Three countries, two leagues, one winner but so many memories. The 2024 Leagues Cup came to a close Sunday with the Columbus Crew lifting the trophy after beating LAFC 3-1 in the final.
It was a month full of great matches, cross-cultural moments, amazing goals and incredible saves. Let’s look back at some of the top moments from the tournament, which we’ll remember for a very long time:
Cucho connects Columbus with Leagues Cup trophy
His first goal saw him unleash his fury, rising above everyone to head in a ball from Mo Farsi. His second unleashed joy as he launched his jersey into the cheering crowd, perhaps never to be seen again. And he then assisted the final goal of a 3-1 Columbus Crew victory in the Leagues Cup final.
Even if it’s a picture we’ve grown used to seeing in Leagues Cup and beyond, it’s special to see the bond the city and its fans have with Crew players and staff during this successful run. Whether the whole stadium chanting, “Go, Diego, Go!” when Diego Rossi stands over a corner kick or the huge ovation for manager Wilfried Nancy before and after games, it’s clear a special bond has been formed.
It’s easiest to see, however, in the way Cucho lights up the city - something made that much easier when what he does on the field is so spectacular and leads directly to the club lifting its first major international trophy.
Steffen’s shot-stopping puts Rapids into 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup
Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen earned the title of Best Goalkeeper in the 2024 Leagues Cup for his play during the 90-minute matches, but more than anything he won it for what he did during the shootouts the Rapids participated in.
Even as recently as Sunday, Steffen was coming up with big saves in the tiebreaker. He stopped the first two kicks from the Philadelphia Union to set the tone for a shootout the Rapids won to clinch third place and seal a place in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
In the quarterfinals, Steffen denied a number of Club América players and also had to take a kick, hitting what would be the winner in the 10th round as the Rapids won the shootout, 9-8.
And he also made a pair of stops in the group stage, pushing the Rapids past Club León and into the knockout stage in the first place.
Steffen became the first goalkeeper in the competition’s history to win three shootouts in the same tournament.
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Mazatlan’s upset run raises hope in Sinaloa*
Since arriving on the scene in 2020, Mazatlan FC has struggled to get the results fans hoped for. And while some supporters felt the arrival of veteran manager Victor Manuel Vucetich in the summer was just what the Cañoneros needed to start turning things around, no wins in the first four matches of the Liga MX Apertura didn’t hint at immediate success.
So, seeing the Sinaloa side make a run to the quarterfinals of the competition, where it fell to the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout, was certainly inspirational for those fans looking for the team to turn things around.
On the way to the quarterfinal, Mazatlán got past Liga MX grande Cruz Azul, leading 2-0 for much of the game before advancing in a shootout, D.C. Untied and came out of the group thanks to a 2-0 win over Nashville SC - 2023’s Leagues Cup runners-up.
Can they sustain the success? The early returns are good. Mazatlán won its first game back from Leagues Cup, 3-0.
Alba assists defending champion Inter Miami into next round
Inter Miami wasn’t able to get past the eventual champion Columbus Crew in the Round of 16 but its quest to defend the title looked to be on track during the Round of 32.
That was when Jordi Alba put in a masterclass of a performance against Toronto FC, assisting all four of Inter Miami’s goals in a crazy 4-3 win. He set up Matias Rojas on a left-footed ball into the box for the opener, hit Diego Gomez at the top of the box with a right-footed pass for number two, bounced a ball into the box for Luis Suarez to finish as Miami’s third, and played a short ball back to tee up a long-range winner from Rojas.
Not only was it Alba’s best-ever personal mark for assists in a game, but it also set a Leagues Cup record that may take some time before it is broken.
Record crowd enjoys drama in Cowell’s homecoming
More than 50,000 fans headed to Levi’s Stadium on July 27 to see the San Jose Earthquakes meet Chivas in a group stage contest. That crowd - 50,675 to be exact - broke the Leagues Cup attendance mark, and the fans were treated to one of the most entertaining contests of the tournament.
The Quakes held the lead for most of the match thanks to a sixth-minute goal from Jeremy Ebobisse, but a stoppage-time equalizer from Roberto Alvarado forced a penalty shootout. Alvarado couldn’t convert his penalty, though, nor could homegrown product Cade Cowell, who developed with San Jose but joined Chivas at the start of 2024.
The Quakes won the shootout, 4-3, and Chivas bowed out of the tournament at the group stage after losing later in the week to the LA Galaxy.
Brunetta pops up with one of the goals of the tournament
Houston is Tigres territory. Playing at NRG Stadium at its Houston hub site, Tigres were able to secure a 2-1 victory over defending Leagues Cup champion Inter Miami in the group stage - though both squads were able to secure passage into the knockout round.
Though it was early in the tournament - back on August 3 - there were few doubts in the 18th minute that Juan Brunetta’s goal wouldn’t be one of the goals of the tournament, and it definitely held up. A quick flick of his right foot sent a volleyed ball into the corner of Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender’s net and had the South Texas crowd roaring.
Even as the reigning Liga MX Player of the Tournament, it still was a jaw-dropper when considering the level of difficulty and the ease with which the Argentine finished it with.
The golazo was just one of many moments fans will always remember from the 2024 Leagues Cup.
