The Columbus Crew tied yet another game on Saturday afternoon, this time to Eastern Conference bottom feeders Chicago. This marks the 13th game that the Black & Gold have tied this season, compared to only winning 9 games and losing just 6.
This tie comes at a time where the Crew need to start picking up points to put distance in between themselves and the rest of the East in the playoff race. Tactically, Columbus didn’t change much, but there were a few things that stuck out from the game. Let’s dive in.
Predetermined pattern of play
This is something that I have observed over the past few games for Columbus. It is not uncommon for teams to have a certain style or pattern of play that they are trying to employ in a game. Sometimes it is to expose a certain team, but other times it could be the coach wanting his squad to have a certain identity.
Whatever the reason is for the Crew, they have been playing with a certain pattern for the past few games as they look to make a playoff push.
The goal for Columbus is to attack the flanks and then serve a ball into the middle for Cucho Hernandez or another attacking player to get on the end of the cross.
The Black & Gold start off by keeping possession and swinging the ball from side to side until they can find the look that they want. If a winger or wingback is open near the touchline, the Crew try to play the ball to their feet. The next step is a judgement call by the wide player to either take the defender on or find a pass inside. If the pass is open inside the pair might try a one-two passing combo to try and get around the defense and free up the winger to play in a cross.
Keep in mind, this pattern of play is not something that the Black & Gold are doing on every possession, but the team is definitely trying to build their attack going down the wings. Something to watch in the next few games is how Columbus continues to use this pattern or if they will adjust based on the opponents they face.
Midfield with no set positions
Over the past two games for Columbus, the midfield has looked more fluid and interchangeable as Columbus go on the attack. The midfield trios over the past two games have not been bound to a certain position or spot on the field, but instead they are each playing certain roles.
The first way they are doing this is by dropping into the pivot position to help out in possession. I have highlighted this a few times in older articles, but typically it is one of the two defensive midfielders who will drop in between the center backs to help swing the ball around the back.
Secondly, Darlington Nagbe and Aiden Morris would occupy the space in between the center back and wing back. This happens so that then the wing backs can go up as high as the wingers, and then the wingers can pinch towards the inside of the field. The Crew do this so they can push more players in the attack and have more dynamic attacking threats on the outside areas.
Lastly, the midfield trio is allowed to interchange positionally to either counter or get the ball. We commonly see this with Lucas Zelarayan dropping deep into midfield to receive the ball and try to kickstart a move, but Aiden Morris and Darlington Nagbe do this also. All Crew fans love to see Nagbe go on his majestic runs toward the opponent’s goal, which is infrequent, but it does happen. If the chance is there for him to get into the attack, he will vacate his deep lying position and go upfield. Aidan Morris also does this but not as often as Nagbe.
This freedom in midfield is supposed to capitalize on the Black & Gold’s creativity in that area of the field, but it has yet to lead to wins on the pitch. Hopefully that will change in the upcoming games for the Crew.
Short set pieces
Don’t worry Crew fans, we will not be talking about how Columbus can’t defend set pieces (although they did look better against Chicago). One of the things the Black & Gold have started to do over the past few weeks is to utilize short set pieces from non-shooting areas.
Often times this looks like tapping the ball to a second player standing over the dead ball situation and then building off of that, but other times it’s a set play that Caleb Porter has come up with.
The common denominator has been Cucho Hernandez. Columbus likes to find the Colombian on these short set pieces to give him opportunities to get a clean look on goal, typically on the top of the box. Sometimes this looks like the rest of the attackers making runs inside the box, but Hernandez instead circles back toward the top of the box in hopes that his defender will go with the rest of the runners.
These short set pieces are yet to result in a goal, but it looks like the Crew are set on trying to make them work. Of course with Cucho Hernandez, it’s only a matter of time until he finds the back of the net, and if Columbus is setting him up to get clean looks it will be sooner rather than later that he converts on a short set play.
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