Leagues Cup Bracket 2024: Columbus Crew Beat LAFC to Win Final in MLS Cup Rematch

The Columbus Crew own Los Angeles FC when trophies are on the line.

Columbus defeated LAFC 3-1 in the final of the 2024 Leagues Cup on Sunday at Lower.com Field, repeating its victory over the same foe from December's MLS Cup championship game. The game was in doubt until stoppage time, which is when Crew star Cucho Hernández shifted into takeover mode.

He scored the go-ahead goal from outside the box in the 92nd minute and then assisted on Jacen Russell-Rowe's goal in the 94th minute to remove any doubt. It was also Hernández who started the scoring in the first half for the victors.

It was more of the same for Columbus against LAFC, as it also handled the Western Conference team with ease in a 5-1 victory in a regular-season matchup in July. Not even the addition of Olivier Giroud, who scored LAFC's only goal, could change the outcome when these two teams face each other.

That these clubs are so familiar with each other was only fitting given their paths through the Leagues Cup bracket, which can be found at the tournament's official website. While the Leagues Cup features MLS teams and Liga MX teams, neither Los Angeles nor Columbus faced a team from Mexico in the knockout rounds.

LAFC defeated familiar foes in Austin, San Jose, Seattle and Colorado, while the Crew went through Sporting Kansas City, Inter Miami, New York City FC and Philadelphia.

It set the stage for Sunday's showdown, and Columbus turned heads before kickoff when head coach Wilfried Nancy decided to start goaltender Nicholas Hagen instead of his typical choice, Patrick Schulte.

Hugo Lloris was Hagen's counterpart for the visitors, and it was the veteran who allowed the first goal when Mohamed Farsi deftly navigated through the LAFC defense and flicked a cross in for Hernández. The Crew star buried the opportunity with a header right before halftime and put the Western Conference team in comeback mode.

LAFC wasn't in comeback mode for long in the second half, though, as Giroud redirected a corner kick to score his first goal for his new club. The momentum had swung even before the equalizer, as Mateusz Bogusz appeared to tie the game but was ruled offside.

The visitors kept that momentum throughout most of the second half in part because Lloris sent away a wide-open opportunity for Christian Ramírez right in front of the net.

But Hernández—who also set up that look for Ramírez—was inevitable and clinched his side another trophy.