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Tempers flare as Columbus Crew defeat Club Leon in Leagues Cup
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- Tempers flare as Columbus Crew defeat Club Leon in Leagues Cup
The Crew earned the most they could point-wise against Club Leon in their Leagues Cup matchup , but now must wait for the other final group-stage games to play out across the next two days to determine if their victory was enough to reach the quarterfinals.
On Aug. 5, the Crew defeated Leon 1-0 to boost their point total to seven with a three-goal differential following three group-stage games.
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Replay: Columbus Crew top Club Leon in final group match in Leagues Cup
Only the top four teams in points earned from both MLS and Liga MX advance to the knockout rounds, with the goal differential being the first tiebreaker. The Crew entered the Leon matchup in sixth place among MLS teams, making a victory to earn three points a necessity.
"This is football," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "We won. This is the most important because we could have tied. Yes, we had the possibility to score goals, but we didn't do it. ... It's not easy when you start the game knowing that you have to win, but you have also to score a lot of goals. This is so difficult to tell that to my players. That's why I'm proud of what they did, and we'll see."
Throughout the group stage, the Crew struggled to create shots on target, recording the same or fewer than their opponent despite taking more attempts, except in the 2-2 regulation draw against Toluca FC.
Columbus Crew forward Max Arfsten (27) reaches for a ball in front of Club Leon midfielder James Rodriguez (10) during the first half of the Leagues Cup soccer match at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Aug. 5, 2025.
The Crew finished with a combined 10 shots on target off 35 attempts across the three games. In the Leon matchup, the Crew had to most targeted shots with four, but put together the fewest goals of their group-stage outings.
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"Obviously, would have liked to score more," Crew defender Sean Zawadzki said. "Put a little bit of pressure on those other teams. But I think most importantly, we got the three points, and still there's pressure on those teams to come out whenever they play, and to perform and to win themselves."
The Crew sit at the top of the MLS standings after one night of final group-stage games, with eight teams playing on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 having the possibility of passing the Crew.
Max Arfsten leads Columbus Crew to victory, three points over Club Leon
The Crew's lone goal against Leon came in the 53rd minute when midfielder Max Arfsten retrieved a loose ball in the center of the box. After taking two dribbles to the right, Arfsten launched a shot that went over goalkeeper Oscar Jimenez, who dove to attempt the save.
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"It was a little bit of relief, to be honest," Arfsten said. "It always sucks when you score and you celebrate, and then they call it back. So, I was happy that finally counted."
Arfsten got another shot over the goal line in the opening five minutes of play, and though the Crew thought they've secured an early goal, it was quickly overturned once a review determined forward Daniel Gazdag to be offside.
The recorded goal marked Arfsten's second in the tournament and third since returning from representing the United States national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on July 12.
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Tempers between Columbus Crew, Club Leon as officials struggle to gain control of heated moments
As time ran on in the second half, the intensity on the field grew as the two teams had multiple heated moments in the final 30 minutes.
"In a game like this, there's going to be some tension," Zawadzki said. "We're trying to push, trying to get more goals. They're trying to prevent us from getting our momentum, trying to stall a little bit, maybe. So it's kind of us pushing, and it leads to these interactions and some chippiness."
The first scuffle occurred when Crew midfielder Andres Herrera and Jimenez had a collision near Leon's goal, but tempers reached their highest point of the game when the exchange of words turned into bouts of shoving during stoppage time.
A scrum erupts in the goal after Columbus Crew defender Marcelo Herrera (2) collides with Club Leon goalkeeper Oscar Jimenez (12) during the second half of the Leagues Cup soccer match at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Aug. 5, 2025.
Officials had trouble controlling the two teams for several moments, with only two yellow cards handed out in the end, one to Crew defender Steven Moreira and another to Leon midfielder Rodrigo Echeverria.
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"I don't like to talk about referees, but obviously the referee tonight didn't control the game," Nancy said. "It could have been more yellow cards, but he didn't do it. This is the way it is. For sure, I think that the performance of the referee could have been better."
Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte (28) makes a a save during the second half of the Leagues Cup soccer match against Club Leon at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Aug. 5, 2025.
Patrick Schulte finds redemption vs Club Leon after two rough outings
Regular starting goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was back in the lineup for the Crew after sitting out against Puebla , which was planned ahead of the tournament, according to Nancy.
Schulte hit a rough stretch in his previous two outings , allowing five regulation goals and finishing on the losing side of the penalty kick shootout against Toluca.
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However, the 24-year-old found redemption in the Leon matchup, recording four saves, including on a shot from Ismael Diaz that was inches from crossing the goal line. The clean sheet was Schulte's first since returning from an oblique injury on July 12.
"It feels good, definitely," Schulte said. "Good for myself, but as well, for the backline. It's been a struggle. I think that we would definitely like to have more clean sheets and less goals conceded. But, for me, it definitely feels good that we had a game like this."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Columbus Crew advance in Leagues Cup after defeating Club Leon?
