and it was the visitors who struck first in the 40th minute. Abou Ali tracked down a pass into the penalty area before being taken down. Referee Sergii Boiko pointed to the spot, and with that came Gazdag to convert the spot kick five minutes before the halftime whistle.

NYCFC found a response through Hannes Wolf, getting on the end of a Justin Haak cross, pushing the ball past Patrick Schulte to equalize the game at 1-1.

The second half began with a flurry of opportunities, and Columbus briefly silenced the home crowd in the 60th minute. Abou Ali, who worked tirelessly up front, latched onto a cross and powered a header into the net to put the Crew in front 2-1. It was the forward’s reward for a strong performance, as he battled New York’s backline throughout the night, and gained his second goal in as many games for the Black & Gold.

But NYCFC wasted little time in clawing back. Just 13 minutes later, Wolf struck again, this time arriving late into the box to finish off a well-worked move down the right flank by Agustin Ojeda, who ran down the ball towards the endline and chipped in a cross to the back post, where Wolf found the cross with a volley that got past Schulte at the near post. The equalizer shifted momentum back to the home side, who pressed aggressively in search of a winner.

That breakthrough arrived in the second half stoppage time. Fernandes, who had been lively on the wing, rifled a finesse shot past Schulte, giving NYCFC the lead for the first time of the night at 3-2. Despite the late, lackadaisical pressure from Columbus, the Crew couldn’t find the equalizer, and the Pigeons escaped Yankee Stadium with their first win over the Crew since 2022.

The defeat marks a setback for the Crew, who remain in the playoff race but missed an opportunity to climb higher in the Eastern Conference standings. For NYCFC, the win was another statement of intent, powered by Wolf’s brace and Fernandes’ decisive strike powering them over the Crew in the standings.

Columbus will look to regroup quickly as they return home for their next match, knowing that consistency will be key down the stretch of the season.

What’s next?

The Crew are back home as they host Toronto FC. Kickoff from Lower.com Field is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT. You can watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.