The Columbus Crew begin their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series on Tuesday evening, hosting Liga MX powerhouse Tigres UANL for Leg 1 at Lower.com Field.
Watch
- English: FS1
- Spanish: ViX
When
- Tuesday, April 2 | 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT
Where
- Lower.com Field | Columbus, Ohio
Leg 2 awaits April 9 at Tigres' Estadio Universitario, determining who meets Inter Miami CF or Mexico's CF Monterrey for a semifinal series in late April.
All remaining CCC participants have their sights set on the June 2 final. The winner qualifies for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, plus gets regional bragging rights and prize money.
- Round One: Bye
- Round of 16: 2-1 aggregate vs. Houston Dynamo FC
As winners of MLS Cup 2023, Columbus didn't enter the competition until the Round of 16. At that juncture, goals from Alex Matan (Leg 1) and Cucho Hernández (Leg 2) were enough to advance past the Héctor Herrera-less Houston Dynamo.
Now, the Crew need an even bigger performance to overcome Tigres. And while head coach Wilfried Nancy's team has always been about the collective rather than the individual, Cucho's status is unclear. The star striker missed Saturday's 2-2 draw at Nashville SC due to "team policy," per Nancy.
Beyond Cucho, the midfield pivot of Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris will prove decisive. This would be an ideal time for Diego Rossi's first goal of the year, too.
- Round One: 4-1 aggregate vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Round of 16: 4-2 aggregate vs. Orlando City SC
Tigres and Concacaf Champions Cup success go hand-in-hand, making four finals across five years (highlighted by the 2020 title). That follows continued success at the domestic level, winning the 2023 Liga MX Clausura and sitting fourth in the ongoing campaign.
This year, manager Robert Siboldi's side has advanced past two other MLS opponents in CCC – Vancouver and Orlando – by a combined 8-3 aggregate score. And while Tigres are still led by French striker André-Pierre Gignac, Mexican internationals Ozziel Herrera, Sebastián Córdova and Diego Lainez reflect the depth and quality on hand.
If Tigres get an all-crucial away goal(s) in Leg 1, Columbus' challenge ratchets up considerably in next week's reverse leg at El Volcán.
