The lack of success of American soccer teams in Mexico is well documented. Be it with the United States men's national team or American clubs facing Liga MX clubs, the outside expectation is usually not to win, while teams participating would likely celebrate draws like victories.
What the Columbus Crew did on Wednesday night was next level. In the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg at Monterrey, the Crew, reigning MLS Cup champions, dominated after conceding early, winning 3-1 and cruising on aggregate, 5-2.
The victory doesn't just mean the Crew get to fight for continental glory -- it also made them the first MLS club in the competition's history to dispatch two Liga MX teams without losing any of the second legs in Mexico. In the quarterfinals, Columbus tied mighty Tigres, Monterrey's rivals, 1-1 in Ohio. The return leg in Mexico was also a 1-1 draw, with the Crew advancing on penalty kicks, 4-3.
This continues an impressive three-year run under French manager Wilfried Nancy, a man who is certainly on the radar of European clubs for his tremendous turnaround of the MLS franchise. As MLS Communications points out, he's unbeaten in his first five games against Liga MX opposition. Compare that to Mexican teams winning the competition every single year from 2006-2021. The Crew will now face Pachuca in the final.
In this wild second leg, Aidan Morris' goal in the first half set the tone, while Diego Rossi's 49th-minute strike gave breathing room. Jacen Russell-Rowe's 89th-minute goal from way out slammed the door shut. The Crew were able to take advantage of mistakes made by Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, making the Mexican side pay time and time again despite being outshot 22-8.
Jacen Russell-Rowe sends it to the back of the net and seals it for the Crew! ⚽ pic.twitter.com/FjcO2T92mQ
— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) May 2, 2024
"I really enjoyed the spirit of the guys again," Nancy said after the game.
"The idea is to be limitless, and I'm really proud of them.
"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."
Now the Crew, with their incredible cohesion and counter-attacking ability, look to do what the Seattle Sounders did in 2021-22 and win the whole thing. That final date has yet to be determined, but winning this competition would qualify them for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States next summer.
The Champions Cup final is set to be played on June 1 at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.
