Jacen Rusell-Rowe had a great 2023, becoming a regular member of the Columbus Crew roster, making his senior Canada debut, and winning MLS Cup, all by the age of 21. He’s not started 2024 too badly, either.

While he’s alternated between being a starter and an impact substitute in MLS play for Wilfried Nancy’s team, he’s started every single game the Crew have played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup this season as the Ohioans progressed to the semi-finals.

And on Wednesday night against Mexican side Monterrey, the young Torontonian had himself a day.

Russell-Rowe assisted the opening goal of the game for Cucho Hernández with a neat touch and perfect return pass for the Colombian.

Monterrey, who will host the second leg of the semi-final next week, equalized with more than half an hour of play remaining.

But any concerns that the Mexicans might come roaring back were extinguished when Russell-Rowe escaped his marker at the back post after a near-post flick-on and his header down into the ground looped over the goalkeeper and into the net for the winning goal.

That was Russell-Rowe’s third goal of the season after a pair of strikes in MLS action in March. It means that after just 12 games in 2024, the former Toronto FC academy product is only one goal away from matching the four he scored in 26 games in his breakout campaign last year.

In the space of a year, Russell-Rowe has gone from a standout MLS NEXT Pro talent to an integral part of both the Crew first-team roster and the CanNMT picture. Uncapped until last summer, the 21-year-old made his debut at the Gold Cup and has since gone on to win five caps in total, including coming off the bench in the team’s only game of 2024 so far, the win over Trinidad & Tobago that clinched a Copa América spot.

He’ll hope to be part of Canada’s historic participation at the prestigious tournament this summer. He’ll feel he deserves it and despite CanMNT’s attacking depth, it’s getting harder to argue against that.