Columbus Crew’s attitude for Leagues Cup final influenced by Champions Cup
Highlights, pictures and sounds from the Nordecke fans of the Columbus Crew
Sing, cheer and dance along with Columbus Crew fans in the north corner during a Leagues Cup quarterfinal match against Philadelphia Union.
There’s an air of confidence among the Crew ahead of Sunday’s Leagues Cup final against Los Angeles FC. And given Columbus’ experience in tournament finals last year, the team says that feeling is justified.
“We’re prepared for pretty much anything,” said midfielder Mo Farsi. “We’ve played some important games, whether in Mexico or here, so we’re in a good mental position. … We’ve had some difficult games, which has helped us a lot on our way.”
The Crew made their first finals appearance under coach Wilfried Nancy in December when they hosted and defeated Los Angeles FC in the MLS Cup final. The Crew continued their success in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, reaching the final against CF Pachuca.
In a final at Pachuca’s home stadium, the Estadio Hidalgo in Mexico, the Crew delivered their worst performance of the season, losing 3-0. It was later revealed that more than half of Columbus’ players and the entire coaching staff were suffering from food poisoning.
More: How much will the Columbus Crew win if they beat Los Angeles FC for the Leagues Cup title?
Farsi was one of the players affected. He said he had symptoms before coming on as a right-back. More than two months later, the game is still a sore spot for Farsi, but he is excited about the new title opportunity.
“What happened in Mexico is unfortunate,” said Farsi. “I think it was unfair. The good thing about football is that you always have the opportunity for revenge. Not revenge against the same team, just revenge for yourself.”
Pachuca was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup by Tigres, so the Crew may have their next chance for revenge in the 2025 Champions Cup.
Now it seems that winning the League Cup will be enough to make up for what the team feels they missed in Pachuca.
“I think we were really distracted by the circumstances,” Crew forward Christian Ramirez said. “We weren’t really enjoying the moment, we were a little distracted in that regard. But I think now that we can be home on Sunday, be with our families, keep a normal schedule and prepare, it’s definitely going to be fun to be here.”
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