Julian Hall scored three goals and became the youngest player (18 years, 50 days) with a hat trick in MLS history, and the New York Red Bulls beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Hall has nine goals this season — after coming into 2026 with three career goals in 38 appearances across three MLS seasons.
The Red Bulls (5-5-3), who beat Chicago 3-1 on Saturday to snap a five-game winless streak, have won back-to-back games for the first time since they started the season 2-0-0.
Cade Cowell had two assists and Ethan Horvath made two saves for the Red Bulls.
Max Arfsten and Diego Rossi each scored a goal for the Crew (3-7-3), who have lost three in a row following their only back-to-back wins this season.
Gustav Berggren’s header off a corner kick played in by Rafael Mosquera was blocked at the goal line by midfielder Sekou Bangoura, but Hall was there to put away the rebound and give New York a 3-2 lead in the 79th minute.
Hall opened the scoring with a sliding finish, off a low cross played from the right side by Cowell, in the seventh minute.
Cowell, on the counterattack, bent a low cross between defender Sean Zawadzki and goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to Hall for a first-touch finish from point-blank range to make it 2-1 in the 40th.
Arfsten, after a turnover by the Red Bulls in their defensive half, slipped a first-touch shot under the crossbar and inside the left post to make it 1-1 in the 22nd.
Rossi converted from the penalty spot in the 64th.
Schulte finished with two saves.
The Crew had 65% possession.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
