Cucho Hernandez shined as Columbus Crew defeated Mexico’s Monterrey 2-1 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final in Ohio on Wednesday.
The Colombian forward Hernandez scored a brilliant goal in the first half, giving Columbus a slim advantage before they head to Mexico for the return leg next week.
Jacen Russell-Rowe ensured Columbus’ victory with a header from a corner kick in the 72nd minute, answering Monterrey’s equalizer from Maximiliano Meza, who had scored shortly after halftime.
Columbus Crew, the reigning Major League Soccer champions, had already made headlines by eliminating Tigres in the quarterfinals, proving they could hold their own against Liga MX teams.
Monterrey started strong with some early chances, including shots by US international Brandon Vazquez. However, Columbus soon took control, with Hernandez leading the attack.
Hernandez nearly set up a goal for Diego Rossi and had other scoring chances, but his key moment came in the 26th minute when he finished confidently to give Columbus the lead.
After Meza’s goal tied the game in the 58th minute, Columbus took back the lead when Russell-Rowe headed in a corner from Sean Zawadzki.
The second leg will be held in Monterrey next Wednesday.
