The Columbus Crew hit the road for a midweek clash with the Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday evening. The Black & Gold battled back and forth all game with the Dynamo before finally finding the breakthrough in stoppage time. Alexandru Matan came on as a second half sub to grab the goal and the win for Columbus to take back home for the second leg. This game was a perfect example of how adaptable the Crew are not only tactically, but structurally as well.
Let’s dive into those tactical decisions that went into the Black & Gold’s win over Houston.
Playing with fluid formations
The Crew are known around the league as a team that can take on many shapes. Coach Wilfried Nancy has a preferred formation he likes to set his team up in, but his team can adjust as the game goes on. Throughout last season and the start of this new one, Columbus has taken on many formational forms. Against Houston, the Black & Gold pulled out all the stops.
First was the way the Crew lined up initially. Columbus sets up in a 5-2-3 with wingbacks that will climb the field and act as wingers. Aidan Morris and Darlington Nagbe play as the two holding midfielders, while Marino Hinestroza, Diego Rossi, and Jacen Russell-Rowe share the attacking duties up top.
The defense will typically change to a three-back set when the Black & Gold attack in this formation. The wingbacks will go up the field and act like wingers. The attacking three are the most fluid out of the position groups. They have the option to roam and find pockets of space to help aid in the buildup or generate scoring chances. This approach favors players like Rossi and Cucho Hernandez who are multi-faceted and can play through the middle or out wide.
This is the formation Columbus uses most of the time. Again, Nancy likes to allow his squad freedom in getting forward. This free-roaming soccer is what makes the Crew so potent in attack in the 5-2-3.
Second, the Black & Gold shifted into a more attack-minded 3-3-4. We have not seen this setup that much from Columbus, but the key is the inclusion of Sean Zawadzki in the starting lineup. Zawadzki started his career with the Crew playing as a central midfielder but has since transitioned to center-back and wing-back.
Zawadzki started out the game playing as the left wing-back but quickly shifted into a midfield role when the Black & Gold switched to the 3-3-4. The three center backs commanded the backline, with Zawadzki, Morris and Nagbe holding down the midfield. Mo Farsi shifted into a right-wing position and Hinestroza played on the left wing.
This gave Columbus an attack-minded setup and allowed certain players to play to their strengths. Hinestroza, for example, had good moments on the left wing. Whether he cut inside or took it down the line, he looked strong in his debut for the Crew. Zawadzki is another example. He was able to get the ball in the middle of the pitch and drive towards the goal from that central midfielder position.
The 3-3-4 left the Black & Gold undermanned at the back, but that could quickly be solved by Farsi and Zawadzki returning to their wingback roles. It was a risk to leave only three defenders back to stop Houston’s counter, but it worked out in the long run for Columbus.
Finally, the Crew changed to a 4-3-3 at times to give the defense more structure but also allow Zawadzki to join the midfield. Yevhen Cheberko shifted to the left-back position while Rudy Camacho and Moreira occupied the center back roles. Farsi remained on the right, but this time as a flat fullback.
Adding Zawadzki to the midfield seemed to be the overall goal for Nancy in this match. Houston likes to play with three or four midfielders at times, so Columbus needed to beef up their numbers in the middle to even the numbers advantage.
Even the forwards dropped back to help. Oftentimes, Russell-Rowe and later Hernandez would come back into pockets of space to assist in moving the ball up the pitch. With three midfielders and a dropping attacker, Columbus could even up the odds in the middle of the pitch.
These different formational looks for the Black & Gold not only give players different roles to create and find the game but also keep the opposition guessing. The Dynamo had to adapt to playing against three different formations in the same game, and even then, there was freedom in the Crew’s positioning.
This game is just another example of why Nancy is one of the best coaches in MLS. His attention to detail and willingness to be flexible makes his teams so tough to play against.
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