For a moment, it looked like Union might be able to get back on their feet after Dániel Gazdag scored a clean equalizer. That moment didn’t last long, though. Diego Rossi scored his second goal of the night soon after, and Cucho Hernández sealed the deal in the second half. The Crew were the better team from start to finish, both by eye and by the numbers. By the final whistle, Columbus had recorded 3.9 xG goals to Philly’s 1.2. They were simply on a different level.

That’s not surprising. We talked about it a lot beforehand: Philadelphia was without two key players, and even if they had them, an upset would have been unlikely. Still, I think Union can take some positives from this tournament. It reinforced the idea that Tai Baribo could be a real talent as a forward. And remember, they still have a chance at a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup. They host Colorado in the third-place match on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Back-to-back third-place matches doesn’t look good on a T-shirt, but it would put Union in the CCC for the fourth time in five seasons.

What else is there to say about the Crew? They have played in every possible final over the last nine months. They followed up their MLS Cup win with an appearance in the CCC final and now an appearance in the Leagues Cup final. They expect to be at the top of the table at the end of every competition and to go out there and perform accordingly. It’s as simple as that at this point.

With that mindset, Columbus will surely be looking forward to a rematch against an LAFC team they have outclassed in their last two meetings. The first was last December at the MLS Cup, a 2-1 win in the rain. The second was just over a month ago, when the Crew swept LAFC 5-1.

Columbus is hosting again. They have history on their side. They are the favorites to win another trophy.