The Pitch: MLS NEXT Pro Influence Shows in Crew’s CCC Run

Take 2 in Philly – The Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders FC will recommence their previously postponed match from March 9 due to inclement weather later today, with kickoff taking place in the sixth minute.

Concacaf Crew Go to Mexico – The Columbus Crew holds a 2-1 aggregate lead going to CF Monterrey for Wednesday’s semifinal second leg and looks to become the third different MLS club to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup Final since 2020.

Looking for May Flowers – Two of the top performing teams in the month of April in New York City FC (3-0-1) and the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) turned around difficult starts to 2024 and will look to continue their climbs up the table in this first game of May.

Galactic Comeuppance – The LA Galaxy’s win over Seattle Sounders FC earlier this season was their first over the club since 2018, and the Galaxy now have an opportunity to secure two wins in the same season over the Sounders since 2015 on Sunday.

The defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew is on the verge of a berth to the Concacaf Champions Cup (CCC) final behind a balanced roster of star power and young players developed for the big stage in MLS NEXT Pro.

With the Crew facing potential elimination in the quarterfinals against Tigres UANL, three former MLS NEXT Pro standouts- Jacen Russell-Rowe, Alexandru Matan, and Max Arfsten – scored their kicks from the spot. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, a fellow product of MLS NEXT Pro, notched two saves in the shootout to secure the Crew’s spot in the next round. After two seasons of penalty kick shootouts following draws in NEXT Pro, practice made perfect when the rising stars were called upon to perform in a high-pressure situation.

The Crew will turn to its stars on its biggest international stage to date, as Designated Players Cucho Hernández and Diego Rossi both have notched two goals in CCC play and will look to pad their 2-1 aggregate lead over CF Monterrey. They will also look to Russell-Rowe to continue his breakout run as the 21-year-old Canadian combined with Hernández to set up the opener in first leg and nodded home the vital game-winner.

History is on the line on Wednesday night (10:15 p.m. ET, FS1 / TUDN) and Wilfried Nancy and the Crew will look to punch their ticket to a star-studded CCC final with a berth in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup just one win away.

Emmanuel Martinez Arredondo, a 15-year-old battling end-stage kidney disease for…