Zardes leads Crew over FC Cincinnati 3-1

Published

CINCINNATI (AP) — Gyasi Zardes scored twice and the Columbus Crew beat expansion FC Cincinnati in the second match of the rivalry on Sunday.

The teams played to a 2-2 draw in their first-ever MLS meeting at Columbus on Aug. 10.

Zardes opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, slotting home Luis Díaz's perfectly weighted cross. Zardes doubled the lead with a chest trap of Harrison Afful's diagonal cross and a flick to finish it in the 33rd.

Díaz shouldered past Andrew Gutman to score his first MLS goal from a narrow angle, giving Columbus (8-15-6) a 3-0 lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

Kekuta Manneh scored for FC Cincinnati (5-19-3) in the 89th minute.

FC Cincinnati lost for the seventh time in its last eight matches.