Columbus Crew is the new king of Leagues Cup after beating LAFC

With a double from Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernández, the Columbus Crew defeated LAFC and was crowned champion of the Leagues Cup.

The Columbus Crew was crowned Leagues Cup champion on Sunday after defeating Los Angeles FC (LAFC) 3-1 in the final with a brace and an assist from an absolutely masterful Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernández.

The Colombian striker is the beacon of this dazzling Columbus Crew that has won two titles in less than a year and has established itself as the ogre of LAFC, having beaten the Los Angeles team in both finals.

Columbus Crew was crowned champion of the Leagues Cup. X/@ColumbusCrew

Current MLS Cup champion (2-1 against LAFC last December), the team coached by Wilfried Nancy, who also reached the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup (lost in June against Pachuca), thus took over from Inter Miami. Lionel Messiwhich last year won the inaugural edition of this tournament in which all the clubs from the MLS and Liga MX compete for a month.

Winners of the MLS Cup and the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2022, LAFC came to Columbus with a desire for revenge, not only for the 2023 MLS Cup but also for the humiliating 1-5 loss they suffered against the Crew in the league just over a month ago.

But this time, they couldn’t beat the Columbus team either and the defeat was even crueler for LAFC, as the last two goals came in second-half stoppage time when the final seemed to be going to penalties.

‘Cucho’ decides between two opposing philosophies

Cucho Hernandez opened the scoring for the Columbus Crew. X/@ColumbusCrew

The two teams present a huge offensive arsenal but with opposite philosophies: the Columbus Crew dominates through possession, while LAFC, with Olivier Giroud For the first time as a starter, he is a powerful counterattacker.

LAFC took a strong stance from the start and it was not until 20 minutes had passed that the home team made its first attempts, with a couple of forays down the left by Max Arfsten.

Cucho Hernandez He tried to smooth out the Columbus Crew’s game, but the match was rough, choppy and at times heated with hard fouls and arguments between players.

Nothing better than a dead ball to unblock such a mess. After a corner kick, Mohammed Farsi He hunted down the rebound and served a delicate chipped cross that the Colombian, coming in like a rocket, sent into the net with a fabulous header on the stroke of half-time.

LAFC was as solid in defense as it was ineffective in attack.

The Los Angeles reaction came in the second half, first with a goal disallowed for offside by Mateusz Bogusz and then with a goal that did go on Giroud’s scoreboard.

It was a corner again and a header again. The French striker also made his debut as a goalscorer for LAFC.

The draw was a welcome development for the Californians, who took a step forward and came close to deciding the final, which was already headed to penalties.

But at the last gasp, the magic of ‘Cucho’ reappeared. In the 92nd minute, the forward scored the 2-1 with a cross that went through the LAFC area without anyone touching it until it entered the goal of Hugo Lloris.

The icing on the cake of an unforgettable night was put by ‘Cucho’ just two minutes later when, in a counterattack, he provided the assist for the goal Jacen Russell-Rowe which sealed the title for the Columbus Crew.

By reaching the final, both Columbus Crew and LAFC have secured a spot in the next Concacaf Champions Cup. The other ticket was secured by the Colorado Rapids, who won the consolation match against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday (2-2, 1-3 on penalties).