New Haven, CT (July 26, 2026) — CT United FC is now the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference after a 2-1 win over Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday in MLS NEXT Pro play.
After a back-and-forth opening seven minutes that included a Daniel D’Ippolito shot on goal, Columbus won a penalty on a late Jahvar Stephenson challenge. Johann Chirinos stepped up to the spot and fired it to the left side of Gunther Rankenburg’s net, where Rankenburg met the challenge and sent Chirinos’s shot away. Prince Forfor was first to the rebound but Rankenburg was there to save it for a highlight-reel double save.
The breakthrough for Columbus came just three minutes after. Forfor dribbled the ball through the Coywolves’ defense before centering it to Jamil Danjaji, who slipped it past Rankenburg to put Columbus ahead in the 11th minute.
CT United responded just eight minutes later when Barnabas Tanyi was fouled in the box by Christopher Rogers and won a penalty. Coywolves captain Alex Monis took the penalty and calmly put it down the middle past Stanislav Lapkes to level the match at 1-1. It was Monis’s 7th goal of the season, good for second on the team.
CT United stayed on the front foot to start the second half. After the break, Lukas Kamrath played a perfectly weighted ball over the top to Andre Applewhaite. Applewhaite powered through a Rui Aoki sliding tackle in the box and drove toward net, finishing the move with a strong finish past Lapkes to give the Coywolves a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute.
After taking the lead, CT United were content to drop its defensive line to stop the Columbus attack. The Coywolves masterfully fended off any threats from the Crew, thanks to timely defensive contributions from Kamrath, substitute Justin Malou, and Rankenburg.
CT United held onto the lead and secured all three points in New Haven. The Coywolves have won eight of their last ten games and are now sitting in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They will look to maintain their position in the postseason against Orlando City B next Saturday, August 1st at Reese Stadium. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
CONNECTICUT UNITED FC GAME REPORT
CT United FC vs Columbus Crew 2
Date: July 26, 2026
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season
Venue: Reese Stadium | New Haven, CT
Kickoff: 6:04 p.m. ET
Weather: 79 degrees, Sunny
SCORING SUMMARY: 2-1-FT
CTU: 1-1-2
CLB: 1-0-1
CTU: Alex Monis (Pen) 19’, Andre Applewhaite (Lukas Kamrath) 51’
CLB: Jamil Danjaji (Prince Forfor) 11’
LINEUPS
CTU: Gunther Rankenburg, Andre Applewhaite, Jahvar Stephenson (Justin Malou 56’), Lukas Kamrath, Rickson van Hees, Robbie Mora (Sean Petrie 56’), Warren Agostoni, Dylan Lacy, Barnabas Tanyi (Laurie Goddard 90’), Daniel D’Ippolito (Cauã Paixão 73’), Alex Monis (C) (Ibrahim Kasule 73’)
Substitutes not used: Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Medranda, Michael Boamah, Niko Koloniaris
Head Coach: Shavar Thomas
CLB: Stanislav Lapkes, Isaac Heffess, Rui Aoki, Chris Rogers, O’Neal Taylor (Jorge Salmeron 82’), Johann Chirinos, Nicolas Rincon, Prince Forfor (Giorgio De Libera 82’), Kevin Gbamble (C), Immanuel Ewing (Zach Lloyd 67’), Jamil Danjaji (Jackson Bonos 68’)
Substitutes not used: Keller Abbott
Head Coach: Federico Higuaín
STATS SUMMARY: CTU/CLB
Shots: 13 / 7
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 2 / 3
Corner Kicks: 4 / 4
Fouls: 10 / 9
Offside: 2 / 3
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CLB: Immanuel Ewing (Yellow Card) 14’
CLB: Rui Aoki (Yellow Card) 71’
OFFICIALS
Referee: Lauren Aldrich
Ast. Referees: Andrew Stefanick, Aaron Fong
Fourth Official: Victor Borges