Ronald Donkor’s 89th-minute goal lifts New York Red Bulls past Columbus

Red Bulls win 1-0 as Donkor strikes late

New York Red Bulls defeated Columbus Crew 1-0 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Saturday, September 12, earning the victory in the 89th minute. Ronald Donkor scored the decisive goal, with Cameron Harper providing the assist. The result leaves New York on 30 points from 25 games in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, while Columbus remains 13th with 23 points.

Late goal settles a competitive match

The match stayed goalless until the closing stages. Donkor broke the deadlock in the 89th minute with a normal goal created by Harper’s assist. Harper also recorded three key passes, while Donkor finished with one shot on target and three tackles during his 90 minutes.

Columbus made its first listed change in the 71st minute, sending Josef Martínez on for Gonzalo Tapia. Santiago Rodriguez was replaced by Taha Habroune four minutes later. New York used two double substitutions: Devin Padelford and Cade Cowell entered for Matthew Dos Santos and Jorge Ruvalcaba in the 66th minute, before David Ruiz and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting replaced Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall in the 80th.

Columbus had more possession, but New York created more shots

The statistics show a contrast between control of the ball and attacking output. Columbus held 59% possession, completed 476 accurate passes from 551 total, and won seven corners. New York completed 331 accurate passes from 395 and had three corners.

Despite that possession advantage, the Red Bulls produced 15 total shots to Columbus’s 12. New York also led shots inside the box 11-7 and shots on goal 5-4. Both teams had six shots off target, while the Red Bulls had four blocked shots compared with two for Columbus. The figures underline how New York’s greater shot volume translated into the only goal, even as the Crew had more of the ball.

Cards and individual standouts

The game produced four yellow cards and no red cards. Donkor was booked in the 69th minute, followed by Columbus’s Santiago Rodriguez one minute later. Mohammed Sofo received New York’s second yellow in the 73rd, and Steven Moreira was booked in the 90th.

Donkor was the highest-rated player, earning 7.6 after scoring the winner. Columbus goalkeeper P. Schulte also stood out with a 7.3 rating and four saves, while New York goalkeeper E. Horvath made three saves. The result gives New York a win after its listed recent form began with two victories, while Columbus’s latest result extends a sequence that began with a loss.