Cucho Hernandez scored twice off Dylan Chambost corner kicks and the host Columbus Crew held off the Philadelphia Union 3-2 on Saturday to clinch second place in the Eastern Conference.
The second Hernandez goal put the Crew (17-6-9, 60 points) ahead 3-1 in the 76th minute before Jack McGlynn responded two minutes later for the Union (9-14-10, 37 points).
Hernandez’s goal in the 4th minute and Mo Farsi’s in the 41st minute sandwiched a 25th-minute score by the Union’s Nathan Harriel for a 2-1 halftime lead. Hernandez has 19 goals in 26 matches with two matches remaining.
Philadelphia remains three points out of the final postseason spot in the East with one match to play.
The Crew broke the franchise record for points in a season, 57, set in 2008 and tied in 2023. They won the MLS Cup each of those seasons. They also tied their wins mark of 17 (2008).
Columbus was coming off a 3-2 loss to Inter Miami on Wednesday that clinched the Supporters’ Shield for the Herons on the Crew’s field.
Hernandez put the memory of missing a penalty kick that would have tied that match when he made a run to the near post to head a corner kick by Chambost.
In his past 31 MLS regular-season matches, Hernandez has 22 goals and 13 assists and has posted 37 goals and 57 goal contributions in the past 51 matches in all competitions.
After being victimized by a Lionel Messi free kick in the previous match, the Union made it 2-1 on Harriel’s second goal, a rebound of a Jack Elliott free kick after Patrick Schulte made the original save.
Farsi regained the lead for the Crew with a shot from the middle of the box.
The teams played for the third time in since Aug. 21 when the Crew at home ousted the Union from the Leagues Cup semifinal by a 3-1 score.
On Aug. 28, the Crew went on the road and rested nearly all their starters because three days earlier they beat Los Angeles FC in the Leagues Cup final. Despite the altered lineup, the Crew downed Philadelphia 1-0.
–Field Level Media
