It was “win and in”, now it’s wait and see.
FC Buffalo let 1-0 and 2-1 leads fall before taking a red card and eventually losing to AFC Cleveland 3-2 on Friday night.
The loss drops FC Buffalo into the fourth and final playoff spot, but Indiana Fire has two games to pick up four points. The two teams are even on goal differential, and that would change if Indy wins one game and draws the other. Two Indiana draws or one loss would give FCB a playoff spot.
Ngwese Ebangwese scored both of FC Buffalo’s goals. His first came in the 9th minute when he easily slotted home a Rob Brandell rebound. The second, 20 minutes later, came off a gorgeous through ball from Brian Knapp.
But Cleveland found a trio of goals, the third coming after Andrew Coughlin had stopped a Cleveland penalty kick. The goal didn’t come, but the red card to Kendell McFayden meant that FCB had to play a man down.
Sergio Manesio capitalized on that when he walked across the width of the 18 and buried a bullet in the upper 90 to clinch the Royals a playoff spot.
Chris Walter and Andrew Coughlin also picked up red cards down the stretch.
LINEUP
FCB: Coughlin; Lauko, Slotemaker, McFayden, Willings (Kappock); Brandell (Dahl), Walter, A. Ferguson (Danzy), Knapp (MacVane), Rozzano (M. Ferguson), Ebangwese (Larocque)
Goals: Ebangwese 2 (9′, 29′)
