The Columbus Crew play for their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup future in Tuesday's quarterfinal second leg at Liga MX powerhouse Tigres UANL.
Watch
- English: FS1
- Spanish: ViX
When
- Tuesday, April 8 | 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT
Where
- Estadio Universitario | San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico
El Volcán awaits after last week's 1-1 draw at Lower.com Field, where Diego Rossi canceled out André-Pierre Gignac's 18th-minute opener that gives Tigres a valuable road goal heading into the series decider.
Tuesday night's winner will face either Inter Miami CF or Mexico's CF Monterrey in the semifinals 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: 4-1 aggregate vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Round of 16: 4-2 aggregate vs. Orlando City SC
Tigres have looked the part of a regional powerhouse in CCC, dispatching two Major League Soccer opponents (Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Orlando City SC) by a combined 8-3 scoreline before meeting the reigning MLS Cup champs in the quarterfinals.
Club icon Gignac remains as dangerous as ever, scoring in the first leg to reach 19 all-time goals in this competition. The French striker was rested in Saturday's 3-0 league defeat against Pachuca – the club's first-ever home loss in 27 games under head coach Robert Siboldi – as Tigres fell to seventh in the Liga MX Clausura standings.
Can Columbus take advantage of this setback from Tigres?
- Round One: Bye
- Round of 16: 2-1 aggregate vs. Houston Dynamo FC
Columbus are also navigating somewhat choppy waters of late, going winless in their last four matches across all competitions (0W-1L-3D) amid the two-game suspension of club star Cucho Hernández.
The Colombian international, who missed Leg 1 over head coach Wilfried Nancy's enforced "team policy," returned in Matchday 8 against D.C. United. But the striker received a 75th-minute red card in the 1-1 draw, bailed out by USMNT midfielder Aidan Morris' equalizing golazo.
Cucho's ensuing league suspension won't apply on Tuesday, meaning the Crew should have their best player available at El Volcán – where a win by any result or a draw by two or more goals automatically sends them to the semifinals. They'll be without Morris, though, after the homegrown standout was red-carded in Leg 1.
