Hernández heroics lift Crew to Leagues Cup title

Columbus Crew star Cucho Hernández once again stole the show as he led his team to a dramatic victory over LAFC in the Leagues Cup final Sunday.

The Colombia international scored twice, including the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, to secure a 3-1 victory to claim the trophy.

The Crew beat LAFC for the second straight final after lifting the MLS Cup last December.

"I am happy for the fans and my family. This is my job and I am glad my teammates can enjoy it," Hernández told Apple TV after the game.

Columbus retained the Leagues Cup title for the MLS, a year after Inter Miami claimed the inaugural edition of the tournament that showcases clubs from both MLS and Liga MX.

The match, played in front of a packed crowd at the Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, was a thrilling affair from start to finish.

Hernández opened the scoring at the end of the first half with a powerful header, but LAFC responded with a goal from Olivier Giroud, who netted a well-placed header for his first goal for the Los Angeles side in his first start.

With the game seemingly heading towards a penalty shootout, Hernández delivered a moment of magic in stoppage time. His late cross evaded the LAFC defense and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, finding the back of the net to put the Crew back in front.

Just moments later, Hernández orchestrated another goal, setting up Jacen Russell-Rowe for a clinical finish to seal the win.

"Our mentality is way better than other teams, this is not our first comeback, we also did it against Inter Miami," Hernández said.

Hernández was named the Best Player of the tournament, while Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo received the Top Scorer award after scoring seven goals in six games. Colorado Rapids' Zack Steffen was selected as the Best Goalkeeper of the 2024 Leagues Cup.

With the victory, Columbus landed a berth in the round of 16 in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup. Los Angeles secured a spot in the first round by finishing as the runner-up in the Leagues Cup.

The Crew reached the final of this year's Concacaf Champions Cup, but they lost 3-0 to Pachuca.

Information from The Associated Press and Field Level Media was used in this report.