The Columbus Crew have reached the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals in thrilling fashion, topping Liga MX power Tigres UANL 4-3 on penalty kicks after drawing their Leg 2 fixture at Estadio Universitario 1-1 on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made two massive saves in the decisive shootout, atoning for an early error that led to Tigres' opening goal. Diego Rossi also scored a 59th-minute equalizer for Wilfried Nancy's side, who will next face the Inter Miami CF-CF Monterrey series winner in late April for a spot in the CCC final.
With the quarterfinal series tied at 1-1 after Leg 1 at Lower.com Field, Columbus got off to a disastrous start in Mexico as Tigres snatched the aggregate lead in just the third minute. A defensive error led to the concession, with Schulte dispossessed by André-Pierre Gignac following a back-pass right in front of goal, allowing for a tap-in finish by the star Tigres striker.
But Columbus weathered the storm, then struck back just short of the hour mark with an equalizer. Cucho HernĂ¡ndez spearheaded the sequence with a bounding run down the left side before a centering cross reached Rossi, who converted a vicious far-post finish to silence the El VolcĂ¡n crowd.
After a scoreless extra time, the Crew prevailed in PKs with Schulte proving heroic. The 23-year-old saved each of Tigres' first two shots from the spot, including a sprawling denial of Gignac, before Max Arfsten scored the semifinal-clinching spot kick.
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It can’t be overstated what a huge result this was for the Crew. Not only did they keep their dreams of CCC glory alive, but they took down a Liga MX giant in the process, making history on multiple fronts. Should they go on to summit the CCC mountaintop, this series will be looked back on in a legendary light.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: With Gignac bearing down on him from the spot, Schulte came up with the save of his life.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Schulte has to get the nod here in a match that got off to the worst start possible for the goalkeeper, making the euphoric ending that much more dramatic.
Next Up
- CLB: Saturday, April 13 at Real Salt Lake | 9:30 pm ET (MLS Season Pass) | MLS regular season
- TIG: Saturday, April 13 at CF Monterrey | 11:10 pm ET | Liga MX Clausura
