Sandra Clark 
The CONCACAF Champions Cup 2024 semifinals first leg second match was between Columbus Crew and Monterrey on Wednesday night, April 24 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, United States.
The semifinal first-leg first match was played between Club America and Pachuca. Both teams scored only one goal each and the match was a draw.
This is the first time in CONCACAF Champions Cup history that Columbus Crew has reached its semifinal stage and also, Columbus Crew never lost any match at home.
Both teams started well and tried to possess the ball as much as possible, however, Columbus Crew was able to make a first breakthrough in 26 minutes. Juan Hernandez scored the first goal of the match and gave Columbus Crew a 1-0 lead.
The score remains the same till the first half.
Monterrey started the second half with more aggression; however, Jesus Gallardo committed a foul against Steven Moreira in 58 minutes and the referee awarded a free kick to Monterrey.
Can CF Monterrey level the score with this opportunity?
Yes. They did. Maximiliano Meza scored the goal and leveled the score 1-1.
What a crucial mistake by Gallardo.
Maximiliano received a yellow card in 67 minutes after committing a foul on Juan Hernandez. This can be tricky now for Monterrey.
Columbus Crew took full advantage of a free kick and got the corner.
Jacen Russell Rowe plants his header in the back of the net and scores the second goal for Columbus Crew in 72 minutes and steals the game for this team.
Columbus Crew Won 2-1.
Juan Hernandez is the player of the match for this excellent performance tonight.
Both teams will meet again on Wednesday, May 1 at Estadio BBVA to decide the finalists.
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[…] Crew defeated Monterrey in the First leg match 2-1 and the Monterrey had to beat Columbus with more than one goal margin to meet Pachuca in the […]