News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/14th August 2024
In a thrilling Leagues Cup clash on Tuesday, the Columbus Crew emerged victorious over the defending champions Inter Miami, securing a 3-2 win to advance to the quarter-finals. The decisive performance came courtesy of Uruguayan forward Diego Rossi, whose two second-half goals lifted the Crew past the MLS leaders.
Rossi’s heroics came at a crucial moment. He first equalized the match in the 69th minute and then netted the game-winning goal in the 80th minute, ensuring the Crew’s passage to the next round. This win was particularly notable as it came against Inter Miami, who had been leading the overall MLS standings this season. The absence of Lionel Messi, who is sidelined with a right ankle injury sustained during Argentina’s Copa America final against Colombia, was felt deeply by Miami.
Inter Miami had initially taken the lead through Paraguayan midfielder Matias Rojas, who scored in the 10th minute. Diego Gomez extended their lead in the 62nd minute, but Christian Ramirez pulled one back for the Crew in the 67th minute, setting the stage for Rossi’s late-game heroics.
With this victory, the Columbus Crew will host New York City FC in their quarter-final match on Saturday. New York City secured their place in the last eight with a narrow 2-1 win over Tigres. Tigres’ captain, Argentine midfielder Guido Pizarro, scored first with a header in the 18th minute, but NYCFC quickly equalized through Maxi Moralez in the 20th minute. Santiago Rodriguez then sealed the victory for NYCFC with a goal in the 65th minute.
In other Leagues Cup action, the Philadelphia Union defeated FC Cincinnati 4-2, propelled by a standout performance from Tai Baribo, who scored twice. The Union took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Mikael Uhre and Baribo. Cincinnati managed to pull one back through Pavel Bucha and equalized with a goal from DeAndre Yedlin. However, Baribo scored again in the 82nd minute, and Quinn Sullivan added another in the 84th minute to secure the win for Philadelphia. The Union will now face Mazatlán, who advanced after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Cruz Azul. Mazatlán had initially led 2-0 at halftime, but Cruz Azul fought back with goals from Uriel Antuna and Willer Ditta, only to fall short in the penalties.
The remaining quarter-finals will see Toluca facing Colorado, with the winner set to compete against either Mexican champions Club America or St. Louis. San Jose is set to play Los Angeles FC, with the victor moving on to face Seattle. LAFC will have the addition of French striker Olivier Giroud, who is making his debut following his transfer from AC Milan.
This exciting phase of the Leagues Cup is showcasing the high level of competition as teams battle for supremacy in this prestigious tournament.
