Columbus Crew forward Max Arfsten greets fans before the Leagues Cup game against Club Puebla Friday. Credit: Macy Erickson | Lantern Photographer
The Crew is back in the win column.
After suffering a shootout defeat in their first 2025 Leagues Cup match, Columbus dominated Puebla F.C. 3-1 on Tuesday night at Lower.com Field.
The first half was the opposite of last week’s collapse, when a 2-0 lead evaporated after halftime, as the Crew came out scorching—netting three goals in the opening 45 minutes.
Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush said the club used its previous performance to put together a complete game.
“Because of the way the last game ended, I think we took some lessons from that—not only the intensity physically, but the intensity of our focus,” Bush said. “That wasn’t an easy game to play. [Puebla] never stopped running, never stopped pressing, and it proved to be quite difficult, but [I’m] proud of the guys for getting through it.”
From the opening kick, Puebla tried to assert its dominance physically—pressing Crew attackers and leaving them no space to breathe.
But once Columbus settled in, there was no looking back.
In the 14th minute, midfielder Diego Rossi delivered a free kick to defender Malte Amundsen, who headed the ball into the center of the net to take a 1-0 lead.
Less than three minutes later, Rossi switched roles and found himself on the receiving end.
A breakaway by Crew midfielder Taha Habroune set up Rossi in stride for a right-footed shot, scoring past Puebla goalkeeper Jesús Rodríguez to extend the lead to 2-0.
With less than 10 minutes remaining in the half, the 19-year-old Habroune orchestrated another attack for Columbus, this time finding defender Andrés Herrera to push the lead to 3-0. There would be no collapse this time.
Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy said he wasn’t surprised by Habroune’s impact. It was just a matter of patience and timing.
“I told him that he deserved to have more minutes [last year],” Nancy said. “But all the time, I was talking to him to be ready—you are going to have your moment. Without the ball he was good, and with the ball, we know that he can play with a lot of intensity, physically but also mentally…”
Despite the deficit, Puebla managed to reclaim some momentum, scoring off the foot of forward Esteban Lozano in first-half stoppage time to cut the lead to 3-1.
Through 45 minutes of play, the Crew outshot Puebla 7-4 and held the advantage in possession at 56.1 percent.
Columbus continued to apply offensive pressure into the second half, tallying three shots in the first 10 minutes but failing to build on its lead.
The final 30 minutes did not deliver like the first half, as the two clubs combined for just four total shots.
By full time, the Crew finished with 12 shots to Puebla’s eight and held a slight edge in possession at 53.2 percent.
The Crew (1-0-1) will play their final Leagues Cup Phase One match next Tuesday against León (0-1-1) at Lower.com Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
