The Columbus Crew pulled off a remarkable result against Monterrey in the second leg of their Champions Cup tie to book a place in the final.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Crew thump Monterrey 3-1Advance to Champions Cup finalWill face Pachuca in title gameWHAT HAPPENED?
The Crew took leg one, defeating 2-1 at Lower.Com field, meaning they ultimately needed some sort of result in Mexico due to the away goal rule being active.
They conceded early, going behind just 11 minutes in, but they responded brilliantly with three unanswered to win 5-2 on aggregate and see themselves through to this year's final.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Budding USMNT star Aidan Morris opened the scoring, finding the back of the net in outstanding fashion on the verge of the halftime break. The U.S. Olympic midfielder won the ball in the opposition half, beat a defender and launched an effort from outside the box into the back of the net.
The Crew then doubled their lead three minutes into the second half before adding a third in the 89th minute on a breakaway through Canada international Jacen Russell-Rowe.
It was an incredible showing on the road in Mexico, with Wilfried Nancy's side putting on a clinical display. The French boss raved about the performance after the match, but now, all eyes are on the final.
WHAT WILFRIED NANCY SAID
“When we finished the game,” Nancy explained to reporters postgame, “We did a kind of huddle, you know? And I wanted them to say nothing for three or four seconds, and just realize what they’ve done.
“For me, this is about trying to be limitless, and this value, for me this is so important, because I think that what we did today is going to be good also for their life as a human being, knowing that, why are we going to put limits on what we do? Try to achieve something.”
The Frenchman said his squad truly embraced the moment, overcoming multiple obstacles and facing adversity at the same time.
“This is huge. This is huge,” said Nancy. “We know that we played against a good team, but the environment – it was hot, it was a really good environment, the fans of Monterey pushed a lot, it was amazing. Before we started the game, the atmosphere was really, really powerful, and this is something that, we play for that.
“I think that my players used this situation to find a way to come back from behind, and also to fight, and also to play. We didn't play our best game with the ball, I would say, but we played our best game in terms of resilience, in terms of the way we believe.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE COLUMBUS CREW?
The Crew will now take on Pachuca for the title game this June. The date for the final has yet to be confirmed, as it's been announced it will change so that it does not overlap with the Mexican presidential election early on in the month. It's set to be announced in the coming days.
