Columbia Secures 2-0 Victory Over Manhattan with Back-to-Back Wins

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — Columbia didn’t just edge past Manhattan at Gaelic Park. It shut the door, locked it, and walked off with back-to-back road wins and another clean sheet in a 2–0 victory on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions, now 2-1-1, tightened their historic grip on this matchup, improving to 11-1-3 all-time against the Jaspers. It’s also the first time since 2018 that Columbia has strung together consecutive road wins. That note alone tells you how significant this little September surge might become.

Heyward Breaks It Open

For 57 minutes, it was tense and tight. Manhattan had the better of the early looks, and Columbia had to ride out some uncomfortable moments.

Then came the 58th minute.

Jack McDaid whipped in a corner that found first-year defender Joshua Sosa lurking at the far post. Sosa’s header crashed off the woodwork, and the ball dropped into a crowd. Ethan Heyward reacted first. One touch, one ruthless finish. 1–0 Columbia.

Heyward’s goal was his third of the season, pulling him level with McDaid for the team lead. It also flipped the game’s rhythm. Manhattan, which had asked the early questions, suddenly found itself chasing.

Kapranov Seals It in Style

With the lead, Columbia didn’t retreat. It grew into the game, started to dictate the tempo, and eventually killed it off with a move that sliced Manhattan apart.

In the 78th minute, Luke Zielinski took charge in the middle of the pitch and picked out Stepan Kapranov, who was posting up his defender about 10 yards outside the box. Kapranov didn’t linger on the ball. He flicked a clever one-touch pass into the path of Fadel Kone, then spun into space.

Kone immediately returned the favor on the give-and-go, sliding the ball back into Kapranov’s stride. Clean through on goal, Kapranov didn’t hesitate, driving his finish into the top-right corner. A sharp move, a confident strike, and a two-goal cushion that felt decisive.

Taki Stands Tall Under Early Fire

The scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of the first half. Manhattan came out aggressive and forced Columbia goalkeeper Aris Taki into work.

In the 29th and 33rd minutes, Cristiano Marsilii tested Taki with back-to-back efforts. Both times, the Columbia keeper held firm. A few minutes later, in the 36th, Giovanni Rivera stepped up with another dangerous strike. Again, Taki was equal to it, keeping the match locked at 0–0 going into the break.

Those saves mattered. They bought Columbia time to settle, adjust, and eventually take control.

By the end of the afternoon, Taki had four saves, his second career victory and his second straight shutout in as many starts. Two games, zero goals conceded. That’s how you stake a claim to the No. 1 shirt.

Second-Half Surge

Once Columbia got through the first half, its attack woke up. The Lions outshot Manhattan 10–3 over the final 45 minutes, turning the contest into a far more one-sided affair than the opening half suggested.

Oli Sacks and Jackson ten Oever both forced work out of Manhattan’s second-half goalkeeper, Philip Isaksson, who came on after the break. The pressure built, the chances multiplied, and eventually Heyward and Kapranov supplied the finish that the performance deserved.

Road Trip Finale Ahead

Columbia now heads to Philadelphia to wrap up a three-game road swing at Temple on Tuesday. The Owls sit at 0-4-2, still searching for their first win of the season.

The Lions, meanwhile, travel with momentum, defensive steel, and a pair of in-form scorers. The question now is simple: can this early-season spark on the road grow into something bigger when the schedule tightens and the stakes rise?