Cucho scores twice, Crew claim another Leagues Cup title
COLUMBUS — Cucho Hernandez can’t exactly remember what was going through his mind when he ripped off his jersey and threw it into the stands, which he did before jumping onto the digital advertising sign in front of section 124 to embrace the roars of cheers. All Hernandez does know is it was his natural reaction to the moment.
The celebration from Hernandez
came after scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time of the Crew’s 3-1 victory over Los Angeles FC to secure the Leagues Cup title.
When four minutes of stoppage time was added to the second time, it meant both Columbus and Los Angeles had little time break the 1-1 tie and avoid going to a penalty kicks. Nearly 65 seconds later, Hernandez launched the ball from outside the top, left corner of LAFC’s box and with a slight curve in trajectory while in the air, the ball was able to take a bounce past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, into the goal.
“I didn’t shoot the ball,” Hernandez said. “I just put the ball to Jacen (Russell-Rowe). I saw his movement, I said ‘okay, 92, 93 minutes, I have to try something.’ Because I didn’t want penalties again, I get nervous. So, I put the ball to him, was confused that it missed and I scored. That was amazing.”
It was Hernandez’s second goal of the night, as the striker found the back of the net in the first half to pull Columbus ahead 1-0. And Hernandez still had one last push to firmly ensure LAFC wouldn’t tie the score once again.
Off a counterattack, Hernandez created another run and when LAFC defender Aaron Long caught up to Hernandez, he swiftly dumped the ball off to forward Jacen
Russell-Rowe who used two touches to score the final goal for Columbus with less than a minute left in the final.
“I said to him before in the locker room, I was running with the ball and said ‘Ah, I’m going to get my hat trick.’ But the center back came to me, I had to give to Jacen” Hernandez said. “We know Jacen. We know he’s going to score, always. He’s a great striker, he’s a killer.”
This marks the Crew’s second title since coach Wilfried
Nancy joined the club at the beginning of the 2023 season. Just like the 2023 MLS Cup victory, Columbus won the Leagues Cup trophy in front of a home crowd at Lower. com Field, against LAFC.
“When I decided work together, with this club, I knew that we would do something,” Nancy said. “I didn’t know when, but I knew it. And this club simply deserves what is happening, because the story, to save the club, is amazing.”