Columbus took three shots in the Hell Is Real derby on Oct. 18. Two went in, and one of them belonged to 20-year-old Taha Habroune.
Gonzalo Tapia put the Crew ahead in the 22nd minute, heading home Brais Méndez's deep corner at the back post. Nine minutes into the second half, Tapia turned provider. Santiago Rodriguez sent him down the right, and his cutback found Habroune, who struck first time into the bottom-left corner.
Cincinnati threw everything at Patrick Schulte, but the Crew keeper and some last-ditch defending held firm. Columbus captain Sean Zawadzki even hit a post.
Why it matters
The win pulled Columbus within one point of Cincinnati, who hold the East's final wild-card spot. The Crew have now won five of their last six in all competitions after losing seven of the eight before that.
For Habroune, one of the most-used teenagers in MLS this season with 1,702 minutes by late September, it's a goal in the biggest game on the calendar. Next up for Columbus is the U.S. Open Cup final against St. Louis City on Wednesday.
