América continues to show its strong form and secured a historic spot in the semifinals of the 2026 Leagues Cup after defeating the Columbus Crew 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The Águilas, led by Guillermo Almada, sealed the victory in the first half thanks to goals by Raphael Veiga and Brian Rodríguez, while Rodolfo Cota delivered a decisive performance in goal, including a saved penalty kick.
Raphael Veiga put América on the board
The Azulcremas didn’t take long to make their intentions clear. Barely 11 minutes had passed when Raphael Veiga received the ball near the box and unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net. The Brazilian made it 1-0, allowing América to control the game with greater ease.
Columbus tried to respond and began to create more offensive opportunities, but they were thwarted by an inspired Rodolfo Cota. The Mexican goalkeeper became one of the stars of the match and prevented the MLS team from equalizing the score.
Cota became the hero of the night
Just when Columbus was pressing hardest, Cota stepped up to preserve the Águilas’ lead. The goalkeeper even managed to stop a penalty kick in the first half, a save that proved crucial in preventing the Crew from getting back into the game.
Just before halftime, Brian Rodríguez stepped up to score the second goal of the match. The Uruguayan capitalized on an offensive play and sent the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-0. The blow was even harder for Columbus because it came just as the American team was trying to close the gap on the scoreboard.
América controlled the match in the second half
With a two-goal lead, Guillermo Almada decided his players should protect the lead and focus on the counterattack. Columbus had more possession during the match, but América managed to stay organized and prevent their opponents from finding a way back into the game. The statistics reflected the Crew’s territorial dominance, as they finished with 62% possession, although both teams recorded eight shots on goal.
Almada even used the final minutes to give playing time to young players from the academy, including Alejandro Cárdenas. The score remained unchanged, and the Águilas secured a victory that marks a historic moment for the club.
América will face Rayados in the semifinals
With this result, América advanced to the Leagues Cup semifinals for the first time in its history. Furthermore, the win capped off the dominance of Mexican teams in the quarterfinals. América, Rayados, León, and Toluca will be the four semifinalists in the 2026 edition, eliminating all MLS representatives.
Now the Águilas will face off in an all-Mexican matchup against Rayados de Monterrey, who previously defeated the Chicago Fire 2-1. The other semifinal will pit León against Toluca, meaning the Leagues Cup is guaranteed to have an all-Mexican final.
For América, in addition to the pride of reaching this stage for the first time, the tournament represents a chance to win an international title and secure one of the spots in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
All four semifinalists are Mexican teams. Liga MX swept the quarterfinals, and now the Águilas will look to strike again against Rayados.
