Columbus Crew shock Tigres in penalties, advance to Concacaf Champions Cup semis

Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made two large saves within the decisive shootout, atoning for an early error that led to Tigres’ opening objective. Diego Rossi additionally scored a 59th-minute equalizer for Wilfried Nancy’s facet, who will subsequent face the Inter Miami CF-CF Monterrey collection winner in late April for a spot within the CCC closing.

With the quarterfinal collection tied at 1-1 after Leg 1 at Decrease.com Subject, Columbus obtained off to a disastrous begin in Mexico as Tigres snatched the combination lead in simply the third minute. A defensive error led to the concession, with Schulte dispossessed by André-Pierre Gignac following a back-pass proper in entrance of objective, permitting for a tap-in end by the star Tigres striker.

However Columbus weathered the storm, then struck again simply wanting the hour mark with an equalizer. Cucho Hernández spearheaded the sequence with a bounding run down the left facet earlier than a centering cross reached Rossi, who transformed a vicious far-post end to silence the El Volcán crowd.

After a scoreless further time, the Crew prevailed in PKs with Schulte proving heroic. The 23-year-old saved every of Tigres’ first two photographs from the spot, together with a sprawling denial of Gignac, earlier than Max Arfsten scored the semifinal-clinching spot kick.