Campeones Cup: Columbus Crew defeats Cruz Azul to claim first international title

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Sep 30, 2021

The 2021 Campeones Cup, founded in 2018 to match up Liga MX and MLS champs, was claimed by the  Columbus Crew with 2-0 win over Cruz Azul.

Hosted by the 2020 MLS Cup champs, the Crew took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute when Cruz Azul's Brayan Angulo deflected into his own goal a free kick from Lucas Zelarayan. Los Cementeros, Liga MX's Torneo Guardianes 2021 winners, dominated possession but conceded a second goal in the 74th minute when Jonathan Mensah headed home a cross from Milton Valenzuela.

Campeones Cup
2018 Toronto FC 1 Tigres 3
2019 Atlanta United 3 Club America 2
2020 canceled (pandemic)
2021 Columbus Crew 2 Cruz Azul 0

The win on Wednesday adds the Campeones Cup to the Crew trophy room that displays MLS Cups from 2008 and 2020, and the 2002 U.S. Open Cup. But the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League was the farthest the Crew had previously gone in an international competition. The Campeones Cup is a less daunting challenge: a one-game competition always hosted by the MLS entry.