Credit: Columbus Crew
Friday’s Leagues Cup schedule started with NYCFC shutting out Leon 2-0 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Alonso Martinez opened the scoring in the 7th and Agustin Ojeda doubled the lead in the 32nd. NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese saved a penalty in the 58th minute on his way to recording the shutout.
“They didn’t have a single shot on target in the first-half, and I believe that penalty kick was their first one on frame,” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen said. “So, Matt’s save was huge because that could have given them momentum to fight their way back into the game. And we denied it – or Matt denied it.”
Columbus beat Puebla 3-1 at home, taking the lead from a Malte Amundsen goal in the 14th. Diego Rossi doubled the Crew lead in the 16th and Andres Herrera scored in the 39th. Puebla’s Estevan Lozano pulled a goal back a minute into first-half stoppage time.
“It was so nice,” Amundsen said. “I think we’re all so happy right now knowing that we feel like we put a lot of work in, and we’ve been hurt a little bit. So, keeping the win today and scoring three good goals was very nice.”
Houston lost 2-0 at home to Mazatlan. Facundo Almada put Mazatlan up in the 25th and Fabio scored in the 57th minute.
Toluca beat Montreal 2-1 in the second part of the Leagues Cup doubleheader at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Montreal took the lead in the 20th from an Efrain Morales goal. Toluca’s Jesus Angulo equalized in the 23rd and Paulinho scored in the 26th minute.
LAFC beat Pachuca 4-2 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in regulation. Denis Bouanga put LAFC up in the 10th. LAFC played a man down from the 29th when Nathan Ordaz saw red. Pachuca’s Elias Montiel equalized in the 32nd. Pachuca also saw red with Johnder Cadiz exiting in the 83rd minute. Pachuca failed to convert in rounds one and four of penalties while LAFC went four-for-four from the spot.
San Diego lost 2-1 to Tigres at Snapdragon Stadium, falling behind to an Angel Correa goal in the 31st. Tomas Angel equalized for San Diego in the 55th. Correa scored again for Tigres in the 67th minute.
Moving to USMNT players abroad, George Bello’s LASK lost 2-0 at home to Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga. LASK fell behind to a goal in the 9th and gave up a penalty in the 12th. Bello saw yellow in the 86th minute.
Ventura Alvarado subbed out at halftime for Irapuato’s 4-1 home win over Merida in the Liga de Expansion. Playing a man up from the 31st, Juan Gamboa opened the scoring for Irapuato in the 48th. Raul Sandoval doubled the Irapuato lead in the 70th, Benjamin Sanchez added a goal in the 74th, and Gamboa scored again in the 76th minute.
Matko Miljevic’s Huracan lost 2-0 at Lanus in the Copa Argentina round of 16. Lanus scored in the 51st and 69th, not converting a penalty in the 56th. Miljevic saw yellow a minute into stoppage time.
Did Not Play: John Brooks (Hertha 1 – Schalke 2)
Quotes courtesy of MLS team press releases.
Photo by the Columbus Crew
