MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. - Greater Columbus FC became back-to-back NOSL champions on Saturday, July 22 as they defeated The City of Ohio SC by a score of 2-0 at Mount Vernon Nazarene University's CH4 Stadium to conclude the 2023 NOSL Men's Division season.

Coming into the final, neither No. 1 The City of Ohio or No. 2 Greater Columbus were necessarily considered favorites. The two have been on a level playing field since last season's final, where Greater Columbus snuck out the victory on penalty kicks (5-4). In this season's NOSL opener back on May 13, the two played to a 1-1 draw and both teams finished as the top two teams in the division, neither of them losing a game all season. However, Greater Columbus proved to be the better team on the night.

Despite The City of Ohio starting the game on the front foot and carving out several scoring chances, the home team for the evening could not find the back of the net. In the fifth minute, City of Ohio's Elliot Miller came so close to opening the scoring as he banged a free kick off the top corner of the uprights, just for it to be cleared by the GCFC defense.

In the 28th minute, Greater Columbus found their breakthrough as Trevor Collins cleared a ball from just outside his own box, playing his speedy teammate Beelal Hasan in on goal. The Greater Columbus forward headed the ball into his own path and prepped to shoot as City of Ohio defender Matt Nigro bore down on him. Hasan composed himself and fired past City goalkeeper Gavin Leindecker to give Greater Columbus a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. Then, in stoppage time right before the half, Collins and Antonio Palombo linked up with some smooth passing which led to Palombo striking from inside the box to double his team's lead heading into the break. 

With a 2-0 lead, Greater Columbus continued to have chances in the second half. The City of Ohio continued pressing to try and get a foothold in the game but just could not find the back of the net. GCFC held onto their lead until the referee blew the final whistle and became the NOSL's first-ever back-to-back champions.

Greater Columbus center back Andrija Milenkovic played a terrific game and was awarded the Man of the Match for his defensive efforts.

Between the men's final and the women's final right before it, the NOSL saw over 315 guests take part in the evening's festivities at CH4 Stadium. The men's final was the perfect event to cap off an incredible year and the league, teams, and fans alike are looking forward to the 2024 season.