COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Néstor Araujo scored the deciding goal for Club America in a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over the Columbus Crew after a 1-1 draw in the Campeones Cup final on Wednesday night.
After the Crew’s Malte Amundsen hit the crossbar with his attempt, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte couldn’t stop Araujo and America prevailed.
Victor Dávila scored in the 68th minute to give Club America the lead, but Amundsen’s goal in the 77th minute tied the match.
Dávila, who came in as a substitute in the second half, broke away and outran the Crew’s defenders to put America up. The Chilean international was signed by America just two weeks ago from CSKA Moscow.
It was the second appearance in a Campeones Cup final for both teams. America fell to Atlanta United in 2019. The Crew won the event in 2021, defeating Cruz Azul in the final.
The teams met before in the group stage of the 2023 Leagues Cup, with the Crew winning 4-1.
The Campeones Cup, which started in 2018, is played annually between the winner of the MLS Cup championship and the winner of Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones.
Club America has won back-to-back Liga MX titles, the 2023 Apertura and 2024 Clausura seasons.
The Crew are the defending MLS Cup champions. The team also won the Leagues Cup this summer.
The Mexico City club dominated possession in the scoreless first half, but the Crew gained momentum as the game went on.
Schulte made a key save on Álvaro Fidalgo’s chance in the 59th minute.
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