Crew win first Leagues Cup title with 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew have claimed another trophy in a moment of "deja vu" as they ousted Los Angeles FC 3-1 in the Leagues Cup final Sunday night.

For the second time in nine months, the Black & Gold hosted LAFC at Lower.com Field in a final and for the second time, Columbus got the better of Los Angeles. The match was level going into its final minutes, but a late explosion from the Crew put them over the top. Goal scorers for the Crew were Cucho Hernandez, who scored twice, and Jacen Russell-Rowe. Olivier Gourd scored for LAFC.

After what was nearly a goalless half, Cucho Hernandez put the Crew in front with a header goal in the 45th minute. The Crew led 1-0 at halftime.

Olivier Giroud leveled the score for LAFC in the 57th minute. He scored a header goal of his own to make the score 1-1.

The match appeared to be headed to a penalty shootout, with the score still even during stoppage time. But in those final minutes, the Crew came alive.

Hernandez put the Crew ahead by a score of 2-1 in the 92nd minute. Then, Jacen Russell-Rowe put the cherry on top with a goal in the 94th minute to bring the game to its final score of 3-1.

In the second edition of the expanded Leagues Cup, the Crew were able to skip out on the group stage thanks to its MLS Cup win over LAFC in December. Before beating Los Angeles on Sunday, the Black & Gold beat Sporting Kansas City, Inter Miami, New York City FC, and the Philadelphia Union on its way to its first Leagues Cup trophy.

This is the fifth different competition won by the Crew and ninth trophy in club history. Columbus' 2024 Leagues Cup triumph joins its three MLS Cup titles (2008, 2020, 2023), three Supporters' Shields (2004, 2008, 2009), U.S. Open Cup (2002), and Campeones Cup (2021).

This Leagues Cup title is the first knockout-specific competition won by the club since the 2002 U.S. Open Cup. With the win on Sunday, the Crew have earned a bye into the round of 16 of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup where they will enter as the defending runners-up. In June, Columbus fell to Pachuca 3-0 in the 2024 final.

For the silver medalists LAFC, this is the fourth final they have lost in the last 14 months with the two losses to the Crew, losing the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup final to Club Leon and losing to Tigres in the 2023 Campeones Cup final in September.

With Sunday's final, Columbus became the first MLS club to play in three finals in a nine-month span but the pursuit of trophies doesn't end here. Manager Wilfried Nancy's side will host Club America on September 25 in the Campeones Cup final.

Columbus' journey towards defending MLS Cup resumes on Wednesday when they play at the Philadelphia Union. The Crew currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference standings with multiple games in hand on first-place Inter Miami and second-place FC Cincinnati.