Find My Work!

The Columbus Crew bounced back from their loss against Inter Miami to face the Philadelphia Union at home on Saturday. It did not take long for the scoring to start, with Cucho Hernandez heading in a Dylan Chambost-delivered corner to put Columbus up 1-0. The Union would find the equalizer off a rebound, but Mo Farsi put the Black & Gold back ahead just before halftime. Hernandez seemingly iced the game in the 76th minute with another header off a corner, but Philadelphia pulled one back to make the ending interesting. When the final whistle blew, the Crew secured all three points. With this win, Columbus set a single-season points record with 60, passing the previous record total of 57. This game was yet another chess match between these two squads. The Black & Gold figured out how to attack Philadelphia’s weaknesses and that gave them a foothold in this match. On the other hand, sloppy mistakes gifted the Union two goals and made the Crew work all the way to the finish. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into Columbus’ record-setting victory. Attacking Philadelphia’s narrow midfield Much like the game against Miami, the way Philadelphia set up their midfield gave the Black & Gold an avenue to attack. The Union would adapt throughout the game, but no matter what they did the Crew had a plan. The Philadelphia defense set up in a 4-3-3, a very balanced formation that allowed adequate pressure along with defensive stability. The visitors chose not to press Columbus high up the field, but rather went with a more resisted press. This meant that they were triggered by certain passes the Black & Gold would make. For example, if the Crew were being forced to play back to Patrick Schulte or a centerback, the Philadelphia defense saw that as an opportunity to press high. If Columbus had the ball with Yevhen Cheberko in the middle of the defense, there was little to no pressure at all. The Union would also press at times when a pass was played to an outside centerback, but those pressures did not usually cause any turnovers. This meant the Black & Gold had more time on the ball than they did for a large portion of the Miami match. This time allowed them to methodically break down the Philadelphia defense and find space to exploit. That space to exploit was in the outside channels where the Union midfielders could not get out to. Because Philadelphia defended in a 4-3-3, they had to choose whether to make their midfield compact or spaced. If they spaced their midfield out, there would be pockets inside that central players like Diego Rossi and Chambost could exploit. If they defended compact, the same space would be out wide in front of the outside backs. For a large portion of the match, Philadelphia opted to defend compact. With the Crew’s width in the attacking third, this posed problems for the defense. The Union slid their whole midfield to one side, to defend the ball on that same side. A simple switch from Columbus made Philadelphia’s mids cross the entire field to defend the other side. This action of switching the ball was where the Black & Gold could get creative. When that switch came, they had a few options. The first was to simply get the ball on the switch and attack down the line. Often times it would be the outside centerback or dropping attacker receiving the ball. Then they had the option to combine with the high wingback or nearside attacker and go from there. The second was to play quickly into the center of the pitch. Because the midfielders were still shifting, there were tiny pockets where a threaded pass could unlock the defense. The Union defenders were all over the dropping attackers by man marking them for the entire match, so this action did not happen much. The final option was to do another long switch to catch the defense in an overshifts. If the three looks were covered, Columbus simply could recycle the ball through their defense and start over from the back. These movements gave Philadelphia fits all night, causing the Union to adjust. At one point, the visitors widened their midfield to try and close down those channels. When this happened, Rossi, Hernandez and other attackers were able to receive the ball centrally and combine, pulling out the man marking defenders. If the Philadelphia midfield spread out, Farsi would often cut inside as well, because that is where the space was now. These adjustments by the Black & Gold generated the attacking chances they needed to net three goals. The tactical genius of the players on the pitch and Wilfried Nancy to adapt to Philadelphia’s defense was what won this game for the Crew. Columbus’ sloppy defensive mistakes As I’ve said before, the Black & Gold’s worst enemy is themselves. It has become a trend for the Crew team to give up goals that were self-inflicted. Whether it is off a bad turnover or just a poor decision, Columbus needs to learn how to recognize the situation. The first goal was not as bad of an egregious mistake as others we have seen in the past. Cheberko makes a poor challenge on the edge of the box, just days after Schulte struggled to set up his wall on a Lionel Messi freekick goal from a similar area. Schulte makes the save, but the rebound is put away to tie the game. Giving away fouls is not a problem when you are playing transition defense, but Cheberko needed to do better there. He had support from another defender around the attacker, so all he had to do was make the attacker uncomfortable. Instead, he dives in and gives away a dangerous freekick that earned the Union a goal. Let’s go further back though. This whole action starts in the midfield off a rare Darlington Nagbe turnover. The way that the Black & Gold like to play does not permit them to turn the ball over in the middle of the pitch. With how many players the Crew commit forward, it was easy to be caught out if you give the ball away. The pervasive issue in this case is when Columbus players get too comfortable on the ball. Against Miami, the visitors were able to get back into the game when they changed the tempo of their press. The Black & Gold did not adapt, and it allowed Miami to build a two-goal lead. The biggest thing for the Crew right now is to keep their foot on the gas when they are dominating teams. The moment they get comfortable, it just takes one turnover to spark an attack and even the game. On the Union’s second goal, the sloppiness was even worse. Malte Amundsen did a great job to win the ball and play it out of pressure. A pass from Derrick Jones to AZ Jackson seemingly got Columbus out of pressure, until Jackson tried to cheekily flick it around the Philadelphia defender and lost the ball. At this point the Black & Gold defense was out of position trying to move up and support Jackson, which allowed the Union to strike back quickly. The big talking point this week was how Nancy decided to pull Jackson from the game after only a few minutes on the pitch, but that choice from Nancy was correct. The French manager wants his players to play with freedom, which allows the team to play a brand of free-flowing, beautiful soccer. That does not permit players to pull off stupid flicks and tricks that land their team in a tough situation. Jackson should have played it back to a defender that was moving up or taken a simple touch around the defender and draw the foul. There was no need for a flick there, especially in the middle of the pitch with your defense in a precarious position. Going into the playoffs, this will be the talking point: Will the Crew clean up their mistakes? This is one of the best teams MLS has seen, looking to repeat as champions. They have the firepower, the defensive stability and the coaching, but they need to play disciplined when the pressure is on. If Columbus can play disciplined, beautiful soccer, they will be a force to be reckoned with. If they cannot get out of their own way, they may pay for it down the line.

The Columbus Crew returned home after grabbing a draw in D.C. to face Inter Miami with the Supporters Shield on the line. Columbus had to avoid a loss to keep their Shield hopes alive, while Miami only needed a victory to capture the regular season title. The visitors would strike first with two goals in the last five minutes of the first half. After being taken out of the game for much of the first half, Lionel Messi sprang to life and scored a brace to give Miami the 2-0 lead heading into halftime. The Black & Gold would answer back immediately after halftime, with Diego Rossi netting a curler. The celebrations did not last long, because miscommunication between Patrick Schulte and Rudy Camacho gifted Luis Suarez a tap-in header to extend Miami’s lead back to two goals. Shortly after, Camacho would be sent off for receiving a second yellow card on a “dangerous” challenge. Cucho Hernandez would cut the lead to one from the spot but could not convert a second spot kick to tie the game later in the match. The game would end 3-2 in favor of the visitors, who clinched the Shield for the first time in their short history. Putting a couple questionable refereeing decisions aside, this game was electric from start to finish. The Crew had chances to get the job done but fell short in the biggest moments. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this highly anticipated Eastern Conference matchup. Controlling the game For the majority of the first half, Columbus had complete control of the game and looked like the better team. This is partly the way the Black & Gold changed formation based on the area of the pitch they were in, and Miami’s defensive structure. The Crew lined up as usual, with a full-strength lineup in their 5-2-3/3-2-5 formation. The biggest difference on offense was the positioning of Alexandru Matan. Since the Romanian has more of an attacking midfield background, he was staggered with Darlington Nagbe to be higher up the pitch. Columbus utilized three formations in different areas of the pitch. On defense, the Black & Gold went with their classic 5-2-3. In possession/buildup, they switched to a 3-2-5, with Matan as an attacking midfielder. The final formation change happened in Miami’s defensive half. When the Crew got up in that area, they moved into a 1-3-6. The defending and buildup formations are pretty cut-and-dry. Columbus has used those formations all season, with slight variations. The attacking formations for the Black & Gold tend to change based on who they are playing and the personnel available. Camacho stayed deep as the lone center back, while Malte Amundsen and Steven Moreira pushed up alongside Nagbe. Matan moved into an attacking midfield role, flanked by the wingbacks and behind the front three. The Crew knew Miami had some holes on defense. Messi and Suarez were going to essentially be non-factors on the defensive side. Because of this, Miami had to defend in a 5-3-2. At this point, the visitors had to make a defensive decision. Do they play their three midfielders wide and attempt to cut off passes to the outside, or stay compact and limit passes into the front three? Miami went with the second option, playing their three midfielders very narrow. This of course gave Columbus space to exploit in the wide channels. Christian Ramirez would often drop into the channel on one side, with Max Arfsten or another attacking coming back on the opposite side. If the Black & Gold got the midfielders to over shift and they were able to switch the ball to the opposite channel, the space would open up to generate really strong attacking chances. This is exactly what happened on Hernandez’s disallowed goal in the eighth minute. The ball was switched to Arfsten wide by Ramirez. Arfsten drove at the defender and allowed Ramirez to catch up with an overlapping run, freezing both of the near-side defenders. Hernandez snuck his run right behind them, but the ball from Arfsten came too late. Those are the looks the Crew wanted to get. They wanted to shift Miami to one side and then attack down the opposite channel. With the resisted press that the visitors were going with, Columbus had time on the ball to pass around and find those opportunities. The combination of the different formation phases and the way the Black & Gold attacked Miami’s defense gave them a chokehold on the game early. Unfortunately for the Crew, they did not take those chances and allowed Miami to fight back, ultimately causing them to lose the game. Miami’s resurgence About 35 minutes into the first half, Miami changed up their tactics, especially on the defensive side. The visitors had not shown much of their offensive hand, but that would soon change when their defense was able to get the ball back. In the opening moments of the game, Miami put forth a highly resisted press, meaning that they would press on certain cues. When the ball was central with Camacho, the defense was keen just to sit, cover their areas, and keep Columbus in front of them. When the ball was played out wide, then Miami would slowly close down that player and attempt to make him play passes backward. This led to the Black & Gold finding their rhythm, controlling the ball, and getting good looks at goal because of it. Something had to change for Miami, and it did. Later in the half when the Crew got a throw-in deep in their half, Miami suddenly stepped up and began closing the ball down quickly. This took Columbus by surprise and led to a period of Miami dominance that yielded the visitors two goals. This change of press tempo and adding more players into the press surprised the Black & Gold, which was exactly what Tata Martino and Miami wanted to do. It is not often that teams change their pressing tactics in the first half without a break in between to discuss it, but this seemed planned. Miami’s newfound defensive structure and press led to a lot of sloppy mistakes by the Crew. Poor passes, touches, and decisions were made due to the amped up nature of the press, and it gave Miami a foothold in the game. The defensive side of the game was only one half of the puzzle for the visitors though. Miami still had to figure out how to break down the best defense in MLS to find a goal. What they did was simple really, they went directly and attacked Camacho. Messi and Suarez are not players anymore that can beat centerbacks with pace, especially Columbus’ defenders. So instead, they had to come up with another way to get around them, which ultimately led Miami to go with a direct approach. While Suarez may be aging, he is still somewhat physical. And even if he does not win the battle, he is a master at drawing fouls. That led to Miami’s second goal of the night off a Messi freekick. However, their first goal was more indicative of how they tried to attack the Black & Gold. The Crew did not apply pressure on Miami, so it gave them time to look up and play an aerial pass in behind. Nobody’s first aerial option is Messi, but his ability to bring the ball down while still going forward with momentum made him dangerous. A lack of communication between Camacho and Amundsen kept the Argentine onside, and then a lucky bounce put Messi in on goal with Schulte. Part Miami brilliance, part luck, but they will all count the same. From there, that was Miami’s offensive game plan. Even in the second half after the Crew got a goal, the visitors played a long ball into the box. Another miscommunication between Camacho and this time Schulte saw the goalkeeper spill the ball to the head of Suarez. 3-1 Miami. This game was the perfect storm of tactical adjustments by both sides, controversial decisions, and Columbus effectively shooting themselves in the foot. Sure, the refereeing could have been better and there were a few decisions that changed the game, but the Black & Gold could have ended this game on their own terms. If Arfsten plays the pass to Hernandez quicker, it ends up being a goal. If Schulte and Camacho communicate, it stays a one score game. If Hernandez had buried that second penalty, the game would have become a race to the finish. There were so many opportunities for the Crew to take this game, and they did not do it. Refereeing and outside factors aside, the Black & Gold lost this game.

Senior Henri Kumwenda has scored two goals in nine games this season. Photo by Jada Gangazha. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu Change is inevitable. Sports do not escape the constant of change, no matter how much the athletes, teams and leagues try. Players are forced to change positions, locations and leagues to keep their athletic dreams going. Teams are required to rotate rosters, coaches and stadiums. Throughout history, the spirit of change and reform is undefeated. Senior men’s soccer player Henri Kumwenda is no stranger to change. After being born in Malawi, he moved to England at a young age, picking up the beautiful game and never looking back. “I started playing when I was around six or seven, but it was never anything serious,” Kumwenda said. “It was kind of just playing with friends.” Kumwenda’s kickabouts with his friends not only developed his skill but also attracted the eyes of nearby scouts looking for talent. They did not have to look far before they found Kumwenda and signed him to play for a local team. He spent one year playing for their “C-team,” but he did not stay at that level long. “The following year I played for the ‘A-team’,” Kumwenda said. “And then everything can happen so quickly because after that, shortly, I got started [playing] for Leeds.” At this point Kumwenda made another change, signing to play for the Leeds United Academy . After spending eight years with the Whites, Kumwenda moved to Hull City for a season before eventually making his way across the pond to Butler. It is evident to Butler men’s soccer head coach Paul Snape that Kumwenda’s time in England has prepared him for his time in the States. “You can see he’s been educated in certain ways,” Snape said. “The way [he moves], [his] timing, [he’s] always scanning the field. You can tell he’s been trained.” The finesse and tactical nature of the English game rubbed off on Kumwenda, bringing a different aspect and skillset to the American pitch. Outside of the physical skills he picked up, Kumwenda also acquired a different mentality. “My last two years at Leeds, I was there full time,” Kumwenda said. “You learn a lot from the guys around you, and because you’re on the first team quite a lot, you kind of see the way they live, the way they eat, and how they see football as a full-time job.” When his time was up in England, Kumwenda decided to pack his bags and make the journey across the ocean to play collegiate soccer. Soccer was a priority on his mind, but other factors were involved in bringing him to Indianapolis to represent the Bulldogs. “NCAA Division I is what most guys dream of over here in the States,” Kumwenda said. “Not only that [competitive] aspect but getting a degree at the end of that, it’s something that you just can’t get anywhere else.” Kumwenda’s decision to pursue his athletic and educational dreams landed him at Butler, but the move across the world was not the only change that would happen. Primarily used as an attacking player his whole career, Snape began to rotate Kumwenda into a different position during his junior season. “I personally think he’s a person who should be on the outside,” Snape said. “Whether it’s attacking fullback [or] wingback, I think that’s his best place going forward.” Despite being slated as a forward for his first two seasons, Kumwenda began to move on the more defensive side to fullback. Though the switch to that position was new, moving to another spot on the pitch was nothing new for him. Kumwenda has played 792 minutes this season, which is third highest on the team. Collegian file photo. Kumwenda began playing his youth career as a central midfielder and then was moved to winger when he joined Leeds. After a year, he changed position yet again to striker before coming to Butler. Kumwenda credits his versatility to his physical and mental strengths. “I think my speed has a lot to do with it,” Kumwenda said. “But at the same time, I think my biggest attribute is my mentality. No matter what position you are, as long as you apply yourself well, I think you can do a good job in any position.” Senior goalkeeper Caleb Norris has seen Kumwenda apply himself at his new position. From his spot between the posts, Norris feels safer knowing the former attacker has a new job protecting him. “Henri’s a great player … to have on our backline,” Norris said. “He’s got the speed but also the technical ability on the ball defensively. Definitely as a goalkeeper, I’m very comfortable having him in the backline and honored to have him as a teammate as well.” Kumwenda’s growing defensive capability puts Norris at ease, but that is only half his game. The other half has him flying up the field to get in on the attack and score goals. He already has two goals this season, scoring against Oakland and Akron . His dual ability to be a lockdown defender and a dangerous attacker has Snape wanting to utilize him as much as possible. “He’s got so much to offer,” Snape said. “He’s got athleticism, he’s fast, he’s quick, he’s strong. Plus, he’s a very good one [versus] one defender. He’s a very important threat for us when he gets into it. Kumwenda’s dual-threat ability in both attack and defense even impressed scouts from the Malawian national team. In March of 2024, Kumwenda traveled back to his birth country to participate in the Four Nations Tournament against Kenya , Zimbabwe and Zambia . Kumwenda got some valuable playing time on the international stage against Kenya but was unavailable to play against Zambia due to injury. “Hearing I was going to get called up was a really proud moment for me,” Kumwenda said. “I think every guy dreams of representing their national team on such a high level. I called my mum straight away and she was over the moon.” Although his accolades on the field are substantial, Snape sees that outside of soccer Kumwenda is one of a kind. Off the field, the Malawian international is as mature as they come. “He’s an amazing young man,” Snape said. “Extremely smart in the classroom [with] emotional intelligence. He’s just a wonderful human being.” Inside that wonderful human is the embodiment of the joy soccer can bring. For Kumwenda, the sport has been a part of him and his life for as long as he can remember. “My family was kind of in love with the sport before I was even there,” Kumwenda said. “So I kind of took it from them. Seeing the emotion that soccer brings for me personally and for other people is something you don’t really see anywhere else. It can take stress away from all other areas of your life.” Kumwenda’s ever-changing soccer journey has come full circle. From his time in Malawi, the youth clubs in England, to Indy and back again, he shows no signs of stopping. “His character is absolutely incredible,” Snape said. “He’s going to do amazing things in life, no matter what he does.”

The Columbus Crew showed no signs of slowing down despite a congested schedule, besting Orlando City SC 4-3 on Saturday evening. Columbus struck first, with Diego Rossi finding the back of the net with a little help from a deflection. From there, the Black & Gold slammed home two goals in the second half to extend their lead. Both Christian Ramirez and super-sub Cucho Hernandez got on the scoresheet to no one’s surprise. Orlando would get two goals back, but AZ Jackson would secure his first goal for the Crew to stretch their lead back to two with only five minutes remaining. Orlando would find a third goal deep into stoppage time, but the final whistle blew soon after that. This is Columbus’ second straight win heading into a Campeones Cup showdown with Club America on Wednesday. It was a back-and-forth game for the Black & Gold, featuring unique tactics on both sides. Let’s dive into all the tactical decisions that went into this roller coaster of a game. The positioning of AZ Jackson After the Crew’s midweek matchup with Toronto that featured a slightly rotated lineup, Wilfried Nancy threw out another lineup that consisted of rotation players and starters. One of those depth pieces who got a chance to start was AZ Jackson. Patrick Schutle remained in goal with Yevhen Cheberko, Malte Amundsen, and Steven Moreira in front of him. Max Arfsten and Mo Farsi played on the wings with Darlington Nagbe and Alexandru Matan inside. The front three was rounded out by Jackson, Rossi and Ramirez. Out of all the players on the pitch Saturday, no one had more responsibility put on them than Jackson. Slated to start in that daunting front three, it was up to the young American midfielder to link up with Ramirez and Rossi. Despite being inserted into the attack, Jackson floated across the pitch all night. He occupied several different positions and was vital in helping the team perform. Of course, the position that he was in most of the time was in that fluid front three. When Columbus moved the ball into the final third, he was up like an extra striker to poach in the box. Occasionally he would switch and drop a bit deeper to help build around the box, and then make late-arriving runs inside. When the Black & Gold were building out of the back, Jackson had the freedom to go where he was needed depending on their formation. For much of the contest, the Crew’s building formation was a 2-4-4. Amundsen stayed back with Cheberko while Moreira moved into a wide midfield spot. Matan and Nagbe stayed central, with Jackson to their left. The wingbacks were up high with Rossi and Ramirez as dueling strikers. In these moments of playing out of the back, Jackson would drop into the wide channel to be the half-pivot between Amundsen and Arfsten. Orlando was playing very narrow during their press, which opened the space for Jackson to get the ball. If the ball went to the other side of the field, the formation would shift. Arfsten had to make the decision to stay high for a ball over the top or drop back closer to Amundsen. His decision affected Jackson’s positioning as well. If Arfsten decided to stay in his winger position, Jackson would pinch a little bit but remain on the left side to be the bridge to the wingback. If Arfsten dropped, Jackson would go inside to a more central position and combine with whoever was in possession. These decisions and moments dictated how Columbus built their attack and went at Orlando’s backline. It shows a lot about Nancy’s trust when he is willing to throw in a backup to make these huge in-game calls. It worked for the Black & Gold and showed the class player that Jackson is becoming. An open game and attacking Orlando with width This matchup was entirely different to what we saw a week ago down in Cincinnati. When the Crew traveled to TQL Stadium, it was a tense affair. Both teams kept feeling each other out, generating a few chances but mostly relying on the midfield battle. This game was the complete opposite. Both teams combined to hit the post three times in the first 15 minutes, and the counter chances were prevalent. Running and countering was the name of this game, which led to the seven-goal thriller. There are reasons on both sides for this being an extremely open game. On Columbus’ defensive side, the Black & Gold were at risk of being countered when they turned the ball over or committed too many men forward. Everyone knows Nancy prefers to attack with eight or nine players, so those transition moments are going to happen. Orlando bet on it, and it netted them three goals. On Orlando’s defensive side, once the Crew broke their press the floodgates sprang open. The Lions tried to press with five narrow attackers and pushed their two defensive midfielders up to clean up any loose balls. Unlucky for Orlando, Columbus did not give them many loose balls to collect. This led to time after time when the Black & Gold broke the press and suddenly had a numbers mismatch staring down Orlando’s backline. Add in that the visitors’ backline was in retreat, and it became a recipe for disaster for them. Beating the press was just the first of the Crew’s objectives, but they also had to take their chances once they did so. This is where Orlando’s width comes into play. The visitors came into this game and seemingly thought that they were going to plug up the middle of the pitch and force Columbus to win the game from out wide. Typically, teams may struggle when they are reduced to one kind of offensive avenue. The Black & Gold are not your typical team, and they can score in every way possible. Orlando pulled in their outside backs and let the Crew have all the width they wanted. This led to overloads out wide, and a plethora of times where streaking wingbacks got good crosses in. These balls from out wide would find the feet, or head, of a Columbus attacker and the goals kept coming. The sentiment from Orlando is commendable. They wanted to try to shut off one of the avenues the Black & Gold could exploit and force the Crew’s wingbacks to beat them. When you have pinpoint crossing wide players like Arfsten though, you may want to rethink your defensive strategy. If Columbus had an off night, we may be talking about Orlando’s tactical masterclass and how they forced the Black & Gold’s “other guys” to beat them. Unfortunately for them, they found out this team is not accustomed to having off days, and the “other guys” are pretty darn good too.

The Columbus Crew returned to winning ways in a midweek matchup with rival Toronto FC. Columbus made the trek up to Canada after a scoreless draw with FC Cincinnati on Saturday. Because of this, the Black & Gold featured a slightly rotated lineup, with another matchup with Orlando City SC coming on the weekend. The Crew struggled a bit in the first half, failing to generate any good scoring chances, but that changed in the second half. Substitute Cucho Hernandez got Columbus on the board in the second half with a curler from outside the box, and Andrés Herrera doubled the Black & Gold’s lead 19 minutes later. From there, the Crew saw out the victory to claim all three points on the road. It was another game that featured two halves of different qualities. Let’s dive into all the tactical decisions for Columbus that turned the game around. First half struggles This lineup from Wilfried Nancy featured a different crop of players than fans are used to seeing. It was not a completely rotated lineup, but it was far from the Black & Gold’s full strength. Many of the struggles in the first half came up top in the attack. The Crew looked disjointed at times and failed to put pressure on the Toronto goal. Diego Rossi was seemingly non-existent as the spearhead of the attack, failing to get in behind or affecting the game with the ball at his feet. A lot of the first half mistakes were due to the rotated attack and Toronto’s tactics. Believe it or not, the home side did well in the first 45 to limit Columbus’ chances while getting a few attacking looks of their own. The Black & Gold went with a 1-4-5 in the buildup, which could turn into a 1-4-2-3. Rudy Camacho sat as the lone centerback, with Malte Amundsen and Yevhen Cheberko moving up alongside Derrick Jones and Sean Zawadzki in midfield. The front five consisted of the wingbacks and the front three. This buildup formation would turn into a 1-4-2-3 when Dylan Chambost and Rossi would drift into the midfield as dueling no. 10s. This helped the Crew immensely when they did it, because it helped Columbus break Toronto’s press. In this game, Toronto’s defensive goal was to close the middle of the field in the buildup. They pressured the Black & Gold with five narrow players, forcing the Crew to either play outside or turn the ball over on the inside. This meant that Toronto put the emphasis on Columbus’ outside centerbacks to be the playmakers and bridge to the attack. Forcing Cheberko and Amundsen to play accurate balls into the attackers was exactly what Toronto wanted, because the passes would often be wayward. The Black & Gold recognized this, switching later in the first half to a 2-3-5. This simple switch dropped Cheberko alongside Camacho and put Zawadzki in a playmaking position out right. Not only did this put Zawadzki and a more attack minded Amundsen in those wide areas, but it also took a player out of the midfield to make space for the dropping wingbacks. Now Herrera and Dejuan Jones had more room to come back and assist in the buildup. Despite the offensive changes and progress, the Crew still could not get any good looks on goal. On the defensive side, Toronto had some chances due to their own planning. The hosts’ entire offensive philosophy was to switch the point of attack quickly and get Columbus to over-shift. Playing a quick diagonal ball out to one of the wings would draw the defense out and open the backside for a cross. On the other hand, if the Black & Gold dropped off and covered the backside, it gave Toronto room to cut inside and take on shots. The Crew had to pay attention when the home side did this, because if they did not cover the channels and the backside correctly, they could be down a goal quick. Luckily the best defense in MLS shut out the opposition and got Columbus into the second half, where their ace-in-the-hole was ready to come on. Second half changes This one is easy. The Crew subbing in their superstar Colombian striker changed the game. It sounds too good to be true, but Hernandez changed the game for Columbus. In the first half, Columbus had trouble linking their buildup play and turning it into a potent attack. The attackers were not finding the space underneath the defense and getting the ball to their feet. This changed when Hernandez came into the game. The lack of holdup play that they had before disappeared, and now the Colombian and his Canadian counterpart began getting on the ball. Look at the first goal for example. Russell-Rowe receives the ball into feet one-on-one against his defender. He holds up the play, waits for the reinforcements and dumps the ball to Hernandez. From there, the MLS MVP candidate did his thing, dispatching a curler past Sean Johnson and into the net. It seems easy, but it was that combination of play that was missed in the first half. Rossi and Russell-Rowe often were unable to get on the ball, which was a severe disconnect between the attack and defense. Once the Black & Gold figured out how to get the ball into the feet of the attackers, the game became much easier. From there, the Crew set up their offense in the attacking third, putting Toronto under serious pressure with their possession. Another huge change from the first half was how Columbus looked to combine in the final third, rather than going direct. In the first 45, the Black & Gold were turning the ball over by hitting aimless long balls up field that was just collected by the defense. Once they figured out how to facilitate an actual buildup, the Crew were more open to holding possession and pinging the ball around Toronto’s box. The formations remained the same as they were in the first half. Columbus still was in a 2-3-5 or sometimes a 2-3-1-4 if Hernandez or Chambost dropped into the midfield. On defense, the Black & Gold stayed in their normal 5-2-3. The Crew’s defense is not broken, so no reason to mess with it. This game is just another example of Nancy’s ability to coach in-game. It is one thing to install a system and do the work in practice to create a championship culture, but adjusting on the fly is world-class. Nancy and his staff did it again, and it resulted in another three points on the road.

The Columbus Crew traveled down Interstate 71 on Saturday, looking to rebound against bitter rivals FC Cincinnati. It was a tightly contested matchup, with both teams generating some looks on goal and controlling portions of the match. Despite the combination of these two highly talented teams, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. Despite the shared points, the Black & Gold clinched a playoff spot with seven games left in the season. Back to full strength, the Crew did not have to resort to any drastic tactical measures like putting Sean Zawadzki in goal. Wilfried Nancy and his staff did have a few tricks up their sleeve though. Let’s dive into all the tactics and decisions that went into this Hell Is Real scoreless draw. Columbus’ offensive tactics From the first kick, fans could tell that Columbus slightly tweaked its offensive philosophy for this game. The Black & Gold were less reliant on building out of the back and instead wanted to try and counter quickly at Cincinnati’s defense. This did not mean that the Crew abandoned their high-volume possession setup though. When Columbus wanted to slow it down to try and put progressive pressure on Cincinnati’s defense, they could. There were a few reasons for the Black & Gold going faster and playing on the counter rather than trying to build out of the back. The first reason was due to their opponent’s rotated defense. Cincinnati was without Matt Miazga and Ian Murphy on the backline, so they were forced to start Deandre Yedlin, Chidozie Awaziem, and Alvas Powell. There were a few weak points with this starting back three. First, Yedlin is not a natural center back. Much like Steven Moreira, he is an outside back that was now converted into a center back. This means if Yedlin wanted to venture higher up the pitch into the attack, there would be space that he vacated in behind. Second, Powell is not a natural left center back. He is very right foot dominant, which makes it hard to switch the field and play balls out to the left wing. He also is more of a pure centerback, with fewer ball skills than his counterpart Yedlin. This meant that if the Crew was going to press anyone on the backline, it was likely going to be Powell. Another reason Columbus decided to play more direct was to bypass the Cincinnati press as soon as possible. A lot of the goals the Black & Gold have conceded this season have been due to poor defensive giveaways, so they avoided that by limiting how much they built out from their own territory. The direct approach did not always work for the Crew though. The final pass in the attacking third or even the final shot was not executed to their normal standard. In this rapid countering pace, they were turning the ball over too often which led them to pull play back a bit more to try and keep possession at times. In these moments, Columbus opted to play in two different formations. The first was a 3-1-3-3. The backline three centerbacks remained with Darlington Nagbe sitting deeper as the lone no. 6. In front of him, Alex Matan, Diego Rossi and Christian Ramirez dropped in from the frontline to play as three attacking midfielders. Up top, Cucho Hernandez led the line with the two wingbacks outside of him. This formation gave the Black & Gold options at every depth of the pitch. They had players deep for defensive stability, Nagbe as the split in the middle, three attacking midfielders to find the midfield gap and a front three that could push the line. Again, this formation was fluid, so they did not always stay in the same spots. Soon enough they morphed into their second formation of the match, a 3-4-3 diamond. The backline stayed the same, and Nagbe continued his work as the lone defensive midfielder. The big change came in the midfield, with Ramirez and Matan dropping into the wide midfield channels as passing options. Rossi or Hernandez stayed up as a lone no. 10, with the front three still intact. Ramirez and Matan dropping in was important in the moments when the Crew decided to build out of the back. Cincinnati was pressing with five towards the sideline, plugging up the nearside outside and middle passing lanes. Because of this, Matan and Ramirez dropped into the half-space and gave options to break the lines or switch the play. This offensive philosophy did not yield a goal for Columbus, but it generated some chances that should have been goals. It was a “nearly” game for the Black & Gold, but they will take a point on the road against tough competition. Columbus’ defensive tactics Not much change here from the Crew, but they had a few tweaks that was special for Cincinnati. Columbus defended in their typical 5-2-3 and pressed with the front three and wingbacks. Matan pushed up to mark the cutoff, but Nagbe did something different. Throughout the game, he sat deeper than Matan, sticking by Lucho Acosta’s side to prevent him from getting the ball. This worked for a large portion of the first half. Cincinnati was having issues building out and found it hard to get Acosta the ball. In the second half, the reigning MLS MVP began dropping deeper to get the ball to his feet. The Black & Gold were fine with Acosta doing this because he was being forced back towards his own goal. If they could limit where Acosta could get touches and have possession, they would be doing their job defensively. Occasionally in the second half, Nagbe began to push up and press alongside Matan. Cincinnati set up with two defensive midfielders, so the Crew tried marking both with Matan and Nagbe to turn their opponents over high up the pitch. When Nagbe did step up, Rudy Camacho pushed higher out of his usual spot on the backline to be closer to Acosta. This was if the ball was played into Acosta’s feet, Camacho could get there to try and disrupt him. Cincinnati had a few tweaks for Columbus as well though. On offense, the hosts set up in a 3-2-5, matching the Black & Gold’s 5-2-3 defensive formation. This gave the game a feeling of multiple one-on-one matchups happening all over the pitch. In the final third, Cincinnati tried to overload the backside of the Crew’s defense. They would attempt to draw out one of the wingbacks, get Columbus’ defense to shift, and then attack the backside with two runners. This is how Kevin Kelsy got a goal in the Hell Is Real matchup in Columbus earlier this summer. Despite the tweaks from both teams, neither were able to find the net in the end. Both squads clinched a playoff spot, so there is no doubt there will likely be another Hell Is Real clash in the playoffs.

The Columbus Crew returned to MLS action after a week of rest to take on the Seattle Sounders at home on Saturday. Columbus featured a highly rotated lineup due to a significant number of players being called up to international duty. One surprising aspect of the team sheet was the inclusion of only one goalkeeper after MLS denied the Black & Gold’s exemption request to bring up an emergency goalkeeper to backup Abraham Romero. That denial would come back to hurt the Crew, after Romero’s challenge on striker Jordan Morris left the goalkeeper seeing red and forced Sean Zawadzki to go in goal. From there, the game was a formality. Seattle scored with the next kick of the ball, and then continued to bag three more on the way to a rare victory in Columbus. The league has finally found the Black & Gold’s limit; the Crew cannot win without a goalkeeper. The rotated squad and unusual in-game circumstances forced Wilfried Nancy to do tactical gymnastics. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this wild game. Pre-red card tactics Columbus came out of the locker room and it was business as usual, despite a few new or unfamiliar faces in the lineup. The Black & Gold still opted for their typical formation and setup, with three centerbacks and wingbacks that would climb high up the pitch. Two central midfielders sat behind a fluid front three. Very familiar territory for the Crew. Despite the usual setup, there were a few positional caveats. Positionally, Rudy Camacho lined up as the right centerback for a large part of the first half. Yevhen Cheberko was the central centerback, while Zawadzki played to the left of the Ukrainian. Due to Columbus’ rotated personnel, the Black & Gold took different shapes throughout the first half. Initially, the Crew lined up in a 3-1-5-1 on offense. Cheberko stayed deep with Zawadzki and Camacho, while Darlington Nagbe sat as a lone defensive midfielder in the center of the pitch. Alexandru Matan moved up as a central no. 10, with Dylan Chambost and AZ Jackson next to him so they had three attacking midfielders. Outside of the attacking mids, both wingbacks gave Columbus width higher up the pitch and Diego Rossi led the line as the lone striker. Rossi’s positioning in the first half looked like shades of Cucho Hernandez. The Uruguayan often drifted along the backline, trying to get in the defenders’ blind spots and run in behind. When that was not available, he was content to drop into midfield and receive the ball to feet much like his Columbian counterpart typically does. This formation could easily become a 3-1-6 when either Rossi decided to drop into the midfield, or the midfielders moved up higher on the defense. Typically, the fluid attack did not stay in one line, but there were times in the attacking third where they all were pushing up on the defense. Finally, a third formation switch came as the Black & Gold really began pushing for a goal. The Crew moved into a 1-3-6 in the final third, moving both outside centerbacks alongside Nagbe to pin Seattle in. The centerbacks joining the attack gave Columbus width behind the attack to swing the ball and try to shift Seattle’s defense. This is a tactic the Black & Gold have taken advantage of all year, trying to get opponents to overshift and then find the backside runner. Unfortunately for the Crew, they were not sharp at combining on passes in the final third. That usual chemistry and quick passing was not there, which made it hard to generate any strong attacking chances. Then the red card came, when Romero came errantly and erratically off his line to clear a ball that he did not need to. This led to a red card, and a laughable decision by MLS meant that Columbus would have to finish the game with Zawadzki in goal. Post-red card tactics Now the Black & Gold were really in a bind. The Crew have expressed this “never say die” mentality throughout the season. Coming back against Inter Miami from 2-0 down in Leagues Cup, scoring two goals in the Leagues Cup final in stoppage time, even winning with a heavily rotated lineup against Philadelphia. Despite this confidence, overcoming not having a goalkeeper on the field was too much for Columbus. No tactical adjustment or personnel switch was going to bail the Black & Gold out this time, but Nancy still put in the work and tried to give his team every little advantage he could find. The first and most obvious switch was to move Zawadzki into goal and bring off Jackson for DeJuan Jones. Now the Crew had a fully manned backline and set up in a 5-3-1 on defense. Jones moved to the right wingback spot while Marcelo Herrera came inside as the right centerback. Columbus typically runs a 5-2-3 on defense with a full lineup, but they dropped Chambost back with Matan and Nagbe to shore up the midfield. The thinking behind this was to try and get the Black & Gold on the ball and still have enough numbers deep to keep possession. If the Crew could still grow into this game and keep the ball, they may have a shot at evening the contest and maintain a sense of control in the game. The problems arose for Columbus when they became unable to retain the ball, which meant Seattle could counter on an undermanned backline. The absence of a player on the field for the Black & Gold loomed large, especially when trying to create overloads. The Crew tried a bunch of different formations in the second half to try and remedy Seattle’s man advantage. They started in a 3-3-3 on offense with a cupped midfield. Rossi, Jones and Max Arfsten led the attack, with Matan and Chambost underneath them as attacking midfielders. Nagbe sat as a lone no. 6 in front of the three centerbacks. This gave Columbus a balanced look but failed to produce anything on the offensive end. The Black & Gold were not able to commit enough numbers forward and combine enough to unlock Seattle’s defense. So, they went to a 1-5-3 and moved the outside centerbacks into the outside midfield. This gave the Crew a more attacking approach but opened the floodgates for Seattle on the counter attack. After the influx of goals conceded, Columbus switched to a 2-4-3, but the results were more of the same. Even with two centerbacks staying deeper, overcoming the loss of a player and a goalkeeper was just too much for the Black & Gold. MLS has safeguards in place to prevent these situations from happening. Despite the Crew following the protocol to get an emergency goalkeeper, the league opted to deny them for what can be understood as no reason at all. Nancy has been a miracle worker since he arrived in Columbus, but no amount pixie dust from the Black & Gold’s French manager could have saved the Crew from the result against Seattle. Columbus will move their focus ahead to a date with FC Cincinnati with a pissed off mentality and revenge on their mind.

Women’s soccer players allege sexual abuse by former athletic trainer. Photo by Jada Gangazha. AIDAN GREGG | MANAGING EDITOR | agregg1@butler.edu   CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu    Content warning: explicit references to sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault and grooming .  Amid the 2024 fall semester, Butler University’s ongoing legal battles rage behind the scenes. Following initial complaints filed in July 2023 , four current and former women’s soccer players continue to allege sexual abuse, stalking and grooming by former assistant athletic trainer Michael Howell. They further allege negligence by Butler University and Ralph Reiff, the senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health, performance and well-being.  Although a settlement conference was held on Aug. 14, the plaintiffs and defendants were unable to reach an agreement to end the legal proceedings. University president James Danko and athletic director Grant Leiendecker have declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.  Players report Howell, Title IX investigation initiated The plaintiffs — Jane Does 1-4 — were four of six women’s soccer players who formally reported sexual abuse by Howell to the university. In September 2021, four of the six players — several of whom are now plaintiffs — reported Howell’s misconduct to women’s soccer co-head coach Tari St. John. Shortly after, St. John reported the allegations to then-Title IX coordinator Maria Kanger, who filed an official complaint against Howell on Oct. 6. Howell was subsequently placed on administrative leave.  On Sept. 29, prior to his administrative leave, Reiff informed Howell that concerns regarding his conduct were raised. The university later told Howell of the complaints before contacting law enforcement or asking for possession of his university-issued phone, despite Kanger’s knowledge that he recorded and photographed the players. The plaintiffs claim that Howell would have had time to destroy evidence because the university neglected to contact law enforcement or seize his phone. Despite the allegations against Howell, Reiff told him to report to work on Oct. 1. Counsel for the plaintiffs alleges that Howell was instructed not to interact with women’s soccer players; Howell denies this allegation. However, plaintiffs said that Howell confronted Doe 1 and later followed her and a teammate after they left the training room.   Butler’s Title IX panel found that Howell “exploited his authority and power over [the women’s soccer players] to isolate, manipulate, control, and sexually assault [them].” The panel further found that by fostering “an emotional intimacy with [the players] and causing [them] to feel reliant upon him for [their] physical, mental and emotional well-being, [Howell] created an unconscionably abusive environment.”  Following the lawsuit filing in July 2023, the university sent an email to Butler students and families, stating that Howell was fired in the summer of 2022. They further stated, “Butler looks forward to the opportunity to show the high integrity and responsiveness of the coaches and senior personnel.” An excerpt from the university’s statement on the lawsuit, sent July 26, 2023. Howell denies the above claims, including the findings of the Title IX panel.  Plaintiffs allege Howell sexually abused, groomed and stalked them According to the complaints filed by the plaintiffs Howell repeatedly exposed and touched their genitalia and breasts during lengthy massages when such contact was unnecessary. Such massages typically last no more than ten minutes, but Howell’s massages sometimes lasted up to three hours. Doe 2 said that Howell once massaged her groin so forcefully that it was bruised the next day.  Additionally, the players said that Howell rubbed his erect penis against them several times during massages and positioned himself in such a way that they could not move to prevent this contact. The players allege that Howell sought to isolate them from their teammates and coaches. Doe 1 alleged that Howell told her “to be ‘careful’ of her close friend and teammate because he ‘knew things’ about the woman.” In addition to purchasing food for her and putting it in her locker, he reportedly told her and others “‘If I go down, I’m taking you with me.’”  Howell conducted several massages alone in his hotel rooms and offices with no windows when the team traveled away from Butler. The plaintiffs allege that co-head coaches Rob Alman and St. John knew that Howell conducted these massages in his hotel room.  The plaintiffs also claim that Howell surreptitiously photographed them using his Butler-issued phone. Further, the players said that Howell claimed to have “files of the soccer players with photos of them underage drinking.”  Howell denies the above claims.  Plaintiffs allege negligence by Butler, Reiff In addition to the claims against Howell, the players have filed suit against the university and Reiff for negligence. Reiff was Howell’s direct supervisor; as Reiff’s employer, the plaintiffs’ team argues that Butler is also liable.  The players allege the university and Reiff failed to properly educate them — and coaches Alman and St. John — about proper athletic training procedures. Such knowledge would have allowed the players to identify Howell’s massages as sexually inappropriate earlier than they did.  As part of the Title IX proceedings, Reiff said that he worked “elbow to elbow” with convicted serial rapist Larry Nassar. Nassar was the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, assaulting hundreds of women during his tenure until he was arrested in 2016.  Reiff worked alongside Nassar for St. Vincent’s Sports Performance as a member of the medical task force for USA Gymnastics.   The plaintiff’s team has been working in their complaints to draw connections from Nassar’s crimes to Howell’s misconduct. Rachael Denhollander, a former gymnast who came forward after being sexually abused by Nassar, has joined the women’s soccer players’ legal team as counsel.  According to the players, Howell stopped submitting required written reports about the players’ injuries and his treatments to Alman and St. John. They further claim that Reiff was or should have been aware that these reports had ceased. Despite this knowledge, no one took action to ensure that athletic treatment complied with acceptable standards for student safety, including “treating student-athletes in common areas instead of a private hotel room with a bed; not entering locker rooms; communicating with and appropriately ‘draping’ or covering an athlete during treatment; asking for an athlete’s permission to move her garment during treatment; having a trainer of the same sex assist if treatment in a private room is necessary; and properly recording treatments.” Butler and Reiff deny the above claims of negligence .  Butler, Reiff seek dismissal The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the charges against them on the grounds that there was “failure to state a claim” by the plaintiffs and that Indiana law only allows negligent supervision claims to be brought against employers, not employees. Butler argued that the claims made by the plaintiffs are covered under Indiana’s Medical Malpractice Act and that Reiff, who was Howell’s supervisor but also a Butler employee, cannot be liable for negligent supervision of Howell.  According to Indiana’s Medical Malpractice Act, all claims must pass an administrative medical review panel before coming to court. The university claimed that since Jane Does 1-4’s claims had not gone through the administrative panel, the case should be dismissed. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II denied the request on Jan. 22, 2024 . In his decision on the defense’s motion, he contended that the plaintiffs did not have to abide by Indiana’s Medical Malpractice Act. Subsequently, the court also ruled that this case is not under the categorization of medical malpractice because whether the trainer provided sufficient medical care is irrelevant, as the alleged abuse is not medical care. Regarding the defense’s opposition to the claims of negligence, the court found that “‘negligent supervision’ is just negligence”, stating that the university and Reiff could both be brought under the Does’ negligent supervision claims.  With both arguments by the defense falling short, the court denied the motion to dismiss and opted to move on with the cases. The defense continues to assert that this litigation should have first been subject to the Medical Malpractice Act. Defendants object to use of pseudonyms by women’s soccer players The defense further objected to the plaintiff’s joint motion to proceed using pseudonyms. All four players have been proceeding under Jane Doe 1-4 since the case was filed in July 2023, citing that a judge can “permit pseudonymous litigation when the balance of harms justifies it.” The plaintiffs said that if their identities were public and if they lacked the protection pseudonyms provide, they would have “reasonable fear of embarrassment, public scrutiny, invasion of privacy and social stigmatization, all of which place them at risk of further emotional and psychological suffering and injury.” Finally, they cited a summary judgment briefing in which Butler and Reiff did not deny the harm that has been suffered by the plaintiffs. This coincided with the findings of Butler’s Title IX Panel, which stated “the harm to [the players] was severe and the effects resulting therefrom are likely to be profound and lasting.” The defense pushed back on the motion, alleging the plaintiffs have misused their pseudonyms, the joint motion is missing evidence, and there are less drastic means to keep anonymity.  Regarding the alleged misuse of pseudonyms, the defense said the plaintiffs have “deployed” their pseudonyms in the media against the named individuals, including their coaches and Reiff. They also contended that the joint motion had “no evidence to show a risk of harm,” while finally stating that less drastic measures such as sealing or redacting filings remained possible. Despite the defense’s adamant responses to the plaintiffs, the court upheld their prior decision to allow the women’s soccer players to proceed under pseudonyms. However, the plaintiffs’ ability to protect themselves with pseudonyms remains in question. Due to recent developments in case law regarding the use of pseudonyms, the court may need to reassess the ruling on the use of pseudonyms.  Judge denies university’s motion to dismiss Howell’s crossclaim  Howell filed a crossclaim against Butler University on March 4. The first of three counts in Howell’s crossclaim against the university accuses Butler of Title IX violation. Howell claims that the university discriminated against him on the basis of his sex “by ignoring procedural rules when necessary to achieve the desired result of imposing sanctions on a male employee.” He alleges that the university “caved” to social pressures in the wake of high-profile sex abuse cases in collegiate athletics.  The second count regards defamation as part of the Title IX proceedings against Howell. According to Howell, the hearing officer for the investigation made false and defamatory statements which the university republished to multiple third parties. He further claims that Reiff sought to harm him by reporting information he learned during the Title IX investigation to the state licensing board.  In the third count — similar to the women’s soccer players — Howell alleged that the university “did not maintain any written policies, procedures or protocols with respect to athletic trainers providing services to athletes, let alone providing services to athletes of the opposite sex.” The university’s failure to do so then left him vulnerable to the allegations of sexual assault brought against him by the women’s soccer players.  The university moved to the dismissal of Howell’s claims of Title IX violation and defamation. On July 29, 2024, the court denied the university’s motion. Howell seeks trial by jury and compensation for legal fees, lost wages and emotional distress.  Butler has since denied Howell’s claims that it did not maintain official policies regarding athletic trainers’ conduct and communications or restrictions for performing training services in private rooms. They have further denied Howell’s claims about the Title IX process and defamation. In terminating Howell, the university said they had legitimate reasons to terminate Howell. Further, they said “Howell’s unclean hands render him ineligible” to seek legal remedy from the university. As of now, the crossclaim will be tried together with the women’s soccer players’ claims. However, the court may decide to split the claims and try them separately.  Trial to proceed in 2025 The trial for the complaints brought by the women’s soccer players is set to begin on June 16, 2025. A hearing regarding the use of pseudonyms by the defendants will occur on October 28, 2024.  The athletes seek to “recover [their] injuries and damages, compel Butler to institute safety protocols to protect [their] current teammates and future athletes, compel Butler to contact former student-athletes to assess whether they were also abused by Howell and need resources and assistance, prevent Howell from maintaining licensure that would give him the ability to abuse others and to hold Defendants responsible for their acts and omissions that enabled a dangerous predator to gain unfettered access to and abuse [them] and many other young female athletes.”  The Collegian will continue to investigate and report on this story.

The Columbus Crew extended its winning streak on Saturday, coming from behind against NYCFC to claim all three points and winning by a 4-2 scoreline. It was another rocky start in Columbus, with the Black & Gold going down a goal within four minutes. The Crew responded 13 minutes later through Diego Rossi and doubled their lead in the second half thanks to a goal from Max Arfsten. After Columbus’ second goal, their intensity dropped which allowed the visitors to even the game at two apiece. In classic Black & Gold fashion, two stoppage-time goals would net the Crew the three points and extend their win streak. It was an up-and-down game for Columbus, controlling parts of the match but also being on the back foot at times. Let’s dive into all the tactics that helped, hindered, and gave the Black & Gold the win. Columbus’ struggles It is not often that fans of the Crew see their team struggle as much as they did on Saturday night. NYCFC seemed to be on the front foot for the majority of the match, even winning the possession battle with 55% compared to Columbus’ 45%. The big question is how did NYCFC come into Lower.com Field and play the Black & Gold as well as they did? The answer lies in the visitors’ approach to the game, and their defensive tactics. When NYCFC came to Columbus in the quarterfinals of Leagues Cup, they seemed content to sit back and absorb the Crew’s pressure on their defense. They got a quick goal, and then tried to hold out and try to win the game 1-0 or go to penalties if the Black & Gold equalized. They got their penalty wish but could not convert enough from the spot to give themselves the win. Coming into this MLS regular season match, NYCFC’s attitude and defensive tactics took a complete 180. From the first kick, they were pressing the Crew high up the field with five to seven players, trying to prey on Columbus’ mistakes NYCFC’s press was not just throwing players up the field with reckless abandon though, it was regimented and well-thought-out. The visitors tried to compartmentalize the Black & Gold defense and midfielders in possession by pressuring them towards the sideline. New York City essentially wants to cut the field in half, trapping the Crew on a side of the pitch and overloading them. This change in defensive philosophy from NYCFC showed a boldness that was reminiscent of LAFC’s approach to Columbus in the second half of the Leagues Cup final. In that game, LAFC decided to press higher and harder in the second half with more disregard for their defensive stability. In that half the Black & Gold made more mistakes and turned the ball over, which gave the opposition a foothold in the game. NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing must have been watching, because that is exactly how New York City played the Crew in this matchup. Their pressure with seven players and a high line gave Columbus more potency in attack, but they first had to worry about getting the ball to the attackers. Too often NYCFC’s pressure yielded a wayward pass or bad touch, which set them on the attack down in the Black & Gold’s end. The visitor’s defensive pressure was one side of the coin. On the other side, they had a possession-based offense that had a definitive purpose in the Crew’s defensive half. NYCFC’s game plan on offense was to push their outside backs high up the field to play underneath their wingers. Columbus’ wingbacks often stepped up to pressure the visitor’s outside backs, which then drew out the Black & Gold outside center backs to cover NYCFC’s wingers. This defensive coverage not only made the Crew undermanned on the backline, it caused them to shift over to the ball side. Now the backside was wide open, where only one Columbus wingback had to mark both NYCFC’s opposite-side winger and outside back. This only left New York City with two defenders deep, but they were able to win the ball in the Black & Gold’s half so there was little worry of being exposed defensively. Both the pressing tactics and offensive setup from NYCFC was sublime, but it ultimately did not gift them a victory. They, along with many teams around MLS, are learning that no matter how well you gameplan you cannot count out Wilfried Nancy’s men. Finding a way to win This was not the Crew’s best performance by a longshot, but they still scored four goals and grabbed all three points. Columbus’ will win is a perfect combination of tactical setup and team mentality. First, the tactics. The Black & Gold got into trouble (much like how they did against LAFC) when they tried too hard to build out of the back at all costs. NYCFC was pressing with seven players, leaving the back end open for the attackers to find space on direct balls either into their feet or over the top. Once the Crew saw and grew into the game, they were able to have success breaking NYCFC’s press and getting some attacking chances. Ironically for a team that lives and dies by building out of the back, they played better when they went direct. Although Nancy set and conditioned his team to be fearless when playing out of the back, they are also set up to have direct options. Cucho Hernandez is one of the best players in the league at drifting around the attacking third and getting into the defense’s blind spot. A direct ball into him can spell doom for an entire team just based on his positioning. This direct safety valve became Columbus’ number one option to attack NYCFC. If they could find Hernandez on a sprint, the defense was more than likely going to pay. Another release to NYCFC’s pressure became all three attackers dropping into the midfield and receiving the ball to feet. The visitor’s pressure made it hard to find those passing lanes at times, but if they opened and the attack could turn into an undermanned defense, the race to goal was on. Rossi and Christian Ramirez have become masters at dropping into the midfield and then playing off each other. Their development as playmakers has given the Black & Gold a new dimension, and a new option to go direct as opposed to playing out of the back. To NYCFC’s credit, they went for the Crew’s throat and got a few good punches in, but it was not enough. This Columbus team just does not quit. No matter how much play has gone against them, they continue to scrap because they know goals can come out of nothing. They kept to that mentality, and it netted two goals in stoppage time to secure three points. Just another so-so performance that is overcome by the mentality of a hardworking team.

The Columbus Crew resumed their winning ways on Wednesday evening, besting the Philadelphia Union on Columbus’ return to MLS play. The Black & Gold featured a heavily rotated squad, with nine changes from the starting XI from the Leagues Cup Final. The Crew backup brigade kept it scoreless deep into the second half, when Wilfried Nancy decided to dip into his star power off the bench. Nancy brought on Yaw Yeboah, Max Arfsten, Diego Rossi, Cucho Hernandez, and Darlington Nagbe to try and steal three points for Columbus. The plan worked, with Yeboah bagging a goal off an assist from Arfsten to secure the only goal of the game for either team. The Black & Gold now sit 10 points behind Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference with two games still in hand. By fielding a mostly rotated squad, Nancy and his staff had to tweak their formation and tactics for this matchup. Let’s dive into those decisions. Rotated squad – new formations After the Leagues Cup triumph on Sunday, going into Philadelphia on Wednesday would always be a short turnaround for the Crew. Facing a Union side that has struggled this season, Nancy decided to go with a mostly rotated lineup for a large portion of that match. The brilliant manager that Nancy is, he knew that if he rotated his squad, he needed to also tweak their formation and tactics to fit the team on the field. That is exactly what he did, and it netted Columbus three points after the 90 minutes were up. In the back, the Black & Gold had Yevhen Cheberko at the central center back spot, with Malte Amundsen to his left and Sean Zawadzki on the right. DeJuan Jones and Marcelo Herrera split out wide as wingbacks, with Derrick Jones and Alexandru Matan inside as center midfielders. The team was rounded out by Dylan Chambost, AZ Jackson and Jacen Russell-Rowe in attack. From the beginning, the Crew lined up in their typical three/five back defense with two central midfielders and a fluid attack. After surviving an early Philadelphia offensive surge, Columbus finally showed their hand in possession. The first formation the Black & Gold shifted to on offense was a 2-4-4. Amundsen and Cheberko stayed back while Zawadzki moved into central midfield alongside Jones. Matan and Chambost acted as half-pivots between the outside center backs and the wingbacks, who were now up high as wingers. The key in the 2-4-4 is Zawadzki. Naturally brought up as a midfielder, he can easily transition from the backline into the midfield without a problem. He is the player that made the 2-4-4 work as well as it did due to his versatility. Because Zawadzki could move into the midfield, this freed up Matan to have fewer defensive duties and go up into the attack. With natural ball-winners like Jones and Zawadzki in the center of the pitch, this gave the rest of the team a pass to extend themselves further in pursuit of a goal. The 2-4-4 was used by the Crew in buildup and transition situations. When Columbus reached Philadelphia’s attacking third, they morphed into the second formation of the night, a 2-2-6. The change from the 2-4-4 to the 2-2-6 was easy, both Matan and Chambost moved up into the attack. Both midfielders would play underneath or alongside Jackson and Russell-Rowe, who acted as the fluid attackers in this formation. This formation gave the Black & Gold the opportunity to put pressure on the Union backline and create those overloads that Nancy loved. The front six had the freedom to interchange and play off each other but mostly stuck to their positions more than the usual starters did. This could be due to their limited playtime and still trying to learn the system, but they still generated some half-chances directed at Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake. In the second half, Crew fans got to see the third formation change of the night with Columbus changed into a 1-3-6 in attack. Much like the Leagues Cup final against LAFC, the Black & Gold changed into this formation that looked like a diamond in the back, with six attackers up top. Cheberko stayed deep with Amundsen and Zawadzki moving slightly higher, having Jones complete the diamond at the top. This gave the defensive line different depths and widths that they could move around and find passing lanes from, especially when the Union started pressing with four players. The fourth and final formation that the Crew changed to a 3-3-4 just before the substitutes came on. Again, the backline consisted of the three center backs, but they cupped the line a little bit to give extra support to the midfield with the outside center backs. The midfield line was flat with Matan on the left, Jones in the middle, and Chambost out on the right. The attack remained mostly unchanged, with the wingbacks outside along with Jackson and Russell-Rowe as dueling strikers. These formation tweaks not only changed as the situations in the match changed, but they also played to the strengths of the players that were on the field. Nancy has set up teams differently depending on who he has available, which is one of the many reasons why he is such a great manager. Some coaches play a rigid system no matter what personnel they have, but Nancy is completely different. He knows his players are multidimensional and can adapt, which is why he can toss in these tactical wrinkles. While the formation changes for the rotated squad did not yield a goal, they did their job. They kept Philadelphia from scoring while also generating some half-chances of their own until the closers could come off the bench to finish the job. Nancy and the Crew coaching staff essentially made this a 30-minute game when they brought on the usual starters, and it paid off big time with three points.

The Columbus Crew added another trophy to the case on Sunday night, knocking off LAFC yet again to win Leagues Cup. This is the third straight win over LAFC for Columbus, besting them in the 2023 MLS Cup Final and the 5-1 drubbing out in LA earlier this season. The game started off well for the Black & Gold, looking dangerous in LAFC’s half and ultimately finding the opener through Cucho Hernandez’s head. The second half was a different story though. LAFC made changes to their gameplan and came at the Crew, now putting Columbus on the back foot. The visitors equalized with an Oliver Giroud header off a corner kick, and the game remained tied until stoppage time. Despite being outclassed in the second 45, the Black & Gold kept pushing and found the go-ahead goal yet again through Hernandez. A counter just a minute later secured the third goal and the Leagues Cup title for Columbus, this time with Hernandez assisting Jacen Russell-Rowe. It was a game of tactical adjustments by both sides, but it ultimately saw the Black & Gold’s playstyle triumph over LAFC’s. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into the championship matchup. Strong start From the moment the ball was kicked, the Crew were looking dominant as usual. The first half of this game was reminiscent to how the first half of the 2023 MLS Cup Final went, lots of Columbus possession and good chances to build a lead. The first way the Black & Gold had success was by finding out what LAFC was doing defensively, and then game planning around that. Early on, LAFC was trying to clog the middle of the pitch, playing in a 5-4-1 defensive formation. Both the defensive and midfield line pinched to try and force the Crew to attack from wide areas. To remedy this, Columbus tweaked their formation to find the passing lanes in the middle of the pitch, while also maintaining width with their wingbacks. The Black & Gold switched to a new looking formation that is very different from how the Crew usually lines up. Rudy Camacho stayed back as a deep-lying centerback while Malte Amundsen and Steven Moreira would move up field in the channel. Sean Zawadzki sat as a lone central defensive midfielder, while Darlington Nagbe moved up as a left-side no. 10. The defenders and Zawadzki formed a diamond, with Nagbe higher up the field in the attacking midfield space. One of the front three would also drop into the right attacking midfield space to balance the formation with Nagbe. This meant that the other two attackers would play up top as dueling no. 9’s, with the wingbacks outside of them. This essentially put Columbus into a 3-1-2-4 on offense. LAFC’s defensive structure also played a massive part in the Black & Gold’s success in the first half. The visitors decided to defend narrow and deep into their own half, not very intent on applying pressure to the Crew in possession. This let Columbus have a lion’s share of the ball and enough time to break down LAFC’s defensive block. The only time LAFC decided to pressure players in possession was when the centerbacks marked the Black & Gold attackers who were dropping into the midfield. The visitors tried to chase the Crew backwards if they could but were otherwise just content to sit in their block and wait for the counter. This idea of waiting to counter Columbus did not yield any clear-cut chances for LAFC due to the Black & Gold’s ability to win the ball back quickly after losing it. Camacho and the rest of the defense did a great job in the first half stepping up to break up passes and fending off attackers trying to hold play up on the counter. Both the Crew’s tactical setup and LAFC’s willingness to sit back led to the Black & Gold building a 1-0 lead in a strong first half showing. Hanging on in the second half The second 45 was an entirely different story for the Crew. A compound effect of LAFC deciding to press and Columbus being stubborn in building out of the back made for a touch half for the Black & Gold. The visitors came out in the second half with a completely different gameplan that hinged on going for the win at the expense of possibly exposing their backline. The gamble paid off from the jump, pressing the Crew and turning them over time after time. LAFC came out of halftime and began pressing high up the field with five players, with five defenders staying back. Pressing with five matched Columbus’ buildup numbers, with Nagbe sliding back alongside Zawadzki in midfield. This gave the Black & Gold two options to beat the press, they could have the attackers drop into the passing lanes to receive the ball to their feet or go long overtop. Going direct instead of constantly relying on building out of the back now became the best course of action for the Crew, but they did not adjust. For much of the second half Columbus kept trying to build out of the back. This led to poor touches, wayward passes and numerous LAFC dangerous attacking moments. Going direct is not the first attacking avenue the Black & Gold want to utilize, but they needed to in the second half. Because LAFC was up pressuring the Crew’s backline, there was a sizeable gap in the midfield between the visitors attacking and defense. The times Columbus broke the press in the second half was when they dump the ball into a dropping attacker in that space, and then they could go from there. In the end, the Black & Gold ended up getting away with their poor second half performance due to LAFC’s inability to pressure the Crew in wide areas. Hernadnez was allowed to receive the ball to feet off a throw-in while LAFC was arguing with the referee. This gave him the time and space to pick out a good ball into the box that Russell-Rowe shieled Hugo Lloris from seeing, giving Columbus the go-ahead goal. Despite being outclassed in the second half, all the Black & Gold needed was one chance to find the winner. Even in a half where they were on the back foot, struggled to get clean touches and looked second best at times, they found a way to get the win. That’s what makes this team so special and hard to gameplan against. Tactically, LAFC did everything right in the second half. They pressed, forced bad passes and took a chance on a corner. The one thing they did not do was maintain a hard-working attitude for the full 94 minutes. Their inability to step out on Hernandez and close him down on the go-ahead goal tells you all you need to know about these teams. Columbus has the talent and the work ethic to find ways to win, no matter the situation. That is why they are MLS Cup champions and now Leagues Cup champions, and they do not look like slowing down anytime soon.

The Columbus Crew advanced to the Leagues Cup final with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. The game started off strong for Columbus, controlling the match from the opening kick instead of conceding seconds after the first whistle blew. Diego Rossi continued his hot run of form, scoring only 12 minutes in on a rebound that bounced off Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake. The Union would answer with a goal of their own off a bad giveaway in the back for the Black & Gold. The Crew’s tradition of shooting themselves in the foot was kept alive and well with this goal. Columbus’ response would be strong and decisive though, with Rossi adding a second tally before halftime and Cucho Hernandez finishing one of his own to secure a 3-1 victory for the Black & Gold.  The Crew will face familiar final foe LAFC on Sunday for a shot to be Leagues Cup champions. Columbus had a good showing in this game, with little doubt being left as to who is the better team. Let’s dive into the tactics of this match, and how the Black & Gold will stack up against LAFC in the final Attacking Philadelphia’s defense Teams around the league have tried different philosophies to slow the Crew down throughout the season. Some match Columbus’ formation hoping to match the Black & Gold’s overloads. Others have stuck with their own tactics and stayed true to their identity. Philadelphia coach Jim Curtain took the middle ground on Wednesday night, borrowing from both schools of thought. Curtain kept his team in a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, not matching the Crew’s 5-2-3. The Union stuck to their guns and decided to play their formation rather than setting up in a new look and risk being uncomfortable. Philadelphia simply did not roll out the balls and play Columbus like any other team though. Curtain tried to force the Black & Gold to attack down the left flank, rather than the somewhat preferred right wing. This approach makes sense from the Union’s point of view. Mo Farsi is a more dynamic player in tight spaces and can be dangerous with an overload of teammates around him to combine with. On the other side Max Arfsten is still dangerous, but he is more of a crossing marksman rather than a quick scat wingback like Farsi. So naturally, Curtain wanted to plug up the right side so the Crew would be forced to play down the left side. Apparently, Philadelphia felt more comfortable defending crosses as opposed to defending overloads and numerous combination plays. Now Columbus presents this problem to every team they line up against; they simply do not comply by anyone’s rules. From the minute the ball was kicked the Black & Gold flew down the right wing, to the exact side Curtain wanted to prevent them from exploiting. Despite the game plan and extra manpower on that right side, Philadelphia still was outmanned and passed around. That is what can happen when you have a team that is as comfortable on the ball as the Crew is. Other than attacking Philadelphia’s seemingly stronger left side of the defense, Columbus learned from their mistakes in the NYCFC game as well. In the quarterfinals, the Black & Gold squeaked through on penalties after struggling at times against NYCFC. One of the reasons for that struggle was due to how flat the Crew’s midfield was. In this game against the Union, Columbus remedied that by pushing Sean Zawadzki higher into an attacking midfielder role and having Steven Moreira step into the midfield. With Zawadzki higher and Moreira alongside Nagbe, the Black & Gold were able to have more attacking passing options and Zawadzki higher up the field to engage the repress. These changes paved the way for the Crew to have a smooth game, outside of one boneheaded moment trying to build out of the back. Columbus will have to nullify those rare mistakes with counter-kings LAFC coming to Lower.Com Field on Sunday. Game planning for LAFC The real Black & Gold waxed LAFC last time they met in July out in Los Angeles. The Crew hounded the hosts with their pressure all night, banging in five goals and only allowing one. All the fans know the recent history between these two teams, and it’s been one-sided in Columbus’ favor. LAFC is not a team to be taken lightly though, especially with the attacking weapons they have and Hugo Lloris between the posts. So, what do the Black & Gold need to do to get the job done and secure another title for Columbus? It will take a good team performance, but there are a few points of emphasis. First, they must eliminate the stupid mistakes. I’ve said before that the Crew only concede stupid, self-inflicted goals or absolute unbeatable, world-class strikes. There are not many teams that can break Columbus down and create a well-worked goal, almost all those moments come off a poor decision or turnover from the Black & Gold. LAFC’s whole mantra is blitzing teams on the counter, so if the Crew are turning the ball over, they could be in for a world of hurt. This team is designed to give up a goal in exchange for scoring multiple goals, but LAFC is a team that can match Columbus’ firepower if the Black & Gold are sloppy. Second, the Crew must press like they pressured LAFC in July. In July, the hosts did not have a second to think on the ball before they were being pressed by a Columbus player. That same level of intensity is necessary in a final, especially against a team of LAFC’s caliber that wants revenge for the past two outings. The Black & Gold opted for a man-marking pressure in MLS Cup and in the July regular season game. The midfielders and backline stepped up and made sure they had LAFC covered, which made it hard to find passing options to go forward. They need the same type of press and intensity on Sunday. Finally, the Crew needs to take their chances when they come. Not a lot of chances get wasted in Columbus, but if the attack has an off night it is going to be tough to win this game. Hernandez, Rossi and Ramirez all need to be on their game from the first minute trying to break down Lloris’ wall in the net. I have a feeling this game is more on the Black & Gold than it is on LAFC. This is the Crew’s game to lose, and if they play sloppy in possession and in attack, they will be at risk of losing this game. Knowing Wilfried Nancy though, he will relish having the control and upper hand in this match. Needless to say, this will be a must-watch final for all parties involved.