Kévin Denkey's aim within the 78th minute was sufficient for hosts FC Cincinnati to say a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew within the opener of their Jap Convention opening-round collection on Monday.
Match 2 is Sunday in Columbus. A deciding match, if wanted, might be on 8 November in Cincinnati.
No 2 seed Cincinnati had been knocking on the door earlier than the breakthrough towards the seventh-seeded Crew.
Ender Echenique had a free run down the left channel and despatched a ball to a marked Evander on the far put up. He was capable of get the ball in entrance the place Denkey, who had 15 targets within the common season, didn't miss.
FC Cincinnati had been snug with the lead, with 17 of their 21 MLS wins this season coming by one aim.
Cincinnati had been the higher facet within the first half and had been almost rewarded with the lead within the first minute of stoppage time however Patrick Schulte's fourth save was the distinction.
After Denkey's try from the highest of the field was blocked, he gathered the ball and slipped it to his proper to Brenner, who ripped a shot that Schulte bought his proper arm on to ship it over the crossbar for a nook.
Schulte, who's within the operating to be the third goalkeeper for the US on the 2026 World Cup, had an inconsistent common season however he was sharp early.
Within the 14th minute he made a double save, denying Evander's shot from the proper facet of the field. The rebound went instantly for a straight-on shot by Samuel Gidi that Schulte didn't have to maneuver to cease.
The Crew had one shot on track within the first half, coming earlier than the half-hour mark when Max Arfsten bought behind the protection and tried to beat Roman Celentano, however the shot was simply stopped.
Celentano made three saves whereas Schulte had 4.
Crew main scorer Diego Rossi (16 targets) was questionable due to a hamstring harm, however he began and performed 75 minutes.
Minnesota United takes Recreation 1 over Seattle on PKs
Kelvin Yeboah, Nectarios Triantis and Joaquín Pereya transformed penalty kicks as Minnesota United defeated the Seattle Sounders after a scoreless draw Monday evening in St Paul, Minnesota within the opener of their best-of-three MLS Western Convention playoff collection.
Recreation 2 is scheduled for subsequent Monday in Seattle.
Minnesota's Dayne St Clair, one in every of three finalists for MLS goalkeeper of the 12 months, stopped a penalty kick by Seattle's Alex Roldan, then watched because the Sounders' Cristian Roldan put an try off the crossbar and Danny Leyva hit the left put up.
The Sounders held 64% of possession and had a 15-11 benefit in photographs, however couldn't discover the again of the web in regulation.
St Clair made a diving cease on a shot by Cristian Roldan within the 54th minute. There wasn't one other try on web till St Clair stopped substitute Danny Musovski from shut vary after a cross from Jordan Morris within the eightieth minute.
Musovski had one other probability within the opening minute of second-half stoppage time, however his header from 5 yards out after a cross from Morris sailed simply over the crossbar.
Seattle had a 10-8 benefit in photographs within the first half, although the Loons had a 4-2 edge in makes an attempt on track.
Minnesota had the half's greatest scoring alternative on Bongokuhle Hlongwane's breakaway from midfield within the ninth minute. Hlongwane dribbled into the penalty space earlier than Sounders defender Jackson Ragen caught up with him and gave Hlongwane simply sufficient of a shoulder-to-shoulder nudge to trigger him to tug his shot simply broad of the left put up.
Seattle's Alex Roldan cleared a Hlongwane shot off the aim line within the 18th minute and Minnesota's Nicolas Romero did the identical on Cristian Roldan's header off a nook kick within the twenty second minute.
Seattle's Stefan Frei made a diving cease on a shot from the proper facet of the penalty space by Triantis within the forty first minute.
