PACHUCA, Mexico, June 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Mexican side Pachuca won the
CONCACAF Champions Cup for a sixth time on Saturday after outclassing Major
League Soccer's Columbus Crew 3-0.

Veteran striker Salomon Rondon scored twice either side of a Miguel Rodriguez
effort to seal a deserved victory at Pachuca's 30,000-capacity Estadio
Hidalgo.

Columbus entered the final in a confident mood after a superb campaign, which
saw them eliminate Mexican sides UANL Tigres and Monterrey en route to
Saturday's showpiece.

But the MLS champions were overwhelmed by a blistering start from Pachuca,
who took the lead after just 12 minutes when Venezuelan international Rondon
burst clear of the Columbus defence and chipped a deft finish over advancing
goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.

Pachucha thought they had made it 2-0 moments later when Oussama Idrissi
finished off another well-worked move that split the Columbus defence.

But the goal was overturned by referee Ivan Barton after an intervention from
the VAR, which had spotted a foul in the build-up.

The reprieve was only fleeting for Columbus, however, with the MLS team
struggling to cope with Pachuca's superior movement off the ball.

Just after the half-hour mark, Rodriguez made it 2-0 to the home side,
sweeping home an emphatic finish after Erick Sanchez's cross.

Columbus had prepared for Saturday's final -- played some 7,959 feet (2,426
metres) above sea level -- by installing altitude tents at their players'
homes and conducting workouts with the squad wearing elevation training
masks.

But those attempts to acclimatise to the demanding local conditions appeared
to have little noticeable effect on Saturday with Pachuca controlling play
for long periods and carving out chances at will.

Only some superb play from Columbus goalkeeper Schulte prevented Pachuca from
adding to their tally as the second half got under way with wave after wave
of attacks by the Liga-MX side.

Eventually though, the Columbus resistance was broken again, with Rondon
sweeping a low finish into the bottom corner on 67 minutes after good work
down the left by Idrissi.

Rondon's second goal made it 3-0 to the Mexicans and Columbus never looked
remotely capable of overturning the deficit.

Pachuca's win, meanwhile, continues Mexico's long record of dominance in the
tournament, the premier continental club competition for teams from North
America, Central America and the Caribbean. Mexican clubs have won 18 of the
last 19 editions of the tournament.

Saturday's win also means Pachuca have scooped the last CONCACAF qualifying
berth for next year's expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which is due to be staged
in the United States.