MLS Major League Soccer

The Pitch: MLS NEXT Pro Influence Shows in Crew's CCC Run

Published on April 30, 2024 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Take 2 in Philly - The Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders FC will recommence their previously postponed match from March 9 due to inclement weather later today, with kickoff taking place in the sixth minute.

Concacaf Crew Go to Mexico - The Columbus Crew holds a 2-1 aggregate lead going to CF Monterrey for Wednesday's semifinal second leg and looks to become the third different MLS club to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup Final since 2020.

Looking for May Flowers - Two of the top performing teams in the month of April in New York City FC (3-0-1) and the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) turned around difficult starts to 2024 and will look to continue their climbs up the table in this first game of May.

Galactic Comeuppance - The LA Galaxy's win over Seattle Sounders FC earlier this season was their first over the club since 2018, and the Galaxy now have an opportunity to secure two wins in the same season over the Sounders since 2015 on Sunday.

The defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew is on the verge of a berth to the Concacaf Champions Cup (CCC) final behind a balanced roster of star power and young players developed for the big stage in MLS NEXT Pro.

With the Crew facing potential elimination in the quarterfinals against Tigres UANL, three former MLS NEXT Pro standouts- Jacen Russell-Rowe, Alexandru Matan, and Max Arfsten - scored their kicks from the spot. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, a fellow product of MLS NEXT Pro, notched two saves in the shootout to secure the Crew's spot in the next round. After two seasons of penalty kick shootouts following draws in NEXT Pro, practice made perfect when the rising stars were called upon to perform in a high-pressure situation.

The Crew will turn to its stars on its biggest international stage to date, as Designated Players Cucho Hernández and Diego Rossi both have notched two goals in CCC play and will look to pad their 2-1 aggregate lead over CF Monterrey. They will also look to Russell-Rowe to continue his breakout run as the 21-year-old Canadian combined with Hernández to set up the opener in first leg and nodded home the vital game-winner.

History is on the line on Wednesday night (10:15 p.m. ET, FS1 / TUDN) and Wilfried Nancy and the Crew will look to punch their ticket to a star-studded CCC final with a berth in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup just one win away.

Emmanuel Martinez Arredondo, a 15-year-old battling end-stage kidney disease for four years, finally received a kidney transplant in February 2023. Through @dream_on_3's Junior Dream Team program and fundraising by the Northwest Cabarrus JDT, his dream of attending a Charlotte FC match and meeting the team became a reality.

After Columbus Crew beat CF Monterrey in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, Crew fans came together to sing "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" to their team.

LAFC players sprint to BMO Stadium security guard to celebrate a last-minute game-winning goal.

FC Cincinnati midfielder and captain Luciano Acosta entered 2024 as the reigning MLS MVP after leading his side to its first-ever trophy in the Supporters' Shield and leading the league in goal contributions with 17 goals and 14 assists in 2023. The Argentinian midfielder has started the season well, scoring or assisting 75% of Cincinnati's goals through 10 games played.

Acosta's nine goal contributions (four goals, five assists) through that span is the third-best start to an MVP title-defending season in the last 10 seasons, with MLS Greats David Villa (six goals, four assists in 2017) and Sebastian Giovinco (eight goals, five assists in 2016) ahead of him. Matchday 11 also saw Acosta become the all-time leading goal scorer in FC Cincinnati history, recording his 44th goal with the club across all competitions en route to a 2-1 win on the night.

The early conversation around MVP favorites has been dominated by Inter Miami CF's Lionel Messi and Real Salt Lake's Cristian 'Chicho' Arango so far, but Acosta's consistency to produce when it matters most for Cincinnati will keep him in the race down to the wire. That battle will test Acosta's mettle to become the first-ever back-to-back MVP honoree as he goes toe-to-toe with one of the greatest to ever play the game and a lethal goal scorer throughout 2024.

Five clubs made their club-record signing in the Primary Transfer Window, and right before it closed, the San Jose Earthquakes joined the party with the acquisition of Argentinian midfielder Hernán López . For a club that has been looking to add a high-profile attacking midfielder, San Jose has done that, and showed they were willing to spend the money to do so.

López was known for his dynamic dribbling and skill on the ball, while also adding a unique Argentinian flair that made him a thrill to watch at River Plate and Godoy Cruz. If that sounds like another famous player from Argentina, that might be because López is the great-nephew of World Cup winner and soccer legend Diego Maradona.

San Jose's other Argentine midfielder Cristian Espinoza will gladly welcome López's introduction as the Earthquakes aim to make a run up the Western Conference standings during the second portion of the season. Even more exciting for 'Quakes fans is that López could potentially make his debut at Levi's Stadium on Matchday 12 when San Jose hosts LAFC (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

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