Columbus Crew flips script on MLS-Liga MX rivalry

Columbus' success came down to self-belief. It didn't change its philosophy and play more defensively in Mexico out of fear. Instead, it stuck to its traditional aggressive style. 

"It's all about us," Nancy said after the win. "We respect the opposition, we try to adjust certain things depending on what kind of style of play we're going to face. But at the end of the day, we try to play our football."

That philosophy was tested in the third minute when Tigres' French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac capitalized on a Patrick Schulte goalkeeping error to put the Mexican team up 1-0. It would have been easy for Columbus to feel shattered by that turn and shift its approach to prevent further goals, but the team stuck to its tactics.

Schulte himself didn't change his approach. Instead, he stayed in the game and wound up sealing the win for Columbus in the shootout.

Columbus' "it's all about us" approach should catch the eye of head coach Tata Martino and his Inter Miami team. On Wednesday night, it will face Monterrey in Mexico for a semifinal berth of its own.

With a clear style centered on the "Fab Four" of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Miami has the goods to follow Columbus' lead.

As MLS teams continue to improve – and develop unique styles of their own – the league should start to bite back against Liga MX's Champions Cup domination. The signs are already there. Three MLS teams have made the final in the past decade, all coming in the past four years. 

MLS' momentum against Liga MX is building and confidence-building, self-driven victories away in Mexico only builds it faster.