Cucho Golazo! Former Crew striker scores 1st for Betis, and it was a big one | OneFootball

Cucho Hernandez failed to score or contribute an assist in his first four games for Real Betis since making a reported $16-million move back to Europe from the Columbus Crew.

But it was clear it was only a mattter of time. Hernandez has remained in Manuel Pellegrini's XI despite the slow start, and Betis have kept winning. And in his last two matches, the Colombian star was one of his side's most dangerous players.

But Cucho also seems to have a flair for the dramatic. And the goal he scored was exactly that.

Down 2-0 at halftime at Leganes, Betis responded with a furious rally, scoring three times in 19 minutes to earn a 3-2 win. And Cucho provided the match-winner on his ferocious 1st-time volley labled for the top corner. (The goal is at roughly 6:06 to 6:34 in the highlights below).

It may be a hard watch for Crew fans who miss their hero after an uneven start to 2024. The Crew are still playing like one of the better sides in the Eastern Conference, but there's a substantial gap between good and great.

Columbus went out to LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 in midweek, despite a strong showing in their 2-1 win in Leg 2 at home on Tuesday. Then they settled for a 1-1 draw at expansion San Diego FC on Saturday night, a game that changed when the Crew were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half.

Even so, few could begrudge Cucho's move back to a contending side in a Big Five European league. Betis have won five strasight in the league since his arrival to move into sixth in the current table, and are tied with FC Barcelona for the league's best run of form in the last five games.

And if Cucho is getting hot, it is coming at the exact right time: Betis will return from the international break to play the Seville Derby at home against Sevilla on March 30, then travel to Barcelona the week following.