The Columbus Crew returned home to take on the Philadelphia Union in what could be an MLS Cup playoff preview. The Black & Gold opened the 2023 campaign against the Union in Philadelphia, falling 4-1 in Wilfried Nancy’s first game in charge. Much has changed since then for both sides, which produced an end-to-end match that ended up tied at 1-1.
Columbus stuck to the team’s guns tactically, but there were a few nuances to help attack the Union. Let’s dive into those tactical decisions.
Playing with four in the back while in possession
The Crew will tend to change shape throughout the match depending on the situation, score and if the team has the ball or not. Nancy likes to line his teams up in a hybrid three- or five-defender system but maintains formational fluidity throughout the match.
In the game against Philadelphia, Columbus switched formations around while in possession to a 4-2-4. Center back Steven Moreira slid into the right back slot, leaving Rudy Camacho and Malte Amundsen as the center back pair. Wing back Yaw Yeboah took up the mantle of right back, but he got forward in attack as well.
Right wing back Julian Gressel moved high up the pitch to the right wing position. Forward Cucho Hernandez and attacking midfielder Alexandru Matan were up top like strikers but dropped in or roamed freely. Forward Diego Rossi moved out more to the left but again maintained the freedom to move inside. Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris stayed beside each other, holding the line in midfield.
This formational change when on the ball was indicative of what the Black & Gold wanted to do primarily in the first half. The Union took the first half to rest some of their attacking stars, so Columbus tried to push for the opening goal while the threat of a counter attack wasn’t too daunting.
Camacho was the only player for the Crew who didn’t have a serious attacking presence. Amundsen stayed back a good amount but occasionally found himself in the attack. Moreira often pinched inside like a midfielder to help Morris and Nagbe hold down the middle and add an extra body into the attacking mix.
Even though they didn’t score a goal in the first half, the Black & Gold generated chance after chance while the Union tried to escape to halftime with the match still tied. Despite Columbus having a top-scoring offense in the league, the Black & Gold couldn’t find the breakthrough and missed a lot of good scoring chances.
Keep looking for the Crew to change and morph the formation moving forward, depending on the in-game situation. Columbus has been one of the best teams all year in adapting and maintaining a style of soccer that features fluid formations.
How the game turned in the second half
Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtain had a simple game plan going into Saturday’s matchup. With stars like Daniel Gazdag, Julian Carranza and Mikael Uhre sitting during the first half to rest, Curtain’s plan was to survive the first half and make this contest rely on the second 45 minutes.
Despite the barrage of Crew chances, the Union got their wish and even took the lead on a corner in the second half. This is when the tactics of both sides took center stage, and fans got to see how teams could exploit Columbus’ style of play.
The Black & Gold love to have the ball and be aggressive in the attack. That means creating numerical overloads at the cost of possibly getting countered by the opposition. They apply pressure by committing as many as eight or nine players forward in attack and forcing other teams to drop more players on defense to handle the attacking firepower.
During the second half, it became a chess match between Curtain and Nancy on which one could stick to his game plan and grind out a result. The Crew continued to attack and create quality chances repeatedly but could not find the back of the net, while Philadelphia took every chance to attack with pace on the counter.
The difference in the game was the opposing philosophies of the coaches. The Union sat one point ahead of the Crew in the vital race for a home playoff spot. Curtain was content with his side packing up shop and parking the bus to secure the tie. Nancy pushed his team to go for all three points, prompting him to take Morris off for striker Christian Ramirez.
This change shifted things slightly for the Black & Gold. Nagbe was the lone central midfielder, although Moreira stepped up and Matan occasionally dropped to help. The change was definitely in the attacking mind, pushing for two goals to get all three points.
When Columbus tied up the game, Philadelphia essentially shut it down, being more careful and defensive to combat the Crew attack. The Union’s philosophy succeeded but with a few nervous moments, including a no call penalty decision on Ramirez in stoppage time.
These were two well-coached teams doing their respective duties based on what they wanted from the rest of the season. Philadelphia was content to retain a one-point lead over the Black & Gold. Columbus wanted to take all three points to leapfrog the Union but will be okay with coming away with a point.
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