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Columbus Crew shake up starting lineup, defeat Puebla in Leagues Cup: Takeaways
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- Columbus Crew shake up starting lineup, defeat Puebla in Leagues Cup: Takeaways
The Crew needed a victory over Liga MX's Club Puebla on Aug. 1 to keep their chances of advancing to the Leagues Cup knockout rounds alive and to bounce back from two-consecutive second-half dropped leads .
The Crew took control early to defeat Puebla 3-1 in their second group-stage matchup at Lower.com Field, bringing their tournament point total to four after two games.
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"I think we're all so happy right now," Crew defender Malte Amundsen said. "We put a lot of work in, and we've been hurt a little bit. ... We came out with teeth today, showing that we wanted something and we got a good start to the game."
Replay: Columbus Crew hold onto first-half lead in Leagues Cup action, defeat Puebla
Amundsen was one of two players who appeared in the Crew's starting lineup for the first time in more than a month and made an instant impact.
In the 14th minute, forward Diego Rossi executed a free kick from outside the right corner of Puebla's box. Amundsen, near the left goalpost, headed Rossi's kick to give the Crew a 1-0 lead.
Columbus Crew defender Marcelo Herrera (2) scores past Club Puebla goalkeeper Jesus Rodriguez (33) during the first half of the Leagues Cup soccer match at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Aug. 1, 2025.
While Amundsen made his official return as a late-game substitution against Toluca on July 29 , the Puebla matchup was his first game with substantial playing time since suffering a knee injury May 31.
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"Malte was out for many weeks, so he was eager to come back," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "I felt that it was a good moment for him to start."
Crew defender Malte Amundsen scores on a header against Club Puebla on Aug. 1.
Midfielder Andres Herrera was another returning starter after being sidelined while the Crew worked on a new loan agreement with Argentina's River Plate following the expiration of his original loan on June 31. The deal became official on July 14 , but Herrera had to wait until his visa paperwork was complete to get back on the roster.
Herrera was quiet offensively throughout the first 30 minutes against Puebla, with Amundsen and Rossi, two minutes later, taking care of scoring the first two goals of the game.
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But at the 39-minute mark, Herrera got his opportunity to strike when forward Taha Habroune found him crashing on the right side of Puebla's box.
"Looking back at the play, I was continuing my attack, and I arrived in the box," Herrera said through a translator. "I think we made a fantastic play, and the finish was also really good."
Puebla made it 3-1 during first-half stoppage time when Puebla forward Esteban Lozano scored.
Keeping Puebla off the board in the second half secured the Crew the victory and three points. The Crew earned only one point for finishing regulation against Toluca tied 2-2.
Teammates celebrate a goal by Columbus Crew defender Malte Amundsen (18) during the first half of the Leagues Cup soccer match at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Aug. 1, 2025.
Diego Rossi bounces back from missed opportunities vs Toluca FC with a goal in Club Puebla game
Crew regular-season leading scorer Rossi accounted for one of the two goals against Toluca when he connected on a penalty kick in the first half. However, Rossi went on to miss his second penalty during regulation and failed to connect again at the beginning of the penalty kick shootout.
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From Nancy's perspective, Rossi quickly contributing against Puebla with an assist on Amundsen's goal, which was followed by a goal of his own off a pass from Habroune, was needed for his mentality.
"He knew that he had the possibility to score and to win the game," Nancy said. "That's why the job of a player is not easy, because I know that it was so difficult for him. For me, I don't believe in luck. He has the best work ethic on the team. He provoked that (goal), that's why I'm really, really happy for him because he deserves it."
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Rossi has 12 goals during the regular season, with three additional ones in CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup play.
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Columbus Crew homegrown talent Taha Habroune helps create 2 goals vs Puebla
After being the first player to step up during the shootout and score on Toluca goalkeeper Luis Garcia, 19-year-old Habroune continued to show his value on the field against Puebla.
Habroune was slotted into the starting lineup over regular offensive starters Daniel Gazdag and Jacen Rusell-Rowe. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Habroune put together two assists by pushing into Puebla's box on runs with the ball.
"Coach (Nancy) had a game plan for us," Habroune said. "He wanted me to stay wide and pull out the fullback because they were marking Max ( Arfsten ), and they just weren't stepping out, so I was just taking advantage of it, driving with the ball, and it worked."
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Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte 's game off unrelated to past two performances
Along with Gazdag and Russell-Rowe, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was left out of the lineup, with veteran Evan Bush starting.
Nancy said the plan was always to have Bush start the second game. Last year, the Crew rotated between goalkeepers Schulte and Nicholas Hagen (who is out with a thigh injury) during their four games in Leagues Cup.
In his past two performances, Schulte conceded five goals in regulation and four during the penalty shootout. Bush said he knows the mental struggle Schulte is going through and has been there to guide the 24-year-old.
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"I've been through those moments in my career," Bush said. "So I try to give him certain information and have certain conversations with him that I think are important. ... We've seen what he can do, what he's capable of, and he'll get back to that for sure. He's not far off from it, it's just little moments right now, and he knows that, so he'll be fine."
The Crew host Club Leon in their final group stage game of the tournament at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew defeat Club Puebla in Leagues Cup group stage: Takeaways
