Patrick Schulte steps up for Columbus Crew in triumph over Tigres
- Schulte's early error allowed Tigres to take a 1-0 lead inside three minutes
- The 23-year-old made up for his mistake with two crucial saves in the penalty shootout
- Columbus advance to take on Club America in the Champions Cup semifinals
Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte came up clutch with two huge saves in the team's 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Tigres in the Champions Cup.
It was Schulte who put the Crew under pressure not even five minutes into the second leg at Estadio Universitario. Schulte received a back pass from defender Steven Moreira, but some poor footwork saw the 23-year-old lose possession and allowed the legendary Andre-Pierre Gignac to pounce and put Tigres up in the third minute.
It was a devastating blow for Schulte and Co., as many MLS sides struggle playing down south against their Liga MX counterparts. But Schulte more than made up for his early mistake in the penalty shootout after Diego Rossi's second-half strike with neither side finding a breakthrough in extra time.
Schulte stood tall to deny Gignac -- who took the first penalty attempt of the shootout -- and Guido Pizarro, while his teammates also played their part to advance to the semifinals by converting three out of four attempts.
After the game, Schulte explained the victory wasn't exactly how the Crew chalked it up, but all that matters is that the Eastern Conference club is through to the next round.
"No, I wouldn't say it was the way we wanted to win," Schulte said. "Obviously, we'll take a win any way that we can to be able to advance into the next round, but I would rather have kept a clean sheet, won 1-0 and moved on, but we got it however we could get it."
It was a huge moment for Schulte in the shootout, as he once again showed his quality and proved he's one of the best up-and-coming goalkeepers in Major League Soccer. Schulte -- who's in his second season as the starting shot-stopper for Columbus -- recorded six saves on the night and revealed he wasn't thinking about anything but helping his side when Gignac and Pizarro stepped up to the penalty spot.
"I don't think really anything is going through my mind other than trying to give the team the best chance of winning. They're big players and guys who have been successful throughout their careers, but I just want to give our team the best chance of winning. I was fortunate to be able to do that tonight," he said.
Schulte and the Crew will now prepare for their semifinal tie with Concacaf giants Club America, who made light work of fellow MLS side New England Revolution in the quarterfinals, winning 9-2 on aggregate.
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