Your Wednesday Kickoff: Columbus win in Mexico, can Miami do the same? | MLSSoccer.com (2024)

Columbus shock Tigres, advance to Champions Cup semis

The Columbus Crew have advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals in thrilling fashion, topping Liga MX power Tigres UANL 4-3 on penalty kicks after drawing their Leg 2 fixture at Estadio Universitario 1-1 on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made a pair of massive saves in the decisive shootout, atoning for an early error that led to Tigres' opening goal. Diego Rossi scored the equalizing goal in the 59th minute. The Crew are the first MLS team to advance on the road in Mexico in a Concacaf series after failing to win the first leg at home.

Miami look to copy the Crew

Inter Miami CF face a 2-1 aggregate hole before Leg 2 of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series, needing a historic performance Wednesday evening at CF Monterrey's Estadio BBVA to advance in the regional competition. Kickoff is set for 10:30 pm ET on FS1 and TUDN.

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New England exit Champions Cup with loss at Club América

I have a confession: Despite my bravery (hold your applause) in picking Columbus to advance past Tigres in yesterday’s newsletter, there’s a slight chance I overstated my confidence level. In the history of this tournament, an MLS team had never advanced past a Liga MX team after drawing or losing the first leg at home. We were in uncharted territory. Hopefully, you can forgive me for having private concerns about the Crew’s ability to advance. And hopefully, you consider I’m being very brave (hold your applause) again by admitting this. And hopefully, you can ignore the fact I also bravely (hold it) picked the Revs to win 5-1 against Club América.

I say all that to frame just how remarkable this win is for Columbus. From a macro-level view, it’s remarkable because it hasn’t happened in the 16 years since the modern version of Concacaf Champions Cup came into existence in 2008. From a micro-level view, it’s remarkable because the Crew looked dead and buried three minutes into the match. Like, more dead and buried than we already kind of assumed they were heading into El Volcán needing a result. When Patrick Schulte and the Crew went full “When Playing It Out Of The Back Goes Wrong” to start the match and allowed a disaster of a goal, the game felt over.

Instead, the Crew steered into the skid and regained control. There were, of course, still moments where Tigres showed their quality – I still can’t believe André-Pierre Gignac missed a huge chance in the box in the second half – but Columbus never lost their composure, played a typical Crew game and showed again why no one in MLS has a stronger sense of self-belief.

It’s the same sense of belief that allowed them to come back from 2-1 down to FC Cincinnati in last year’s Eastern Conference Final and allowed Schulte to have a full redemption arc throughout the opening and final whistle. The former MLS SuperDraft pick made up for the opening goal with two critical saves in penalties that sealed a win for Columbus.

Now, the Crew are onto the CCC semifinals with a historic win already in tow. They’ll face the winner of tonight’s matchup between Inter Miami and CF Monterrey. There’s another tough task ahead of them regardless of who advances. At this point, it’s not brave to pick Columbus (hold)… it’s just smart.

Inter Miami attempt to copy their role models, the Columbus Crew

There’s a chance we’re about to see back-to-back nights of Concacaf history. But before you go get a second bottle of champagne, keep in mind how Inter Miami have an even steeper hill to climb.

The Herons head to Monterrey tonight down 2-1 and facing an even better team. Conceding two away goals last week is a big deal for aggregate purposes. Now, you can argue El Volcán is a more hostile environment than Estadio BBVA, but Tigres have one Concacaf Champions title, and it came in 2020. Rayados have won five since 2010. They’re a nightmare in this competition and have outpaced Tigres in the Liga MX standings, both in the Apertura and Clausura.

BUT.

And this is a really big “but.”

Only one team has Lionel Messi tonight. If he didn’t seem set to start, I’d go ahead and finish piling dirt on the Herons’ CCC grave. Instead, I’m inclined to slowly shuffle some dirt around them just to wait and see if they pop out of their coffin like The Undertaker. Miami have the best player of all time on their side, and that’s the kind of thing that feels conducive to pulling off an all-time Concacaf win.

Any other analysis feels superfluous. Either Messi puts on a show and the Herons pull this off, or Messi can’t get going and Miami’s erratic defense comes back to bite them again.

There are going to be moments of adversity tonight. That’s a given. Miami’s response to those moments will decide this series. When they come, Miami will have to look at themselves in the mirror and ask a simple question: What would the Crew do?

Good luck out there. Change the narrative.