they had other men waiting there to be crucified. Note the flow of events as told by Matthew:

Matthew 27:35–38 (ESV) (35) And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.(36) Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.(37) And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”(38) Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The word “then,” which starts verse 38, is very important. It was after the soldiers divided Jesus’ garments and watched him for awhile that the two robbers were crucified. Had Matthew wanted to communicate that the robbers were crucified at the same time Jesus was, he wouldwho were crucified with Jesus. Now we turn our attention to the gospel of John. John seems to be less interested in the timing of the flow of the events, and more concerned with the “where” of the crucifixion, because John 19:18 opens with the word “there” (which is even better translated “where,” as in the KJV). Thus, rather than recount the flow of events as they happen, John gives us more of a “summary statement” of the situation.

John 19:17 and 18 (ESV)(17) and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.(18) There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.

Whoa! If John 19:18 is accurate