Columbus Crew defeat Toronto FC 2-0, Cucho Hernandez builds upon MVP push: Takeaways
As the MLS regular season continues to wind down, with less than a month of play left, Crew striker Cucho Hernandez continues to firmly solidify his name in the league's MVP conversation.
On Wednesday, the Crew picked up a 2-0 road victory over Toronto FC behind a goal and an assist from Hernandez. Despite being a regular starter for Columbus, Hernandez came off the bench in Toronto as a second-half substitution and broke game open in the Crew's favor just six minutes after entering the match.
"It is different," Hernandez said. "You put a boost of energy (as a substitution), and the team needs you in that moment. It's my work, and I did my work."
Replay: Cucho Hernandez helps Columbus Crew secure 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on the road
Hernandez scored the first goal of the match off an assist from forward Jacen Russell-Rowe at the top of Toronto's box, where Hernandez launched a shot past goalkeeper Sean Johnson and into the top-right corner of Toronto's goal. It was nearly 20 minutes later that Hernandez sent a pass to midfielder Andres Herrera, which led to a second goal contribution for Hernandez.
In the regular season, Hernandez leads the Crew with 14 goals and is tied for a team-best 11 assists, making him the first player in club history to record back-to-back seasons with ten-plus goals and ten-plus assists.
"He's just a great teammate," Russell-Rowe said. "He's very easy to play with. We just look for each other, we try and connect with each other when we're out there, and it comes off. ... We just communicate well.”
Prior to Hernandez's goal in the 51st minute against Toronto, the Crew were in the midst of a scoring drought after failing to score in five consecutive halves of play. Columbus' most recent goal going into the Toronto match was in the second half of a match against New York City FC on Aug. 31.
"It was not about the offense. It was about the collective aspect," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "The way we were more precise and calm on the ball to play quick. For me, we did a really good game in terms of composure. That's why we were able to build the game for the first half, and the second half, we were able to adjust and finish the game."
Andres Herrera's first goal with Columbus Crew represents progress
Herrera joined the Crew near the end of the MLS secondary transfer window, officially being sent to Columbus on a loan from Argentina's River Plate on Aug. 6 but Nancy wanted to give Herrera time to adjust before putting him in the lineup.
While Herrera was on the Crew's roster for Leagues Cup, the 25-year-old didn't see a minute of playing time during the tournament, making his first appearance for Columbus against the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 28. In the three weeks between his first training sessions with the Crew and his first appearance, Herrera was adjusting to both Nancy's complicated playing system and playing professionally in the United States for the first time.
Nancy says he's been watching Herrera as he's connected with his new teammates and continues to take classes three to four times a week to learn English since he only knew Spanish before arriving in Columbus. Watching Herrea's path to meeting the team to scoring his first goal less than two months later has earned Nancy's respect.
"Obviously, we ask him to do simple things, but he's able to do it," Nancy said. "For me, in terms of desire to compete and also desire to adjust regarding what we want to do, step by step he's getting there. I'm happy for him that he scored today because he was in a good position as a forward. This is exactly what I like."
'I was just like an academy player with a dream': Jacen Russell-Rowe plays key role in second homecoming match with Columbus Crew
With Nancy opting to run out a rotated starting lineup against Toronto, giving multiple regular starters the match off to rest, Russell-Rowe had another opportunity to record a start in front of his home crowd.
Hailing from Toronto, Russell-Rowe spent a majority of his youth career playing for Toronto's academy over the course of seven years. Since joining the Crew, Russell-Rowe has only played at BMO Field in Toronto twice, including his first official MLS start in the Crew's 2-1 victory against Toronto in 2022. Russell-Rowe recorded assists on both goals for Columbus in the match.
Russell-Rowe failed to see any playing time in the Crew's last visit to BMO Field in 2023, which made his performance on Wednesday even more special for the 21-year-old.
"I always say I grew up imagining myself playing in this stadium," Russell-Rowe said. "Luckily, this time I was able to have a lot more friends and family come out to the game. It's nice just to play in front of a lot of people who grew up with me when I was just like an academy player with a dream. Now, they get to come and support me on the big stage."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew defeat Toronto FC 2-0 behind efforts of Cucho Hernandez
