It was do-or-die for Shavar Thomas and CT United, who needed crucial points on Decision Day to make the playoffs in the club’s inaugural season. The Connecticut club will play postseason soccer after its 7-2 win.

Shavar Thomas made three changes from CT United’s last time out, which ended in a 1-0 loss to NYCFC II. Gunther Rankenburg started in goal. Andre Applewhaite, Lukas Kamrath, Michael Boamah, and Rickson van Hees formed the backline behind Dylan Lacey, Steven Sserwadda, and Ernesto Gomez. Alex Monis, Bryan Destin, and Barnabas Tanyi up top.

Momentum swung Connecticut’s way in the 12th minute when a long ball forward fell into the path of Tanyi. The Hungarian got under the bouncing ball and looked to chip it over Alex Padilla, but put too much on it as it rattled off the crossbar. Luckily for CT, former Miami II man Bryan Destin was there and tapped the ball into the empty net to notch his sixth goal of the season, giving the home side a 1-0 lead.

Lacy came close to adding to the lead in the 14th minute as a series of balls led Monis to slot it perfectly to Lacy, who looked to curl it into the upper-right corner, but had his effort denied by Padilla.

A poor giveaway paid dividends for Connecticut in the 27th minute as a slip on the surface from Miami led the ball to Monis, who quickly slotted it to Lacy. Lacy took a few steps forward before sending it up to Destin, who made his former club pay again as he drilled the ball past Padilla and in to give the home side a commanding 2-0 lead.

Gunther Rankenburg came up big in the 33rd minute when he threw his arm up to deflect Lovend's Delinois' shot from atop the box up and over the goal. But disaster struck for CT in the 42nd minute when Andre Applewhaite got under a Miami cross into the box and tried to head the ball away from danger. Unfortunately for CT and Applewhaite, the header careened into the air and the upper-left corner of the net as the own goal saw Miami’s deficit shrink to one. Things went from bad to worse for CT in the 51st minute when Alejandro Flores received the ball at midfield and pushed forward before sending a dribbling shot from an incredible distance to the right side of the net, past Rankenburg, and in to level the game at two apiece.

Destin was destined to make his former side pay, and he made sure of it in the 53rd minute when he got under a free kick from Monis and flicked a header into the upper-left corner to seal his third goal of the afternoon. Destin’s header cemented his name into the CT United history book, becoming the first player to notch a hat trick in the club’s short history.

Connecticut’s first two changes came in the 54th minute as Daniel D’Ippolito and Robbie Mora replaced Lacy and Gomez.

Tanyi etched his name onto the scoresheet in the 58th minute when he got on the end of a long ball forward, evaded an advancing Alex Padilla, and slotted the ball home to make it 4-2. Tanyi came close to doubling his tally in the 64th minute when he received Steven Sserwadda’s backpass and attempted to curl it to the upper half of the net, but he put too much on it as it ricocheted off the crossbar and away from danger.

Another change for CT came in the 70th minute as Caua Paixao replaced Destin.

Another Miami turnover paid dividends for CT in the 72nd minute when Applewhaite won the ball in Connecticut’s defensive third and booted the ball downfield into the path of a darting Tanyi. The Hungarian forward turned on the jets and drove at Padilla before slotting it past the keeper and into the net to notch his second goal of the evening as CT took a commanding 5-2 lead.

Two more changes came in the 79th minute as Jamison Ping and Neo Che replaced Monis and Applewhaite.

Despite holding a 5-2 lead, CT United FC did not let off the gas, and it showed in the 88th minute when a long ball from Kamrath found Paixao and Tanyi all alone against Padilla. Paixao darted down the left flank and drew Padilla off his line before slotting it to Tanyi centrally. Tanyi strolled to the goal line before flicking it over with his back heel to seal his third goal and CT United’s second hat-trick of the afternoon, giving the home side a 6-2 lead.

Connecticut had the chance to add on to the lead in stoppage time when the referee pointed to the spot after Rondell White fouled Ping inside the box. Tanyi stepped up to the spot, looking to add a fourth to his tally, but was denied after sending his shot into the left goalpost. Thankfully for CT, D’Ippolito was there to get onto the rebound off the post and slotted it home to seal a dominant 7-2 victory.

With the win on Decision Day and results around the league, CT United end the 2026 regular season in seventh place, securing the club’s first-ever playoff berth. Shavar Thomas and CT will hit the road to face whichever of the top four teams in the East (Crown Legacy FC, Chattanooga FC, Atlanta United 2, or Columbus Crew 2) selects CT, with the opening-round match taking place between October 16 and 18.