Arfsten, Crew avoid elimination, beat Cincinnati 4-0 to force decisive Game 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Max Arfsten had a goal and two assists and Dylan Chambost scored a first-half goal on Sunday night to help the Columbus Crew avoid elimination from the MLS Cup playoffs and beat FC Cincinnati 4-0 in Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series.

The series returns to TQL Stadium, where Cincinnati won the opener 1-0, for Game 3 on Saturday. The winner advances to the one-game Eastern Conference semifinals against No.3 seed Miami or sixth-seeded Nashville.

Jacen Russell-Rowe, who replaced Diego Rossi in the 61st minute, fed Andrés Herrera for a goal in the 65th and added a his first career playoff goal in the 69th.

Arfsten opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Rossi, on the counter-attack, won a loose from defender Alvas Powell at the edge of the 18-yard box and poked it Arfsten on the left side of the area. The 24-year-old midfielder cut outside to evade goalkeeper Roman Celantano, who had charged off his line, and blasted a shot from the corner of the 6-yard box into the top-net for his third career playoff goal.

Yuya Kubo was shown a yellow card in the seventh minute and another in the 38th and No. 2 seed Cincinnati played a man down the rest of the way.

Chambost, whose shot in the seventh minute was stopped by Celentano, bent the ensuing free kick, from just outside the top of the box on the right side, inside the near post to make it 2-0 in the 41st.

The seventh-seeded Crew outshot Cincinnati 19-1.

Columbus defender Rudy Camacho, who had been sidelined due to a thigh injury, made his season debut when he subbed on 81st minute.

Celentano, who finished with five saves, dove to break up a cross played by Taha Habroune and was accidentally kicked in the head by Hugo Picard in the third minute. Celentano was evaluated for a head injury and was allowed to remain in the game.

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