The Columbus Crew and Los Angeles FC meet for the second time in a major final in less than a year on Sunday night in Central Ohio with the Leagues Cup title on the line.
Columbus will host the Leagues Cup final in part because of its 2-1 home triumph over LAFC in the MLS Cup last December.
In between, the Crew dominated a 5-1 league victory at Los Angeles last month in regular-season play.
But LAFC has been excellent in this tournament, winning five of six games since July 26 and keeping four clean sheets.
LAFC lost three major finals last season, falling in the CONCACAF Champions Cup to Club Leon and the Campeones Cup on penalties to Tigres UANL before their December defeat to the Crew. Now, there is the precious chance at revenge.
“We have to engrave it in our head that finals need to be won. It does not matter how we play, but we need to win. We will work for that objective,” center back Jesus Murillo said in Spanish after LAFC’s 4-0 semifinal victory over the Colorado Rapids.
“We prepared to be in a final and we achieved it. Now it’s most important to come back home with the trophy.”
The Crew have experienced their own heartbreak this year, falling 3-0 at Pachuca in June’s CONCACAF Champions Cup final. Afterward, Columbus players and coaches said the team had dealt with a wave of food poisoning.
Both sides are riding in-form stars into Sunday’s match.
For LAFC, reigning MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga has six goals in the tournament. And France’s all-time leading international goal scorer, Olivier Giroud, made his club debut in the tournament after completing his transfer this summer.
Columbus’ Diego Rossi has matched Bouanga for the tournament scoring lead, even while the Crew received a bye to the knockout stage and played two fewer games.
Formerly of LAFC before a spell in Europe, Rossi’s emergence since he joined the Crew in the summer of 2023 gives Columbus one of the league’s most dynamic attacks; his teammate Cucho Hernandez is already a regular MLS Golden Boot contender.
“What I like about him, he is able to do many things,” Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy said of Rossi. “It’s a really good example in terms of work ethic and also as a leadership, a quiet leadership.”
–Field Level Media
