By Favian Renkel
Few expected the reigning Leagues Cup champions to find themselves in such a precarious position this early in the tournament. Even fewer anticipated Club Puebla sitting atop the group with a +3 goal differential, marking a surprising start to this year’s competition. Leagues Cup has officially embraced chaos—and it’s only the second matchday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- 1st matchup all time
- Record at Leagues Cup: Columbus (7-2), Puebla (2-3)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- Columbus Crew:
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Loss
- Lost on penalties in their Leagues Cup Opener
- Club Puebla:
- 2 Wins, 0 Draws, 3 Losses
- Coming off two consecutive wins including their opener in Leagues Cup over NYCFC
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Columbus looking to avoid falling into a hole and keep their hopes of advancing alive
- USMNT forward Max Arfsten was all over the field on the opener and scored his first career Leagues Cup goal
- Can Diego Rossi bounce back from missing two key penalties versus Toluca?
- Will Puebla keep up the good form and get a 3rd straight win following a run of 11 games without a win?
- Puebla is coming off their first win by 3+ goals since September 1, 2023 vs Tijuana
KEY FACTORS:
- Columbus Crew:
- Will Wilfried Nancy make changes to the squad; is Wessam Abou Ali going to be available?
- Some of the crew young stars, Max Arfsten and Jacen Russell-Rowe, both had solid showings with a goal and assist respectively
- Despite missing those key penalty kicks, Rossi remains the offensive catalyst for this offense and will look to bounce back
- Club Puebla:
- Emiliano Gomez had a solid showing in his first ever Leagues Cup game coming away with a goal and an assist
- Puebla has back-to-back wins by clean sheet, can they make it three straight
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Few expected the reigning Leagues Cup champions to find themselves in such a precarious position this early in the tournament. Even fewer anticipated Club Puebla sitting pretty with a +3 goal differential, marking a surprising start to this year’s competition. Leagues Cup has officially embraced chaos—and it’s only the second slate of games for teams.
In one of the better matchups of that second slate, fans are in for a treat at Lower.com Field, where Columbus Crew will look to get back on track and exact revenge against Puebla. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. local time, live on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
Columbus finds itself wedged between urgency and uncertainty. Against Toluca, Wilfried Nancy’s side held a 2-0 lead but let it slip away in front of a stunned home crowd. Diego Rossi missed a critical penalty that could have sealed the match in regulation. Instead, the Crew fell in the shootout and are now left hoping their path to the knockout rounds hasn’t already vanished.
Nancy faces a difficult decision. He can rotate heavily, use the match to give minutes to younger players, and prepare for the stretch run of the MLS season—or he can treat it as a must-win and fight for the final qualification spot, banking on the possibility that not all MLS clubs will take nine points from Phase 1.
With Rossi’s confidence potentially shaken, Columbus may lean on the leadership of new Designated Player Wessam Abou Ali. While he may not yet be fully integrated into training, there remains a possibility he could be added to the Leagues Cup roster and provide an emotional lift off the bench.
On the other side, Club Puebla now faces a key question—are they for real? Some critics argue the lopsided win over NYCFC was more about the MLS side throwing in the towel than Puebla’s quality. Still, Pablo Guede’s squad did everything asked of them: secure the tournament’s first clean sheet, win in regulation, and play with urgency from the opening whistle.
Facing the Crew, even with a potentially rotated squad, will be a far greater test than what they encountered in New York. Should Puebla manage to replicate its form and pull off a second straight win—this time against the defending champions—it would mark a major statement.
The stakes are clear for both sides. For Columbus, it’s a must-win scenario with their tournament future hanging in the balance. For Puebla, it’s an opportunity to prove their strong start was no fluke and secure advancement with authority. Expect a tense, physical contest between two teams with something to prove—one fighting for survival, the other chasing legitimacy.
