Leagues Cup Bracket 2024: Columbus Crew Beat LAFC to Win Ultimate in MLS Cup Rematch

The Columbus Crew personal Los Angeles FC when trophies are on the road.

Columbus defeated LAFC 3-1 within the ultimate of the 2024 Leagues Cup on Sunday at Decrease.com Discipline, repeating its victory over the identical foe from December’s MLS Cup championship recreation. The sport was doubtful till stoppage time, which is when Crew star Cucho Hernández shifted into takeover mode.

He scored the go-ahead aim from exterior the field within the 92nd minute after which assisted on Jacen Russell-Rowe’s aim within the 94th minute to take away any doubt. It was additionally Hernández who began the scoring within the first half for the victors.

It was extra of the identical for Columbus in opposition to LAFC, because it additionally dealt with the Western Convention staff with ease in a 5-1 victory in a regular-season matchup in July. Not even the addition of Olivier Giroud, who scored LAFC’s solely aim, might change the result when these two groups face one another.

That these golf equipment are so accustomed to one another was solely becoming given their paths by the Leagues Cup bracket, which will be discovered on the event’s official website. Whereas the Leagues Cup options MLS groups and Liga MX groups, neither Los Angeles nor Columbus confronted a staff from Mexico within the knockout rounds.

LAFC defeated acquainted foes in Austin, San Jose, Seattle and Colorado, whereas the Crew went by Sporting Kansas Metropolis, Inter Miami, New York Metropolis FC and Philadelphia.

It set the stage for Sunday’s showdown, and Columbus turned heads earlier than kickoff when head coach Wilfried Nancy determined to begin goaltender Nicholas Hagen as a substitute of his typical selection, Patrick Schulte.

Hugo Lloris was Hagen’s counterpart for the guests, and it was the veteran who allowed the primary aim when Mohamed Farsi deftly navigated by the LAFC protection and flicked a cross in for Hernández. The Crew star buried the chance with a header proper earlier than halftime and put the Western Convention staff in comeback mode.

LAFC wasn’t in comeback mode for lengthy within the second half, although, as Giroud redirected a nook kick to attain his first aim for his new membership. The momentum had swung even earlier than the equalizer, as Mateusz Bogusz appeared to tie the sport however was dominated offside.

The guests stored that momentum all through a lot of the second half partly as a result of Lloris despatched away a wide-open alternative for Christian Ramírez proper in entrance of the online.

However Hernández—who additionally arrange that search for Ramírez—was inevitable and clinched his aspect one other trophy.