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Columbus Crew and LAFC will meet in Leagues Cup final after dominant semifinal wins
By Safid Deen, USA TODAY,
14 hours ago
The Leagues Cup final is set, and it’s a rematch of last season's MLS Cup final.
The Columbus Crew and LAFC won their Leagues Cup semifinal matches Wednesday night and will meet in the tournament final Sunday at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
Columbus advanced as Diego Rossi recorded his third brace in Leagues Cup play. Cucho Hernandez also scored a goal for the Crew in a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Union.
LAFC rolled to a 4-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids in the other semifinal behind goals by Mateusz Bogusz (42’), Kei Kamara (45’), Dénis Bouanga (59’) and Lewis O'Brien (75’). France's all-time leading goal scorer, Olivier Giroud, played his third match for LAFC as a substitute.
Philadelphia and Colorado will meet in the Leagues Cup third-place match on Sunday. The Union won the third-place match last year.
The Leagues Cup finalists and third-place winner also earn berths to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
The Crew advanced to its third final in the last year, seeking its second trophy: It won the MLS Cup with a 2-1 win vs. LAFC in 2023, and fell to LIGA MX side Pachuca in the Concacaf Champions Cup final earlier this year.
It may be tough for Columbus to beat LAFC three straight times. The Crew traveled to then beat LAFC 5-1 in a July 13 matchup, adding to LAFC’s motivation for the Leagues Cup final.
While the Leagues Cup concludes Sunday, the MLS regular season resumes with 12 games Saturday as the 2024 MLS playoff race heats up.
Check out Wednesday night's Leagues Cup semifinal highlights from USA TODAY Sports :
LAFC will meet the Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup final, after a 4-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids behind goals by Mateusz Bogusz (42’), Kei Kamara (45’), Dénis Bouanga (59’) and Lewis O'Brien (75’).
LAFC is on the verge of reaching the Leagues Cup final. Dénis Bouanga dribbled past Olivier Giroud and delivered a left strike to put LAFC up 3-0 in the 59th minute.
France's all-time leading goal scorer Olivier Giroud enters for LAFC
Olivier Giroud has entered his third match for LAFC as a late-game substitute.
LAFC has doubled its lead in a hurry. Kei Kamara scored a right strike in the 45 th minute, and LAFC leads 2-0 against the Colorado Rapids as halftime approaches in their Leagues Cup semifinal.
If the result stands, LAFC will meet Columbus in the Leagues Cup final Sunday. Columbus beat LAFC in the MLS Cup final last season.
LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga and Kei Kamara knocked on the door early, but Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen defended both with two stellar saves in the third minute.
Diego Rossi scored two goals, and Cucho Hernandez added another to propel Columbus Crew to a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night, and reach the Leagues Cup final.
The Crew advanced to its third final in the last year, and await the winner of Wednesday night's LAFC-Colorado Rapids match in the final.
Columbus seeks its second trophy: It won MLS Cup in 2023, and fell in the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this year.
Crew star Cucho Hernandez has made his mark with a putback goal in the 53rd minute, and the Crew has a 3-1 lead against Philadelphia. Hernandez followed up his own header to score and extend the Columbus lead.
Diego Rossi has a brace again, scoring his second goal in the 42nd minute to help the Crew take a 2-1 lead just before halftime. It’s the sixth goal in Leagues Cup for Rossi, and his third brace during the tournament.
Diego Rossi was in the right place at the right time, using his head to score the opening goal for Columbus Crew in the 12th minute and an early 1-0 lead against the Philadelphia Union. Rossi's header followed a shot from Cucho Hernandez.
It would be so fitting in Columbus Crew and LAFC met in the Leagues Cup final, after the Crew beat LAFC 2-1 for the MLS Cup title last season. It would be a high-stakes rematch, and set the tone for the MLS playoff race this season.
Most of the 29 MLS teams will return to regular-season play on Saturday, Aug. 24 , when there will be 12 matches played (streaming live on MLS Season Pass ).
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