The Black & Gold returned to action on Saturday with a 1-1 draw to new expansion side Charlotte FC. After finding the breakthrough off of a goalkeeping error, the Crew failed to hold on or add to that advantage, giving away a goal in the second half and settling for a draw. On a week when much of the Columbus media attention was attributed to the soon to be announced signing of Watford striker Cucho Hernandez, Caleb Porter was forced to change his lineup massively due to injuries in the first team. With these changes also came formational and tactical switches as well. Let’s dive in.
Formational fluidity
Instead of remaining in the classic 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 that we have seen from the Crew all season, Caleb Porter decided to change up his formational set up in a big way. Columbus started the game off in a 3-5-2, going with a rare dual striker look in attack and a 3 back defensive look. The beauty of playing in a 3-5-2, is the options to make formational changes without much fuss. For example, when the Black & Gold began to be pushed back into their own half on defense, Derrick Etienne and Steven Moreira dropped in alongside the 3 defenders to form a 5-3-2. This not only gives the Crew better numbers to defend against Charlotte, it also doesn’t require Milos Degenek and Jahlil Anibaba have to go out on the perimeter and defend against quicker wingers. This is why Etienne and Moreira’s role was so important on Saturday, because they were integral in the attack, but also had to get back down the pitch to help defend. The Black & Gold at some points also morphed into a 4-4-2, with only one of the wingbacks dropping in to defend, with the other staying higher up the field. Typically, it was Moreira dropping so then Etienne could have more of an attacking role, but this fluidity of formation was something that was really positive for the Crew and could be utilized in the future.
Pressing with two strikers
This is a change that we have not yet seen from the Crew this year, although many fans at the beginning of the season wanted a striker pairing between Gyasi Zardes and Miguel Berry. This time we got to see how Berry and Erik Hurtado could work together. Hurtado ended up getting the lone goal for Columbus on the evening, but Miguel Berry had a major role to play in that ball being put in the back of the net. When the Black & Gold play with a lone striker up top in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, the striker’s job is to force the ball to be passed to the sideline so then the wingers can press. When playing with two strikers up top, the pressing becomes easier, because when you force the opposing team to pass the ball toward the sideline, you have another teammate in the striker position who can intercept the ball or force the central defenders into bad decisions. The wingers still press up onto the opposing wingbacks, so you commit 4 attackers into the press rather than 3. This is why the Charlotte goalkeeper had less time, why he took a bad touch, and what gifted the Crew the goal they were in search of.
The defensive midfielders’ role
Columbus typically likes to line up with two defensive midfielders in whatever formation they play, and that was no different on Saturday night. Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris both lined up in the defensive central midfield position, but the way they played changed a little bit due to the new formation. First off, they were tasked with covering for wingbacks Derrick Etienne and Steven Moreira when they were caught in transition high up the pitch. If the ball was turned over by the Crew and either wingback tended to be out of position, Nagbe and Morris would slide in alongside the 3 defenders to provide that 5 back defensive look and allow Moreira and Etienne to recover. Both Nagbe and Morris also tended to drift out into wide areas to link up little one-two passes with the overlapping wingbacks. This would open up the opposition defense and give Etienne and Moreira a chance to run into space and at the Charlotte goal. This link up between the wingbacks and defensive midfielders was the main way that the Black & Gold advanced the ball up the field. When the Crew wanted to just keep possession in their own half though, Nagbe and Morris would check toward Williams, Degenek, and Anibaba to receive the ball and then find an easy outlet. All these changes to what the Crew defensive midfielders would usually do shows the versatility of Morris and Nagbe, along with Porter’s ability to adapt game plans based on injuries or opponents.
Commenti