By Favian Renkel
In a match where the Columbus Crew needed three points — and ideally a flurry of goals — to secure top spot in their Leagues Cup group, Wilfried Nancy’s side got half the job done. The reigning champions claimed a tight 1-0 victory over Club León but may come to regret not finding more goals.
Both teams opened with urgency and intensity. León, already eliminated, played with pride under new manager Eduardo Berizzo, showing surprising resolve. Columbus thought they had taken an early lead when Max Arfsten found the net, only for the goal to be ruled offside.
The Crew continued to control possession and create chances in the first half, but León’s defense stayed organized and resilient.
In the second half, Nancy made a bold tactical switch, removing veteran Darlington Nagbe and shifting the shape in search of a breakthrough. The move paid off. Arfsten, undeterred by the earlier disallowed goal, delivered the eventual game-winner.
Columbus held on for the clean sheet and now sit atop their group with seven points and a +3 goal differential. But their spot in the knockout rounds isn’t guaranteed. Other teams still in action could surpass the Crew if they win by larger margins in their final matches. Even clubs currently behind Columbus could leapfrog them with emphatic results.
Now, all the Crew can do is wait and watch as the rest of Phase One plays out.
REACTIONS
- Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy:
- “This is football, we won, this is the most important. This is a good performance... I’m really proud of what they did, and now we’ll wait and see."
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- Columbus Crew
- Max Arfsten scored the Crew's only goal of the match, his second goal of the tournament
GAME NOTES
- With 7 points and a +3 goal differential, Columbus has not clinched a quarterfinal spot yet but is in a good position to do so.
- This was the first clean sheet of the tournament for the Columbus Crew.
- Club Leon did not win a single game in this year's tournament. 2 loses and one tie. Club Leon only scored one goal in this years tournament.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT
- Yellow Cards
- Columbus Crew: Marcelo Herrera, Steven Moreira
- Club León: Jaine Barreiro, Salvador Reyes, Oscar Jiménez, Adonis Frias, Rodrigo Echeverria
LOOKING AHEAD
- Columbus Crew will now have for the results of the other final games in Phase One to see if they advance.
- Club Leon is eliminated from Leagues Cup 2025.
