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

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

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

He scored the go-ahead purpose from exterior the field within the 92nd minute after which assisted on Jacen Russell-Rowe’s purpose 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 workforce 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 purpose, might change the result when these two groups face one another.

That these golf equipment are so acquainted with one another was solely becoming given their paths by means of 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 workforce from Mexico within the knockout rounds.

LAFC defeated acquainted foes in Austin, San Jose, Seattle and Colorado, whereas the Crew went by means of 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 an alternative of his typical alternative, Patrick Schulte.

Hugo Lloris was Hagen’s counterpart for the guests, and it was the veteran who allowed the primary purpose when Mohamed Farsi deftly navigated by means of 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 workforce 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 purpose 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 saved that momentum all through many of the second half partially as a result of Lloris despatched away a wide-open alternative for Christian Ramírez proper in entrance of the web.

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