Brais Méndez remains a menace for the Columbus Crew.
The Crew's new Designated Player continued his strong form on Friday night, scoring in his third consecutive match since joining Columbus from LaLiga side Real Sociedad, as they downed Pachuca 2-1 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
The victory continues Columbus' impressive run without a regulation loss in Leagues Cup, notching the 2024 champions' 10th tournament victory to go joint-top of the MLS Leagues Cup table heading into the final Phase One matchday.
The top four teams from each league table (MLS and LIGA MX) will advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals (August 25-27).
Spanish maestro
A team in transition, Columbus have not lost a step since bidding farewell to USMNT fullback Max Arfsten (transfer to Middlesbrough) and forward Diego Rossi (transfer to CF Monterrey).
In large part, that's due to how quickly Méndez has meshed with his new teammates, allowing the former Real Sociedad star to hit the ground running in Columbus.
Netting his third goal in as many games after 19 minutes, the Spaniard acrobatically finished a cross from near point-blank range with a scissor kick, providing the perfect exclamation point to what was a beautiful buildup.
“Besides his quality and his IQ, he is somebody really humble and eager to share and learn,” said Crew interim manager Laurent Courtois. “He is not even at half of the fitness that he wants to be. It is really refreshing to have somebody of this high quality.”
Not only is Méndez scoring, but he is helping create chances, contributing to the link-up play, and becoming an important part of set pieces. Fellow DP Dániel Gazdag ultimately scored the game-winner from a corner kick delivered by Méndez in first-half stoppage time.
Revenge factor
The intensity during the match felt a bit like a revenge game, as it appears a rivalry is brewing between Columbus and the LIGA MX side.
This was the first meeting between the two clubs since Pachuca’s 3-0 victory over Columbus at Estadio Hidalgo in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup final, with the Crew evening the all-time series at one win apiece back on home soil.
“They are competitors, and I am not sure if what happened when they got together was in their head, but it was really, really competitive. You could tell in the 50/50 challenges on the ground, duels, interactions,” said Courtois.
“You can tell that there is a little story between these two teams, but overall, I thought it played right. A lot of respect between both groups.”
Job not done
The Crew will want to carry that edge into their upcoming battle against Pumas UNAM on Tuesday (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV), not only to maintain their unbeaten record in Leagues Cup regulation, but also to book a spot in the knockout round.
