The Columbus Crew recovered from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Kansas City Wizards, 3-2, in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Tuesday night in Columbus.
John Wilmar Perez, a 63rd-minute sub, provided the heroics. The Colombian scored on a fierce volley from 14 yards out to provide the equalizer in stoppage time. He got the golden goal in the second phase of overtime.
Edson Buddle set up the gamewinner by keeping a rebound — off Kansas City keeper Tony Meola — of his own shot from crossing the endline and passing across the goalmouth for Perez to slot home.
Columbus meets defending Open Cup champ Los Angeles in the final Oct. 24 at Crew Stadium.
Open Cup, Semifinal
Columbus 3 Kansas City 2 (OT)
Goals: Buddle (Martino) 76, Perez 92+, Perez (Buddle, 108); own goal (McCarty) 2, Brown (Quill) 62.
Columbus — Busch, McCarty (Washington, 71), Dunseth, Clark (Garcia, 63), Denton, Oughton, Buddle, Martino, M- Maisonneuve (Perez, 63), Cunningham, McBride (West, 83).
Kansas City — Meola, Talley, Vermes, Garcia, Klein, Zavagnin, McKeon (Armstrong, 46), Quill (Burns, 65), Preki, Arnaud (Brunt, 87), Fabbro (Brown 59)
Yellow cards: Columbus — Buddle 10, Martino 42, McCarty 55. Kansas City — Arnaud 16, Talley 44, Preki 95.
Referee: Casey Frankewicz.
Att.: 2,103.