Columbus Crew were 'completely drenched in sweat and dirt and joy' in Monterrey: Arace
Estadio BBVA, home to CF Monterrey, is known as “El Gigante de Acero.” The Steel Giant. There on Wednesday night, the Crew put another banana-yellow stamp on history with a resounding 3-1 victory over Monterrey. They did this before a crowd of 55,000, a portion of which was ensconced in the 336 suites in the Steel Giant’s luxury levels, and in front of an international television audience.
“Incredible stadium in a gorgeous mountain range,” reported Keith Naas, a friend of the program and longtime Crew fan who trekked to Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, for the game. “The city is very split between the two (local) teams. Everyone we encountered wearing Tigres (gear) is pulling for the Crew. The crowd here is fantastic. Friendly. Boisterous. Supportive.”
Crew: 'Wilfried Nancy. Take a bow.' Columbus Crew reactions after Champions Cup win vs CF Monterrey
Tigres UANL play in another stadium on the outskirts of the city. Tigres were eliminated by the Crew in the previous round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (previously known as Champions League). In the second game of that two-legged quarterfinal series, the Crew became the first MLS team to beat a Liga MX team after failing to win the first leg at home. The Crew also became the first MLS team to beat a Liga MX team on penalty kicks.
Tigres, founded in 1960, was thus dispatched by the first chartered team in MLS (1996). The Crew moved on to meet Tigres’ cross-town rival, Monterrey, in the semifinal round of the CCC. Monterrey, founded in 1945, is the oldest active pro club in the northern sector of Mexico. Another powerhouse.
Last week in the new Crew Stadium, the Crew beat Monterrey 2-1 in first game of the two-legged CCC semifinal series. Then, on Wednesday night, in the sauna of the Steel Giant, the Crew sent a tremor through the game’s Western Hemisphere, and perhaps beyond. They conceded the first goal. Then, they got it back on a magical interception and long-range strike by midfielder Aidan Morris in the final seconds of first-half stoppage time. And then, in the second half, the Crew blew Monterrey off their own field.
“The atmosphere … I almost don’t have the words to describe it properly,” Crew president/general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said by telephone before jetting back to Columbus on Thursday morning. “It’s what it feels like globally at the highest level, and to do what we did, it gives you chills – in a good way.
"You know those sticky, late-August days in Columbus, when you can’t breathe? The coverage of the stadium prevents air flow. There’s no circulation. The grass can’t grow roots. I was going around hugging all the coaches and the players on the field, and everyone was drenched. I got completely soaked in sweat and dirt and joy.”
Fans in the stadium, and those watching at home, took note of the huge divots that came up when players made hard cuts. It was part of FS1’s broadcast theme. Then field conditions turned into an afterthought when Crew came out after halftime and scored almost immediately.
It was a gorgeous goal, beginning with defender Yevhen Cheberko’s stretch pass to spring the transition, continuing with forward Alex Matan’s deftly threaded, line-breaking pass and ending with a perfectly calculated finish by forward Diego Rossi. Down went mighty Monterrey, who've won five Champions League trophies in the past 15 years, and who've broken down, physically and psychologically, any MLS side that has dared to play a possession game. Not this time.
Next up is the one-game CCC final: The Crew will travel to play CF Pachuca, another five-time winner, in the mountains 60 miles north of Mexico City. Estadio Hidalgo, where Pachuca play, sits nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Nobody expects the Crew to win there. But then, this is a team that came back to win on the road in Orlando and Cincinnati en route to the MLS Cup last fall. It is the team that beat Tigres and Monterrey on the road in the CCC. These things aren’t supposed to happen, but there you are.
In the last CONCACAF club rankings, released on April 29 before the Crew’s victory within the Steel Giant, Monterrey was ranked second in the region. Pachuca was ranked third and the Crew fourth. (Mexico City’s Club America was No. 1).
“Having the benefit of being on this journey before, years ago, I know it’s not completed,” Bezbatchenko said. “We have to proceed with focus and humility. At the same time, you can’t help but get caught up in the moment a little bit. From the perspective of our fans, we’ve elevated the club, city and the league to another level internationally.”
In 2018, a powerhouse Toronto team built by Bezbatchenko – the team with Jozy Altidore, the amazing Sebastian Giovinco and Columbus favorite Michael Bradley – lost in the final, in Guadalajara, on kicks.
In 2022, the Seattle Sounders secured a 2-2 draw on the road in the first leg and then posted a rousing 3-0 victory over Mexico City’s UNAM Pumas in front of a crowd of 42,000 at the NFL stadium in Seattle. It marked the first time an MLS team won the Champions League and ruled the continent.
The winner of the CCC earns $5 million, not counting the millions that comes with an automatic bid to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The host country for the Club World Cup also gets a bid, and next year the host is the United States. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t think MLS commissioner Don Garber won’t find a way to get Miami a bid?
We can quibble about the most important game, or the biggest victory, in Crew history. Wednesday night was something. I'll say it was the highest-profile victory on the biggest stage the Crew has ever stepped upon. Whatever it was, the final against Pachuca on June 1 will be even bigger.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew climbing CONCACAF, looking for FIFA Club World Cup bid
