Columbus Crew’s 3-1 Victory Over Monterrey, Advances to CONCACAF Champions Cup Final

The Major League Soccer champions moved to the championship game at Monterrey’s 53,000-seat Estadio BBVA courtesy to goals from Aidan Morris, Diego Rossi, and Jacen Russell-Rowe. They were protecting a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Ohio last week.

Yevhen Cheberko, a defender for Columbus, gave Monterrey, who are vying for a sixth CONCACAF Champions Cup title, an own goal after just 11 minutes.
Maximiliano Meza of Monterrey beat goalkeeper Patrick Schulte by lifting his finish over Columbus’s offside trap.

Cheberko scrambled back to clear the danger as the ball bounced off the crossbar and was shoved into the net.
After that, Monterrey had the advantage due to away goals and the tie was tied 2-2 overall. For the majority of the first half, it appeared as though the Mexican team would score more goals.

Instead, due to a mistake made by Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, Crew was given a way back into the match far into stoppage time in the first half.

Looking to toss the ball out from the edge of the field, Andrada hesitated. However, the alert Morris blocked his shot, darting forward and past the unpositioned Andrada to make it 1-1.
Columbus’s fortunes improved shortly after the break as Uruguayan striker Rossi gave them the lead on minute 49.

After coming on as a halftime substitute for Marino Hinestroza, Alexandru Matan charged forward from midfield and slipped a pass to Rossi, who finished expertly into the lower corner.
With Columbus leading 2-1 on the evening and 4-2 overall, Monterrey would need to score three goals.

Monterrey made a desperate attempt to go closer, but Columbus stood strong, and in the 89th minute, replacement Russell-Rowe scored the game-winning goal.
In stoppage time, Columbus had an opportunity to make it 4-1, but Andrada stopped Christian Ramirez’s penalty.
The Crew will play Pachuca, a Mexican team, in the final next month.

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The victor of this year’s competition will secure a spot in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which will have 32 clubs competing in the finals held in the US the following year.

Columbus, along with D.C. United, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Seattle Sounders, is seeking to become just the fourth Major League Soccer side to win the titles of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.