Crew player Nancy is angry after missing a penalty in the Campeones Cup shootout

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy questioned the validity of Malte Amundsen’s missed penalty in the Campeones Cup loss to Club América after the referee ruled the attempt valid even though goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagón was outside the goal line.

“The referee did a good job during the penalty shootout, telling the players that they had to put the ball on the line and the goalkeepers couldn’t move,” Nancy said.

“He was so good at it. But when Malte took the penalty, the goalkeeper wasn’t on the line. And the referee said that, excuse me, I’m laughing, because the referee said it didn’t affect the shot.”

He could ask about the rules, that they can’t move, that they can’t touch the crossbar or the ball, that they have to put the ball in the right place. OK, no problem. But when you have to make a clear decision on the penalty and the goalkeeper is in front of it, he said that the penalty was not affected, that the shots did not affect the goal.”

As Malagón was unable to intercept the ball, Amundsen’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced off the goal, making it a miss.

According to the competition rules: “If the ball misses the goal or rebounds off the crossbar or goalposts, the shot is retaken only if the goalkeeper’s infringement clearly influenced the kicker.”

Although the team lost 1-1 (4-5) to América on Wednesday night at Lower.com Field, Nancy described the experience as a lesson.

“We lost the game. I told them that we learned from that when we won the MLS Cup. And that we lost the Concacaf Champions Cup final in Pachuca. We learned from that too. So at the end of the day, whether we win or lose, we learn from it. And that was the message for me. And the message for them was also to tell them that I’m proud of them. And that we need two or three days to move forward, and we’re already doing that.”

Columbus is back in action Saturday night when it visits DC United at Audi Field before hosting Inter Miami next Wednesday in Ohio. The Crew currently sits third in the Eastern Conference standings with 56 points in 29 games.

Mathematically, the Crew are one of three teams that can compete with Inter Miami for the Supporters’ Shield. Although Miami could win the title with a total of eight points from their last four games, a loss to Columbus combined with other results could give the Crew the win.

The Crew previously won the 2023 MLS Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup.