Columbus Crew shock Tigres in penalties, advance to Concacaf Champions Cup semis

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 Hernández 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 Volcán 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.

Goals

• 3' - TIG - André-Pierre Gignac | WATCH
• 59' - CLB - Diego Rossi | WATCH

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