Hell is Real, yes. But the folks upstairs appear to have a sense of humor, too.<\/p>\n
FC Cincinnati<\/a> vanquished a few Audi MLS Cup Playoffs demons on Saturday night, rallying past their Ohio rivals (and 2023 postseason tormentors), the Columbus Crew<\/a>, for a 2-1 win<\/a> that booked an Eastern Conference Semifinal date with Lionel Messi<\/a> and Inter Miami CF<\/a> \u2013 and the identity of their hero provided a delightful twist.<\/p>\n Amid all the attacking firepower on FCC\u2019s roster, it was Brenner<\/a>, the Brazilian striker who left Cincy<\/a> for Italy\u2019s Serie A on decidedly suboptimal terms two years ago, only to return over the summer in a surprising, late-breaking loan move<\/a> from Udinese, who bagged a second-half brace to flood sold-out TQL Stadium with both joy and relief.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo big moments,\u201d said head coach Pat Noonan in a masterful display of postgame understatement.<\/p>\n \n Brenner’s moment<\/p>\n Not only that, it turns out Brenner called his shot just before his dramatic 86th-minute winner.<\/p>\n Noonan subbed out the Brazilian right after that goal as the Knifey Lions brought on fresh legs to defend their narrow advantage, but later revealed he\u2019d originally planned to do so much earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s a period where he came over to the sideline and was asking what the change was going to be, if any, structurally, and who was coming off. And I said it was him,\u201d Noonan explained. \u201cAnd he gave me a look like, please tell me you’re joking.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said, \u2018I’m going to score another goal.\u2019 So he held up his end of the bargain on that one.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just the goals, either. Noonan explained that as the Crew\u2019s marauding hybrid defender Steven Moreira<\/a> ranged deep into the visitors\u2019 attack, FCC\u2019s coaching staff had challenged Brenner to adjust his positioning and do the extra work to stifle that threat, and got the desired response.<\/p>\n \n Rival conquered<\/p>\n Cincy\u2019s fanbase was already riding a knife-edge in emotional terms, haunted by the memories of Columbus\u2019 furious comeback from 2-0 down to 3-2 winners at this same venue in the 2023 Eastern Conference Final amid the Crew\u2019s general edge in the Hell is Real derby. Jacen Russell-Rowe<\/a>\u2019s firm finish just past the hour mark flooded all that collective pain back to the surface.<\/p>\n Yet Brenner tapped in a well-worked corner kick routine to equalize almost immediately, stabilizing the home side emotionally. And the raucous crowd of 25,513 willed their team onward to a late rally of their own, a teeming sea of orange providing a tactile boost in the pursuit of redemption.<\/p>\n