Columbus Crew emerged victorious in the Leagues Cup final defeating Los Angeles FC by 3-1 in a thrilling showdown. Cucho” Hernández starred in the show with a brace to secure a memorable win for his side. This final was a rematch of last season’s MLS Cup final, where the Crew emerged as 2-1 victors.
The game started with Crew dominating possession and carving out chance after chance. LAFC’s defense stood strong for much of the first half but Crew’s efforts were rewarded when Cucho” Hernandez slotted home from a brilliant header on the brink of halftime to give his side a well-deserved lead.
The goal came as a wake-up call for LA who came out all guns blazing in the second half. Oliver Giroud had a couple of glorious opportunities to level the game but it was his third effort in the 57th minute that bought LAFC on level terms. The Frenchman headed home from a beautifully whipped corner from Mateusz Bogusz to score what was his first goal for the club.
After the equalizer, both teams took their foot off the gas and tried to maintain a solid defensive line to limit the opponent’s offensive threat. As the game looked destined for a penalty shoot-out, Cucho Hernandez again came to Crew’s rescue, guiding the ball home from his head after a beautifully floated cross by Alexandru Mățan.
The Crew were far from finished with Jacen Russell-Rowe putting the icing on the cake after a brilliant counterattack led by Cucho Hernandez.
Another trophy in the cabinet 🏆@ColumbusCrew add a @LeaguesCup Championship to their franchise. pic.twitter.com/S0HEm7n5Zm
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 26, 2024
“I have no words, I continue to make history in this club,” Hernandez said after the game. “This is my work. Good work brings reward and this is the reward. The mentality that this team has is rarely seen in other teams,” he added.
With the Leagues Cup triumph, the Crew have now won two trophies under French coach Wilfried Nancy. The Frenchman also guided his team to MLS Cup victory over LAFC last December at the Lower.com stadium.
“It’s amazing. This is again the possibility to show that we are consistent, to show that we are good, to show that we are able to face adversity,” Nancy told Apple TV in a post-match interview
“Yes, we play the way we play, but at the end of the day, this is the spirit. This is the most important thing, to do it in front of our fans. Memories, the memories are going to be amazing,” he added.
Both sides will now turn their attention back to MLS. Columbus is placed 3rd in the Eastern Conference table with 43 points to their name, having three games in hand on second-placed Cincinnati. LAFC are placed 2nd in the Western Conference with 47 points but also have three games in hand over rivals LA Galaxy.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
