The Columbus Crew finished the 2023 season on top of Major League Soccer, besting LAFC 2-1 to become the 2023 MLS Cup champions. The Black & Gold jumped out to a 1-0 lead courtesy of a penalty kick from forward Cucho Hernandez before wing back Yaw Yeboah doubled Columbus’ lead only minutes later.
In the second half, the Crew still went at LAFC, but the visitors pulled a goal back with 13 minutes left to go in the game. The Black & Gold were able to hold on in the end, winning their third championship overall and second in four years.
Head coach Wilfried Nancy came into this game, as he always does, looking to employ his style of soccer and wanting his players to play freely. Columbus did just that, and for that reason, the team is champions.
Let’s dive into some the tactics that went into this MLS Cup Final.
Winning the midfield battle
The Crew has arguably the best midfield duo in all of MLS, with Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris. Going into this final, the Black & Gold knew they needed to win the midfield to knock off LAFC. Both Nagbe and Morris were massive in doing so, but they were not the whole reason Columbus won in the center of the park.
LAFC played in a 4-3-3 formatch in this match with Carlos Vela as a false 9, hoping to catch the Crew in transition. The visitors played with three midfielders to create a numbers advantage in the middle, but the Balck & Gold adjusted to ensure that did not happen.
The key to winning the midfield was pushing up outside center backs Steven Moreira and Malte Amundsen. Both defenders stepped forward into the midfield when Columbus had possession to provide support and additional attacking options. Moreira slid to the right beside Nagbe, while Amundsen went the left beside Morris.
Not only did this grant the Crew the numbers advantage, but it also helped the Black & Gold counter press LAFC. Because Amundsen and Moreira were positioned outside of Nagbe and Morris, the two central midfielders could press LAFC more freely. This was evident by the amount of recoveries Morris had in the game, and why LAFC lacked possession in the first half.
The additional two players in midfield, along with Nagbe and Morris’ smooth play and calm on-ball play, led to Columbus’ domination in the midfield. This made LAFC back off, which led to the Crew’s two goals in the first half.
It was yet another sparkling performance by the midfield duo but also showcased Nancy’s willingness to get after the game. The Black & Gold often had all 10 field players in the opposing half, applying pressure as much as possible. With Moreira and Amundsen sliding into the midfield, Columbus overcame LAFC’s 4-3-3.
The Crew’s structure setting up Yeboah’s goal
How the Black & Gold set up formationally played a massive role in Yeboah scoring the second goal. All season, Columbus has preferred to attack down the right flank. Typically, it was to get Mohamed Farsi or Julian Gressel into good crossing areas. But in the MLS Cup playoffs, it has been more to help Farsi run at defenders.
The Crew overloaded the right side by shifting the entire formation to that side of the field. Nagbe and Morris slid into that half of the field, leaving Amundsen as the pivot point to switch the ball to Yeboah. At times, though, Yeboah went higher up the field as a winger to try and exploit gaps on the backside of the defense.
Those gaps that the Ghanaian tried to exploit do not exist naturally. They need to be opened by other areas of the pitch, leading to the need to overload the right side. Option A is always to combine down that right side through overloads and create scoring chances. Option B is to find Yeboah on the left and let him go one-on-one against an outside defender with no help.
Then there is option C, which is what gave the Black & Gold a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. Columbus had possession on the right but was forced to drop the ball back to Amundsen on the left side. Yeboah remained higher up the field like a winger but noticed that LAFC defender Jesus Murillo had jumped out of position to mark Alexandru Matan.
With the Crew’s overload causing LAFC’s defense to be unbalanced, Yeboah slipped in behind defender Ryan Hollingshead to get on the end of an inch-perfect pass from Amundsen. In the blink of an eye, the Black & Gold went up 2-0, designed by their formational overload.
Where does the Crew go from here?
Heading into the offseason, there are not many question marks for Columbus. The main core from the 2023 team will return minus a few pieces. Gressel leaving will be the most significant departure, but Crew fans can expect Farsi to assume that starting role again after his performance in the MLS Cup playoffs.
If there was one starting position on the pitch in question, it would have to be the attacking midfielder role. Matan played very well this season after a rough start to his MLS career with one goal and eleven assists in 31 games. He added another goal and an assist in the playoffs as well.
While Matan played well, there is room to upgrade that role. With president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko at the helm, this team is always looking to improve and may do so by adding another multifaceted attacking midfielder to breed competition and apply depth.
As for the rest of the squad, it seems like most players will return. There are not as many question marks as last offseason, but the Crew will look to beef up the roster ahead of the many competitions the Black & Gold will play in.
Not every player is a perfect fit for Nancy’s system, so finding the right players is paramount. This means finding players who are comfortable being uncomfortable because playing the way Nancy wants is a tough task.
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