The Columbus Crew secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the Leagues Cup round of 32, with forward Diego Rossi playing a pivotal role. Rossi, who recently celebrated his one-year anniversary with the Crew, found the back of the net twice, setting the stage for a dominant performance that saw Columbus advance to the round of 16.
Rossi’s first goal came just before halftime, as he made a well-timed diagonal run into Kansas City’s box and finished a precise pass from Cucho Hernandez, beating goalkeeper John Pulskamp to give Columbus a 1-0 lead. The momentum carried into the second half, where Rossi doubled the advantage with a long-range strike after recovering a deflected ball outside Kansas City’s box.
The Crew's lead was further extended by two new additions to the team. DeJuan Jones, who was substituted into the match for the first time since being traded to Columbus on July 30, made an immediate impact. Just one minute after entering the pitch, Jones scored off an assist from Jacen Russell-Rowe, pushing the score to 3-0. Dylan Chambost, another recent signing who made his official debut in this match, added the final goal. Chambost found the net just three minutes after Jones, sealing the Crew's dominant performance.
The Crew's commanding win was witnessed by a sellout crowd of 20,397 fans at Lower.com Field, who were treated to a clinical display of soccer. The team will now prepare to face Inter Miami on Tuesday, August 13, in the next round of the Leagues Cup.
With this victory, Columbus Crew continues to build momentum in the tournament, showing that their new acquisitions are already making a significant impact. As the Crew advances, the team’s depth and quality will be critical in their quest to lift the Leagues Cup trophy.
