Columbus Crew have dropped leads in the second half in the last two games, including against Liga MX's Toluca FC. Is fatigue to blame?

The Columbus Crew’s defense of its 2024 Leagues Cup title got off to a rocky start as the club fell to current Mexican champions Toluca in a penalty shootout after blowing a 2-0 lead in regulation at Lower.

The Columbus Crew had multiple opportunities to put Toluca FC away in Leagues Cup group play but failed to do so and were defeated in PKs.

Paulinho scored twice late in regulation, then Luis Manuel Garcia pulled off some penalty-saving heroics as visiting Toluca FC triumphed on penalties after rallying to a 2-2 draw against Columbus Crew on Tuesday night in both teams' Leagues Cup opener.

The Leagues Cup, first introduced in 2019, pits the best clubs from Major League Soccer against those from Mexico’s top professional league, Liga MX. It has led to some exciting action, as it gives each league the chance to earn bragging rights, along with the opportunity for clubs to take home a trophy.

The Columbus Crew have been missing something since they sold Cucho Hernandez in February. They've been missing finish. They missed it again July 29.