The Columbus Crew enter Leg 2 of their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series with CF Monterrey holding a 2-1 aggregate lead, looking to eliminate another Liga MX powerhouse Wednesday night at Estadio BBVA.
Watch
- English: FS1
- Spanish: TUDN
When
- Wednesday, May 1 | 10:15 pm ET/7:15 pm PT
Where
- Estadio BBVA | Nuevo León, Mexico
Columbus won Leg 1 last week at Lower.com Field behind goals from Cucho Hernández and Jacen Russell-Rowe, but Monterrey snagged an all-crucial away goal through Maxi Meza.
Now, a spot in the June 2 final against Pachuca is within grasp. If Columbus win it all, they'd qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, plus get regional bragging rights and prize money.
- Round One: 7-1 aggregate vs. Comunicaciones (Guatemala)
- Round of 16: 3-1 aggregate vs. FC Cincinnati
- Quarterfinals: 5-2 aggregate vs. Inter Miami CF
Monterrey often find another gear at Estadio BBVA, as FC Cincinnati learned in Round One when suffering a 2-1 defeat (Leg 2) and Inter Miami endured in the Round of 16 during a 3-1 loss (Leg 2).
Even more, Rayados rebounded on Sunday by pummeling Club Necaxa, 5-2, to complete their Liga MX Clausura campaign. That earned them the No. 4 seed and a quarterfinal playoff series vs. Tigres UANL.
History also benefits Monterrey, who have won CCC five times (all between 2011-21). That further incentivizes Fernando Ortiz's squad, which saw big-name attackers Brandon Vazquez, Germán Berterame, Sergio Canales and Meza all score over the weekend.
- Round One: Bye
- Round of 16: 2-1 aggregate vs. Houston Dynamo FC
- Quarterfinals: 2-2 aggregate (4-3 PKs) vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico)
Columbus are in control after a memorable Leg 1 victory, paced by a Man-of-the-Match performance from Cucho and a breakout game from Russell-Rowe. The 2023 MLS Cup champions stayed true to their bold, possesion-heavy identity under head coach Wilfried Nancy – unintimidated by a team of Monterrey's stature.
Yet Meza's away goal last week looms large, and now a 1-0 Monterrey victory sends the hosts through, so Columbus would benefit massively from an away goal (or more) of their own. There's also the potential for extra time and penalty kicks, much like in Columbus' historic Leg 2 quarterfinal win at Tigres.
If there was any doubt about Columbus' priorities, Nancy rotated his squad in Saturday's 0-0 draw with CF Montréal. That decision was with an eye on the Crew potentially reaching their first-ever CCC final, and becoming the third straight MLS finalist after Seattle Sounders FC won in 2022 and LAFC lost in 2023.
Monterrey, as 2021 CCC winners, have already qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. So if they add a sixth CCC title this year, the Philadelphia Union qualify for that prestigious competition (held in the US) two summers from now.
