Crew advance to Leagues Cup semifinals after beating New York City FC on penalties

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew beat New York City FC 4-3 in penalty kicks at home Saturday night in a tight Leagues Cup quarterfinal match to advance to the semifinals.

The second half ended 1-1, sending the match to a penalty shootout where Columbus' recent acquisition DeJuan Jones secured the decisive spot kick for a 4-3 shootout win.

New York City FC came out running with a goal just 14 seconds into the game, setting a new record for the tournament and the club. NYC forward Alonso Martinez managed to intercept the first pass attempt from Crew defender Rudy Camacho. Martinez sent it just under a dive from freshly returned goaltender Patrick Schulte for the fastest goal in Leagues Cup history.

Cucho Hernandez leveled the score in the 40th minute with an impressive header, redirecting a ball from Max Arfsten to sail into the bottom corner. The pair nearly scored a second early in the rainy second half, with Hernandez assisting Arfsten this time, but the goal was overturned when Arfsten was determined to be offside.

The teams were evenly matched going into penalty kicks, matching one another on the first two rounds before each keeper saved the third penalty. In the final attempt, NYCFC's Santi Rodriguez skied his kick over the bar from a penalty spot that was noticeably torn up. Columbus' Jones sank his to deliver the Crew its first semifinal berth in the Leagues Cup.

The Crew will face the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals on Wednesday at Lower.com Field. With this win, Columbus has guaranteed itself two more games and a chance at the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, as the top three finishers in the Leagues Cup qualify.

No matter Wednesday's result, the Crew will host either Los Angeles FC or the Colorado Rapids on Sunday in the Leagues Cup final or the third-place match.