By The Numbers | Crew host LAFC in Leagues Cup Final

Charlie Hatch

It’s an MLS Cup Final rematch.

Nine months after the Columbus Crew beat Los Angeles Football Club in the MLS Cup, they meet again Sunday night in the Leagues Cup 2024 Final at Lower.com. Come witness history.

Numbers to Know

1 or 3? – Well, this is the final after all, and not a lot needs to be said about Columbus potentially hoisting another trophy inside Lower.com Field. This has been an eventful Leagues Cup journey for the Black & Gold, including a dramatic second-half comeback and a penalty-shootout victory in front of The Nordecke. But it all comes down to Sunday night, when the Crew look to win a first Leagues Cup – and become the first club to win the competition on home soil. But taking a step back, this is the team’s third cup final in nine months: MLS Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup Final and Leagues Cup Final. Honestly, that’s absurd, and it’s not being taken for granted. “We all play for those kind of moments, and at the end of the day, you’re just being rewarded of all the good work that you do,” Mohamed Farsi said. “So yeah, we're happy for that, and job isn’t finished. So, we have to go on Sunday, give everything and try to win this game.”

10 – This is a Diego Rossi appreciation post – and not just because he’s playing his former club. Rossi scored twice in the Crew’s 3-1 semifinal win over the Philadelphia Union, and he’s on pace to win the tournament’s Golden Boot with six goals from four games. In his last 11 matches across all competitions, the Uruguayan playmaker has 11 goals and 16 goal contributions. Rossi’s on fire …

2 – LAFC sits second in the Western Conference with 47 points from 24 games, only trailing El Trafico comrades LA Galaxy. Not much needs to be said about LAFC, truthfully. The club’s been awesome for year, and that Black & Gold beat the Colorado Rapids, 4-0, in Wednesday’s semifinal match. Given the fact that LAFC has made two-straight MLS Cups, it’s no surprise the team’s continued to dominate the Western Conference and now has a revenge date with Columbus. Oh, and LAFC is a semifinalist to win the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

99 – Denis Bouanga needs no introduction. In 62 league appearances, he has 37 goals and 16 assists. In 2024, he has 16 goals and nine assists in 24 MLS matches. He’s a fantastic player, and he’s scored six goals during LAFC’s Leagues Cup run. LAFC are hardly a one-man team, but Bouanga isn’t your typical MLS striker. It’ll be crucial for the Columbus backline to keep him quiet and off the ball. Otherwise, Rossi will have someone competition to win the Leagues Cup Golden Boot.

When They Last Met

The Crew smashed LAFC, 5-1 in California. On July 13, Columbus crushed LAFC in an MLS Cup rematch, as Christian Ramirez had a brace and Rossi, Cucho Hernández and Alex Matan all scored for the visitors. When the clubs last met in the Ohio capital on Dec. 9, the Crew won, 2-1, thanks to a Cucho penalty and a Yaw Yeboah game winner, sealing the Club’s third MLS Cup.