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The Columbus Crew returned to winning ways on Friday night, taking down a red-hot NYCFC team who had won their past five games. Despite going down a man, NYCFC found the first goal near the end of the first half. Columbus would not stay down long though, storming back with three straight goals to grab a comfortable lead. New York City would add another goal later in the match, but the Black & Gold were able to hold on to secure all three points. This win extended the Crew’s winning streak in MLS to four games. It was a back-and-forth game for Columbus. The Black & Gold fought back after going down a goal but allowed NYCFC to get back into the game with a late goal to put them within striking distance. Let’s dive into the tactics of this roller-coaster of a game. Playstyle before the NYCFC red card For the first 39 minutes of the game, the Crew played a differing style compared to the other 51 minutes of the contest. When Mitja Ilenič was sent off six minutes before halftime, Columbus would tweak their tactics and playstyle to go at NYCFC more effectively. Before that though, the Black & Gold lined up as they typically do. They played in a three/five back defensive set, with wingbacks that will fly up the field in attack. Wilfried Nancy still opted for two defensive midfielders, but chose to start Sean Zawadzki in place of Aidan Morris, who is reportedly on the move to Europe soon. Up top, Cucho Hernandez partnered with Diego Rossi and Christian Ramirez in the attacking trident. The Crew did not tweak a lot of their usual gameplan for NYCFC, but there were some changes. Playing on a narrow field and Yankee Stadium, Columbus had to adjust based on how narrow the pitch was. They could not stretch New York City from side to side as they usually would try because of the width, so they had to take a different approach. This did not deter Nancy from playing with wingbacks. It simply meant that they would have to play more of an interior role than what they are used to. Both Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten tried to hug the touchline as much as they could, but occasionally would have to make runs inside of the front three because that is where the space was. One way the Black & Gold tried to use the limited spacing they had was by pushing Farsi high into a winger role on offense. Zawadzki would slide out to the right as a pivot, while Cheberko would step up into that space as well. Nagbe remained in the center as a lone no. 6, with Rossi dropping into pockets in the midfield behind the lone central midfielder. One thing that became more apparent in this game was how often Rossi dropped into the midfield. He was still a part of that fluid front three, but at times he played more like a no. 10. This gave more room for the wingbacks on the outside because Ramirez and Hernandez could pinch more inside. Rossi dropping into the midfield also showed how the Crew could adapt to different playing conditions. The narrowness of Yankee Stadium made it hard for Columbus to do what they usually do; build down the flanks by creating overloads. Now, their focus shifted to building through the middle so they could suck the defense in, and then going outside to the wingbacks and attackers. In the first 39 minutes, the Black & Gold generated great chances and had golden opportunities to score, but it was not until after NYCFC went down a man that they found the back of the net. Playstyle after the red card and NYCFC goal The Crew got a huge break just before halftime when Ilenič was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. A few minutes later though, Columbus was a goal down, despite being a man up. This quick change in having a man advantage and going down a goal spurred Nancy to tweak some things to spark a comeback. The first thing the Black & Gold did was obvious, they decided to commit more players into the attack. Instead of only one outside centerback stepping up, now both centerbacks were joining the midfield alongside Zawadzki and Nagbe. To ensure a bit of defensive stability, one defensive midfielder would often stay deeper than the other. This switch to a 1-4-5 put immense pressure on the NYCFC backline. In typical Crew fashion though, it was adaptable. Down a goal, Columbus had six to seven players in or around their opponent’s 18-yard box. They tried to trap them in the 1-4-5 until the goals came, which they eventually did. After the two quick goals found the net in the span of five minutes, the Black & Gold switched to a 2-3-5. Now Cheberko dropped back alongside Camacho in a fulltime defensive role, while Zawadzki took his place on the right. Nagbe stayed central, and Amundsen moved up alongside him on the left. Yet again, this is Nancy adapting to the moment in the game. He is not taking his foot off the gas, but he is redistributing manpower to the areas they need at that moment. The 2-3-5 could also become a 2-3-1-4 with Rossi dropping in as the lone no. 10. This allowed the midfielders to play through and around him as the focal point and build through the middle. Towards the end of the game, the Crew began to pack it in. After NYCFC’s second goal went in, they switched to almost completely playing on the counterattack. New York City’s second goal seemed to just be a result of Columbus playing a high line, but after that went in, they shut it down defensively. It was a very good result against a hot team at home, so Nancy and the Black & Gold will be happy. They now will shift their focus to a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami on Wednesday.

The Columbus Crew’s CONCACAF Champions Cup run came to a disappointing end on Saturday night, falling to Pachuca 3-0. Columbus seemed lethargic from the jump, possibly due to suspected food poisoning and altitude, and would not recover enough to put up a fight. Pachuca cranked out three goals, exposing the Black & Gold’s backline time and again to cruise to another CONCACAF title. The Crew were not defeated by their illness alone though, Pachuca’s tactical setup going forward was fatal for Columbus. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this nightmare of an evening for the Black & Gold. Pachuca’s defensive gameplan Los Tuzos came out and blitzed the Crew from the first minute of the match. After Columbus got the initial chance to start off the game, it was all Pachuca for most of the match. The first major problem for the Black & Gold was Los Tuzos’ pressure when the Crew had possession. Columbus have faced teams who like to press high up the field before, but they have never struggled as much as they did down in Mexico. Pachuca’s press was stifling, resulting in chance after chance in a very one-sided final. Pachuca preferred to press with six players, leaving a back four to clean up any long balls the Black & Gold would try and play forward. Los Tuzos put five players across the field up top, trying to bottleneck the Crew’s back three and the two defensive midfielders. The interesting thing about Pachuca’s press was the way they pressured the ball. They knew Columbus could get into rhythm and pass around them if they pressed instantly on the possessing player’s first touch. They also knew that if they sat back, the Black & Gold would play the ball around them all day, waiting them out until they make a mistake. So, to counter this bold Crew possession plan, Los Tuzos decided to “blitz” the ball holder at random, up to the player’s discretion. This threw off Columbus’ rhythm and made them play passes off their normal timing, which forced multiple turnovers. This pressure caused the Black & Gold to have little to no real positive possession that they turned into attacking chances. All three attackers for the Crew were seemingly non-factors because they could not receive the ball. If they did receive the ball, they had no support because the defenders were just getting out of Pachuca’s stifling press. Another key factor of Los Tuzos’ press was their ability to cut off Columbus’ passing lanes. Pachuca knew the Black & Gold liked to possess with the three centerbacks and both defensive midfielders. Knowing this, they positioned the five players up top to cut off the passing lanes up the line to the wingbacks and inside to the defensive midfielders. Behind the five pressuring players up top, Pachuca kept one “rover” midfielder deeper to pick off any possible long balls into Diego Rossi, Cucho Hernandez and Alexandru Matan if they tried to receive the ball to feet. If multiple runners came into the midfield, the defenders would help that roaming midfielder to not allow a counterattack. Pachuca’s defensive gameplan decimated the Crew. Columbus had only 11 shots compared to Los Tuzos’ 23, and only got three of those attempts on target. It was an offensive night to forget for the Black & Gold, which has not happened very often under Wilfried Nancy. Pachuca’s offensive gameplan Pachuca’s defensive brilliance was not the only side of the ball that shined for the eventual champions. Without VAR intervention and moments of Patrick Shulte standing on his head, Los Tuzos could have scored five or six goals on the night. The name of the game for Pachuca was attacking the Crew where they left space. It sounds easy, but in a three centerback system like Columbus enjoys running, the space is usually on the flanks in front of the wingbacks. Los Tuzos recognized this, so they devised an offensive gameplan to create space behind and attack the Black & Gold in transition. They wanted to catch the wingbacks higher up the field and then exploit the centerbacks in transition. Now, this is easier when a team’s press is working, which Pachuca’s was. Defense quickly would turn into offense, but it’s one thing to create chances, it’s another to finish them. Pachuca’s first tactic was to try and get the Crew to overcommit to one side. Columbus is usually a team who likes to press and re-press, but they did not pressure with the fervor they usually do on Saturday night. This allowed Los Tuzos to have more time on the ball and get the Black & Gold to step right into their trap. The easiest way to get the Crew to overcommit was to possess the ball out wide. The wide areas are where Columbus likes to ramp up defensive pressure because of the natural boundary of the endline. Pachuca saw their overcommitment coming and would quickly play a long ball to the other side of the pitch and then attack on the inside, taking both Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris out of the play. With both defensive midfielders over shifted, Pachuca simply attacked the vacated space inside. This sucked in the wingbacks and centerbacks to deal with the oncoming attacker, which opened passing options for the player with possession. Even on 50/50 balls, Los Tuzos sent a secondary runner to clean up any loose possession that the Black & Gold defense did not clean up. Pachuca simply looked more powerful and strong than the Crew defense, and it showed. Los Tuzos seemed to have every answer on offense for whatever Columbus tried to throw at them. Granted, the Black & Gold did not seem to change their defensive scheme very much, no matter how much it seemed to fail. What could the Crew have done differently? After the game, reports came out that the Crew experienced some kind of food poisoning or altitude sickness that caused the players and staff to have diarrhea. Did this play a part in the game? It sure seemed like Columbus looked slow, lethargic and not at all themselves. Pachuca still was the better team and deserved to win. One changes the Black & Gold could have made was to bring on substitutes earlier in the match. When Jacen Russell-Rowe came into the match, he was a breath of fresh air to the Crew offense. His best moment resulted in hitting the crossbar from long range, but even his buildup play and runs opened up a whole new dimension for Columbus. Another change would be to bring on Sean Zawadzki for Matan and put another body in the midfield to help the Black & Gold build out of the back and plug up the middle of the pitch. Zawadzki is one of those players who can be strong defensively, but also aid in the attack when the Crew got there. He came in eventually for Yaw Yeboah but played a hybrid wingback/midfielder role rather than just staying in the midfield. Finally, the last change Columbus could have made was to sit the backline deeper to account for Pachuca’s attacking strength. It goes against Nancy’s bold style, but at some point, the Black & Gold had to face reality and try to scratch back into the game. If dropping the defensive line gave Los Tuzos more space to run at the defense, that would be preferred to having free runners in behind bearing down on Shulte. It is a disappointing result for the Crew in a massive game, but they will take their licks and move on. MLS and Leagues Cup are still very much in play for Columbus, so they will need to move on quickly to stay on schedule. It was a bad night to have a bad night, but this is far from the end of the road this season for the Black & Gold.

The Columbus Crew picked up their third straight road victory on Saturday, defeating Orlando City SC 2-0. In their third consecutive game without Cucho Hernandez, Columbus grabbed multiple goals and picked up three points thanks to a stellar performance from Diego Rossi. The Uruguayan opened the scoring from the spot, and then doubled his tally with a deft chip over Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. From there, the Black & Gold did not look back, cruising to another victory. Wilfried Nancy tweaked his tactics as the game went on, focusing on getting the victory in Orlando ahead of the huge CONCACAF Champions Cup Final next week. Let’s dive into those tactical decisions. Adapting the offensive formation as the Crew builds a lead As we have seen in recent weeks, the Crew like to change their formation on offense based on what the situation in the game is. Against Orlando, Columbus acted no different. The Black & Gold began the game in their usual setup but shifted to a 2-3-5 on offense. Yevhen Cheberko and Rudy Camacho were the two center backs, while Steven Moreira moved into midfield alongside Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris. Up top, the two wingbacks gave the attack width while Alexandru Matan, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Diego Rossi operated on the inside. Despite similar positioning for the three central attackers, they had different roles. Often, Matan would drop deeper to act as a pivot for Yaw Yeboah, leaving Russell-Rowe and Rossi higher up the pitch. Rossi would occasionally drop in too, but would remain in an attacking midfielder space, rather than dropping as deep as Matan. When the score was 0-0, the 2-3-5 was the formation of choice for Nancy and the Crew. It provided a plethora of attacking options across the top, with adequate depth in the midfield to repress and provide support. We have seen Columbus go with one lone center back in the past, pushing both outside center backs into the midfield. In games where the Black & Gold did this, the Crew were more susceptible to being exposed on the counterattack. Columbus has recently opted to always keep at least two centerbacks deeper, which has seemed to work well for them. Once Rossi netted the first goal of the night, the Black & Gold switched to a 2-4-4. Yeboah dropped into the midfield next to Morris, creating a cupped backline with the two center backs. Max Arfsten stayed high up the pitch on the right wing, while Matan now had more freedom and space on the left flank. Again, this goes back to the situation in the game. Since the Crew were now defending a lead, they did not have to throw as many bodies into the attack. At the beginning of the game, Nancy was prioritizing the attack. He wanted to strike first and get on the board, that would give Columbus the upper hand. Once that goal went in, now the Black & Gold could shift their focus to become more balanced, tapering off the attack in exchange for more defensive stability. This does not mean that the Crew decided to park the bus. It was a simple change and shift in the philosophy that made the team more balanced based on manpower. Just because Columbus dropped another player deeper to make the defense more sound does not mean they gave up on scoring goals. With this shift to the 2-4-4, the Black & Gold also tweaked their offensive philosophy, showcased by Rossi’s second goal of the night. Attacking more on the counter in the second half With the Crew changing their offensive formation to the 2-4-4, the team also tweaked their offensive philosophy. With a one-goal lead and Orlando having to push for an equalizer, Columbus dropped deeper and opted to play more on the counter. This is showcased in Rossi’s second goal of the evening. The Black & Gold win the ball on the right side of the pitch Orlando was trying to overload. This failed overload opened the left side, which is what allowed Yeboah to get free in behind. The Crew could have pulled the ball back and played with possession, but they decided to counter. The counter ended up working brilliantly, with Rossi skillfully chipping the ball over Gallese into the back of the net. Part of this change in philosophy was due to Columbus switching to the 2-4-4, but the switch also relied on Orlando chasing the game. Right before the Rossi counter secured a second goal for the Black & Gold, Orlando made several offensive-minded substitutions. Seeing this likely strengthened the Crew’s ambition to attack more on the counter than by breaking down Orlando with possession in the offensive half. We even see this in the substitutions Nancy made after the goal went in. Mo Farsi came on for Arfsten, a pacier wingback who can fly on the counter and in transition. Christian Ramirez came in for Russell-Rowe to be the veteran poacher in behind the defense on those counters. Finally, Sean Zawadzki came on for Camacho to give the backline fresh legs and more pace. Even later substitutions reaffirmed Columbus’ want to go on the counter when Marino Hinestroza came in for Rossi. The Colombian can make something out of nothing, especially when the opponent overextends and leaves attacking players one-on-one. With this desire to attack on the counter came a different defensive strategy as well. The Black & Gold began to sit deeper and draw Orlando onto them. It gave the home side some attacking chances, but the Crew’s numbers on defense kept a clean sheet on the night. With Orlando desperately trying to get back in the game, Columbus was able to generate some strong attacking chances. Both Ramirez and Hinestroza had golden opportunities to add a third, but unfortunately, both were foiled. Nancy’s ability to manage the game within the game is what allowed the Black & Gold to excel in the past three matches. The Crew will be hoping he is up to the task on Saturday as they take on Pachuca in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final.

The Columbus Crew collected its second straight road win on Saturday, besting the Chicago Fire 3-1. Columbus opened the scoring courtesy of Diego Rossi in the 30th minute before doubling their lead in the second half through Christian Ramirez. A late scramble in the box gifted Chicago a goal, but Jacen Russell-Rowe would restore the Black & Gold’s two-goal lead just three minutes later. This game was filled with formation changes and adjustments on the Crew’s side, especially after seeing some struggles in the first half with the Fire’s press. These tweaks by Wilfried Nancy allowed Columbus to grab another vital three points on the road after a rough stretch over the last month and a half. Let’s dive into these tactical decisions. Changing the offensive formation depending on the situation As many fans of the Black & Gold know, the Crew will alter their formation several times throughout a match. Whether it is an adjustment based on what the other team is doing, the personnel on the field, or the situation they are in, Columbus likes to try different shapes. Against Chicago, their thinking was no different. On the offensive side, the Black & Gold went through multiple different variations and formations. Starting off at the beginning of the game, the Crew opted to line themselves up in a 1-4-5 when they were attacking. Rudy Camacho stayed deep as the lone center back while Yevhen Cheberko and Steven Moreira moved up into the midfield outside of Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris. The attacking five consisted of both wingbacks and the front three. This primarily was to try and attack Chicago’s backline. The Fire countered in a four-back defensive system, so Columbus tried to overload the defense by committing five players forward. One caveat that happened in the attack was the front three decided to stay very narrow. Marino Hinestroza and Rossi both tucked high and inside with Ramirez to give the wingbacks space, but also to attack the channels in between the Fire defenders. The Black & Gold utilized the 1-4-5 when they were even with Chicago and chasing the opening goal. When they found that goal, they switched automatically to a 2-3-5. The 2-3-5 is a simple switch from the 1-4-5. Cheberko dropped in alongside Camacho and Morris shifted more out to the left. Nagbe played in the middle as a lone central no. 6 and Moreira stayed out on the right but shifted inside a touch to compensate for losing Cheberko in the midfield. The front five remained virtually unchanged up top, with a slight change. With Cheberko dropping back, more space opened in the midfield. This meant that Rossi and Hinestroza now had more room to drop into that attacking midfield space and receive the ball into their feet. Finally, the Crew changed their formation one last time later in the match to pack it in and defend their lead. After making some substitutions, Columbus morphed into a 4-2-4 on offense. The backline now consisted of Malte Amundsen at left back, Cheberko and Camacho as dual center backs, and Moreira at right back. In front of them, Sean Zawadzki and Nagbe held the midfield down as dueling defensive midfielders. Up top, Russell-Rowe stayed in the center with Rossi and Alexandru Matan, while Mo Farsi went up high as a winger to round out the front four. The 4-2-4 gave the Black & Gold more defensive stability with four defenders deep, while still having enough players in attack to make Chicago pay. The downside was that the two lone midfielders could have trouble fighting the overloads that the Fire was trying to create. In that event, Rossi and Matan could drop in and help, but they stayed high for the most part. These three formations helped the Crew accomplish their goals at each moment of the game. The 1-4-5 put pressure on Chicago and pushed Columbus to find the opener and grab the lead. The 2-3-5 allowed the Black & Gold to have more defensive cover as a safety valve, while still pushing for more goals. Finally, the 4-2-4 locked down the backline for the Crew, while still allowing players like Russell-Rowe to attack (and score) on the counter. It was yet another solid game plan filled with good adjustments for Nancy and his staff. They will look to keep that going next weekend as they take on Orlando, and in two weeks against Pachuca for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final.

The Columbus Crew got back to its winning ways on Wednesday, heading North to beat CF Montreal. The game started well for Columbus, opening the scoring courtesy of Max Arfsten hanging out on the back post and putting in a rebound that had come off the keeper. The Black & Gold would seemingly double their lead through a thunderous strike from Christian Ramirez, but the goal would ultimately be called offsides. Montreal found the equalizer before halftime from the spot after Patrick Schutle came off his line and clipped the Montreal attacker without winning the ball. Despite what looked like a shaky first half at times, the Crew responded in the second half with two goals from Diego Rossi and Marino Hinestroza to secure all three points for Columbus. This is the Black & Gold’s first win in their last seven MLS games. Their last victory came on March 16 against the New York Red Bulls. The Crew adjusted their tactics based on their slightly rotated lineup and their game plan to counter Montreal’s bold style. Let’s dive into those tactical decisions. Building in different formations in the first and second half As Crew fans know, Columbus likes to change their shape throughout the game. They have different formations for when they are defending, building up in possession and attacking in their opponent’s half. On Wednesday, the Black & Gold opted to build out of the back in two different formations. In the first half, the Crew decided to possess and create their attack in a 2-3-5 formation. Both Rudy Camacho and Yevhen Cheberko were the two lone defenders in this formation. They switched from a three-back format to a two-back look, with Steven Moreira moving into midfield alongside Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris. The front five consisted of Yaw Yeboah on the left wing, Rossi, Ramirez, and Alex Matan playing in the channels and Arfsten on the right wing. The three inside attackers were all interchangeable and free to run behind the defense or drop to help possess if they needed to. This formation gave Columbus a numbers advantage in midfield while keeping two defenders back for defensive stability. There was a problem with this setup though, which gave an explanation to why the Black & Gold went through spells where they looked lethargic in the first half. With Moreira joining the midfield and both wingbacks pushing high up the pitch, the space in the midfield became crowded. The Crew did not have good special balance in the first half, with huge gaps of space being left on each side of the center backs. This is the space that Montreal was able to exploit on the counter, and when they retained the ball and tried to keep possession. The 2-3-5 worked in the first half to the tune of two Columbus goals, one allowed and one disallowed for a tight offsides call. Despite the goal, the Black & Gold still looked like they were in a hangover from the Cincinnati game, which is why further changes came in the second half. In the second half, the Crew switched to a more balanced look with a cupped 4-1-4-1 in possession. The two center backs stayed in their spots, with Moreira positioned as a right back, and Morris as a pivot/left back. Nagbe became the lone no. 6 in midfield, while Rossi and Matan played as dueling no. 10s. Yeboah and Arfsten were the outside midfielders, with Ramirez up top. We do not usually see Columbus play in a four-back system anymore since Wilfried Nancy became the coach, but it worked. The Black & Gold scored two goals and controlled the game more effectively than in the first half. The reason for this control is the way the Crew was able to distribute their players to take advantage of as much space on the pitch as possible. In the first half, the midfield was overcrowded and there was space out wide that Columbus was not using. In the second half, Moreira and Morris occupied that space, plugging up defensive holes and giving the Black & Gold more options on offense to possess. This slight formational tweak changed the game for the Crew and resulted in a big three points to get them back on track. The positioning of Aidan Morris Morris was the biggest catalyst in this game for Columbus. The way he was able to switch positions and aid in defense and attack was phenomenal. Morris started off at his usual holding midfield spot alongside Nagbe in the first half. With Moreira stepping into the midfield though, Morris was given more freedom to move out left and link up with Yeboah. This meant he stepped up into the attack much more often, almost like a third attacking midfielder alongside Rossi and Matan. In the first half though, the midfield became crowded which resulted in stretches of play where the Crew turned the ball over and allowed Montreal to possess. In the second half, Morris’ role changed, and he became much more dynamic. He began to mostly occupy space that Yeboah was vacating, like a left back. He took up that position while Columbus was deeper in their half, stringing passes together to move up the field. When the Black & Gold got higher into an attacking space, Morris would shift back inside in the channel between Yeboah and Rossi, becoming an attacking reinforcement and extra option up top. We saw this in real-time on Hinestroza’s goal, except that it was on the other side. Morris got high and saw Rossi check back to the ball. When the Uruguayan did that, Morris slid into the vacated space in the channel to receive the ball from Moreira. A quick pass back to Moreira and another pass to Hinestroza and it was 3-1 in favor of the Crew. These little things are what make Morris and a number of the players on the Black & Gold so great. They have a bunch of guys who are adaptable and can play several positions in one game. Morris is one of those do-it-all guys, and it showed on Wednesday night in Montreal.

The Columbus Crew continued its poor stretch of form in MLS play, this time falling to rivals FC Cincinnati 2-1 on Saturday evening. This is the first loss for Columbus at home against their noisy neighbors, in what was arguably their worst performance of this young season. The Black & Gold battled back and forth with Cincinnati until Kevin Kelsy broke the deadlock in the second half, jumping over Alex Matan and heading the ball into the net. Luciano Acosta would double the visitors’ lead just two minutes later. Max Arfsten pulled a goal back in the 89th minute, but it was too little, too late. It was an uninspiring performance by the Crew after having a week off. The team looked stagnant and on the back foot for most of the match. Wilfried Nancy did not have his best game either, making questionable decisions about the starting lineup and substitutions. Let’s dive into what sunk Columbus in this edition of Hell is Real. Initial lineup and attacking issues When the lineups were released, the question around this game became about how the Black & Gold would line up. They listed three center backs in the starting eleven but presumably had Matan and Sean Zawadzki listed as the starting wingbacks. True to the rumors, Zawadzki lined up as the left wingback, while Matan would be his counterpart on the right side. Neither of them a true wingback, the tactical choice by Nancy became a focal point early. Zawadzki’s role on the left side was not to fly up the wing like Yaw Yeboah or Will Sands might do. The young American often pinched towards the inside of the field, joining Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris in midfield. He often checked into a central midfield space, trying to connect the backline and attack through the middle. On the other side, Matan generally stayed wider. At times he would come inside to combine with other players, but he was more of a true winger than Zawadzki was. The Crew seemed to be reliant on trying to get the Romanian the ball on the wing to cross inside to Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi, and Jacen Russell-Rowe. The other interesting decision with the starting lineup was putting Russell-Rowe instead of Christian Ramirez. The Canadian has been hit or miss for Columbus this season. He has had huge game and scored massive goals, but in other contests, he has disappeared. In the matchup against Cincinnati, it was the latter. The reason for including Russell-Rowe in the lineup was for him to be the holdup No. 9. FC Cincinnati likes to press high up the field, but their backline would stay deeper in numbers to stifle any Black & Gold counterattack. This left the attacking midfield area open, a space Russell-Rowe has exploited multiple times this season. For the most part, it worked. Russell-Rowe and Hernandez received the ball into their feet and then were able to play a pass to another attacking player. This took the heat off the Crew defenders who were just in possession, but Columbus was not able to do anything with the forward attacks they had. A huge part of this had to do with Cincinnati’s back three. Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, and Miles Robinson had an amazing game, stifling the Black & Gold counterattack repeatedly. Cincinnati’s ability to do this was because of two things: their quality and the numbers they had back. The visitors always kept all three center backs deeper to deal with the Crew’s trident up top, and it worked tremendously. Columbus was limited in their promising attacking chances thanks to Cincinnati’s immense backline. These choices were interesting to say the least by Nancy. The decision to start Matan, Zawadzki, and Jacen Russell-Rowe did not lose the Black & Gold this game, the Crew’s demeanor and urgency were the bigger issues on the night. Where did the wheels fall off? In the second half, Columbus went back to a more traditional look. Matan started going into the attacking midfield space much more and the Black & Gold got back into their 3-2-5 on offense. Even Steven Moreira was heading forward in attack, and the Crew looked more balanced. Then, Morris was substituted for Yeboah. This pushed Zawadzki inside to partner with Nagbe while the Ghanian took his place. This switch changed not only the personnel for Columbus but their playstyle as well. Now on the left side, Yeboah was more of a winger which allowed Rossi to pinch inside next to Russell-Rowe. Nancy was hoping that by pushing the attackers closer together in the middle, they could overload the center backs and find the breakthrough. On the defensive side, the Black & Gold stayed pretty much the same. Exact same defensive formation and structure, just with Zawadzki in midfield and Yeboah out wide. The problem arose when Cincinnati got overloads together while the Crew defense started over-shifting and ball-watching. Also, the substitution of Kelsy into the game caused nightmares for the Columbus backline. Kelsy’s implementation into the game gave Cincinnati a true No. 9 and a target to find up top. He tended to suck Black & Gold defenders towards him, creating space for other teammates. On the first goal, the Crew defense over-shifted toward the backside where Kelsy was hanging around. Malte Amundsen pinched in too far which allowed Pavel Bucha to receive and play the ball to Acosta in an overload situation. Acosta cut a scrambling Amundsen and a stagnant Rudy Camacho, clipping the ball to the back post where 6-foot-4-inch Kelsy jumped over 5-foot-6-inch Matan for the opener. Those are the situations that the Columbus defense must be better in, but that situation also calls for the talents of Morris. The American is one of the best in MLS at re-pressing and making one-on-one tackles, especially in scrambling and transition situations. Taking him off seemed to be a mistake after the first goal. Then, two minutes later, Acosta netted the second of the match. Camacho was pulled out to the left wing to cover for Matan, and when Matan did not go back inside to cover the vacated defensive position, Acosta found the space. Camacho was not fast enough to get back, which allowed FC Cincinnati to go 2-0 up with 15 minutes remaining off two disastrous defensive possessions by Columbus. There is no single player on the Black & Gold to blame for this loss. The entire team seemed lethargic and on the back foot for the entire match, something we are not used to seeing for Nancy-led teams. For a squad that will play their next home game for a month, they need to start picking up wins.

The Columbus Crew punched their ticket to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final on Wednesday, besting Monterrey 3-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate. The game started off rough for Columbus, conceding in the first ten minutes on a Yevhen Cheberko own goal. From there, it was an uphill battle to get back on the right side of the away-goals tiebreaker. The Black & Gold found the crucial goal on the precipice of halftime when Aidan Morris picked off an errant pass by the Monterrey keeper. Morris drove through the defense and slid the ball into the bottom corner past the out-of-position goalkeeper. Coming out of the half, the Crew found the net again courtesy of Diego Rossi. Columbus would hold firm during the rest of a physical game until Jacen Russell-Rowe sealed the Rayados’ fate in the 89th minute to bring the score to 3-1. The Black & Gold had to adjust throughout this game based on what the situation was. After Monterrey scored the first goal, the Crew shifted tactically. They did the same when they came back out at halftime. Let’s dive into the adjustments Wilfried Nancy made to propel Columbus to a massive victory. First half tactics The Black & Gold ran out the same lineup as last time against Monterrey except for Russell-Rowe in favor of Marino Hinestroza. The Crew lined up in a 5-2-3, with that classic fluid attacking front three that Nancy favors so much. Early on, Columbus emphasized defending with seven players and then trying to counter quickly through the front three. Monterrey needed a goal to get ahead in the tie, so the Black & Gold wanted to absorb that pressure and hope the Rayados over-shifted to leave gaps in behind. This was the main reason why Hinestroza was included in the starting lineup. His speed and creative ability would be perfect to go at Monterrey on the counter. Of course, that game plan would have to change after the Rayados opened the scoring in the 11th minute. After the goal went in, the Crew shifted to a more attacking approach. Sean Zawadzki started shifting into midfield alongside Darlington Nagbe and Morris. This change did not yield many great results because Monterrey’s press was plugging up the middle of the pitch. So, after a few possessions in midfield, Zawadzki often moved up into a more advanced position alongside Cucho Hernandez. Zawadzki would switch back and forth between lining up with Nagbe and Morris and going forward into a higher position. His versatility and ability to pinch inside gave Hinestroza more space on the right wing, and a partner inside to link up with. Monterrey on the other hand was giving the Black & Gold trouble at times with their pressure and attacking strategy. The Rayados learned from the first game and committed six players in the high press rather than five like they did in Columbus. The pressuring players would apply pressure onto the Crew’s back three and midfielders while the Rayados’ defensive line would move higher. In the first leg in Columbus, Monterrey’s defense sat deeper, leaving a hole in the midfield for dropping attackers to exploit. In the first half, they pushed up higher to cut down that space, relying on communication to hold the defensive line. On offense, Monterrey made it a priority to target the wings. They relied on the Black & Gold’s wingbacks to get up the field in the attack, so they wanted to hit the empty space on the counterattack. When the counter was not on, the Rayados were content to possess the ball and probe at the Crew backline. Columbus had issues holding a consistent defensive line, showcased in the Monterrey goal. Cheberko tracked the Monterrey runner on the goal, keeping him onside rather than letting him run into an offside position. It is a mistake that will happen when the Black & Gold play the style that they do, but it cost the Crew early. Luckily, a goalkeeping mistake and a moment of brilliance from Morris landed Columbus a vital goal and momentum before halftime. They would go in at half ahead in the tie, with a crucial away goal in the pocket for the second half. Second half adjustments The Black & Gold came out in the second half and looked like the better team thanks to their halftime adjustments. The first big switch they made was to bring on Alexandru Matan for Hinestroza. This gave the Crew another guy who could play in the midfield and allow Hernandez and Rossi to roam around the attacking third with more freedom. Matan slid into that attacking three but played mostly like a no. 10. The second change was to push back Nagbe to sit deeper in front of the defensive line. Protecting a lead, Columbus wanted to make sure they had defensive security. Letting Nagbe sit deeper and pull the strings from farther back in midfield was a good safety valve for the Black & Gold. The Crew also learned how to deal with Monterrey’s press and possess the ball in the attacking half. The Rayados liked to press Columbus towards the sideline, cutting off the nearest players so the only options were to play a long switch or a ball into the feet of an attacker. With Monterrey not pressing as high in the second half, this allowed the Black & Gold to move the ball. Still, the overaggressive nature of the Rayados’ defense to contest forward passes played right into the Crew’s hands. On Columbus’ second goal of the night, Hernandez dropped into midfield and dragged a Monterrey defender with him. This opened space in the middle of the field for Matan, who took the ball and ran at the defense. With a simple slip pass into Rossi, the Black & Gold were 2-1 up on the night and looked to be in complete control of the tie. That scoring chance came off the Crew baiting Monterrey into pressing them on the right side of the pitch. A quick switch to Yaw Yeboah allowed Columbus to find extra open players and prey on the Rayados’ overshift. Defensively, the Black & Gold switched to a 5-4-1 on defense, leaving only Hernandez up top to chase down any clearances. They did not park the bus though. Rossi and Matan both still got forward with the wingbacks to join Hernandez and look for more goals. Pulling nine players back on defense was important to counter Monterrey, who now had three strikers looking to get their heads on the ends of crosses. The Crew was resilient though, refusing every single cross, shot, and chance the Rayados had. It was a textbook outing from Nancy and the Black & Gold, which has now landed them one game away from a CONCACAF Champions League title and a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Columbus Crew returned from CONCACAF Champions Cup play to tie again in MLS competition, this time against CF Montreal. This matchup was anticipated by Crew fans due to the return of Montreal’s new coach Laurent Courtois to Columbus. The former Crew 2 coach got the job up in Canada after two successful seasons at the helm of the Capys. The first half of this contest was a snooze-fest, with both teams feeling each other out with minimal attacking chances. In the second half though, that changed. The Black & Gold switched their attacking philosophy in the second half, generating opportunity after opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net. Unfortunately for the home crowd, no goals would be witnessed on Saturday. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, giving the Crew a point as they prepare to head down to Mexico to take on Monterrey. The change in attacking philosophy and the similar playstyles of both teams made for an interesting tactical matchup. Let’s dive into all the tactical decisions that went into this chess match. Chess match of similar philosophies When this match was put onto the MLS calendar, Crew fans knew what this clash would entail. Courtois’ return to Columbus with an MLS team of his own was set to challenge Wilfried Nancy’s style and attempt to dethrone the champs. Early on, there were similarities but there were differences as well. Montreal started the game not pressing as hard as the Black & Gold would on the other end of the pitch. They seemed content letting the Crew have the ball and instead tried to lockdown their backline to limit Columbus’ chances. This worked very well in the first 45. The visitors kept the Black & Gold out of their box and limited the quality of chances the Crew had. Most of this was Columbus’ own fault though. At times, the home side looked reluctant to go forward. It was as if Caleb Porter was back on the touchline at Lower.com Field for another half of coaching. Montreal’s offensive strategy also featured attributes of Nancy’s system but still had some of Courtois’ tweaks lurking within it. The Canadian side tried their best to counter the Crew when possible, wanting to take advantage of Columbus’ overaggressive tendencies. By Montreal allowing the Black & Gold to possess the ball, the home side grew more confident and committed more bodies forward in attack. That is exactly what the visitors wanted, so they could retain the ball and go forward quickly courtesy of striker Mason Toye. That did not mean Montreal did not try to build out of the back like the Crew frequently does. If the counter chance was unavailable, the Canadian side was content with trying to play through the Columbus re-press. They were not as patient and bold as the Black & Gold sometimes are, which led to clearances being retained by the Crew. Montreal had a repress of their own as well, trying to pin Columbus deep in its own territory and prey on their mistakes. This happened on a few occasions, gifting the away side some solid chances to take the lead. Overall, you can see the similarities between Courtois and Nancy’s squads. With time and the right personnel, Montreal could grow into a force in the Eastern Conference. For now, though, the Canadian club will take a result against the defending champions and move on to their next challenge. How did Columbus change in the second half? The first half for the Black & Gold was… boring to say the least. They controlled the ball and pace of play but looked disinterested going forward. At times where a push could have been made toward goal, the ball was instead played backward in favor of more passive possession. Crew fans have seen this before, during the Porter years before the Nancy era came into Columbus. It was a style of soccer that worked at the time, but with the recent free-flowing, bold, and exciting style that Nancy brought to the Black & Gold, fans do not want to see the passive possession system return. In the second half, the Crew made changes to ramp up the attacking pressure on Montreal’s defense. The first change was moving wingback Max Arfsten up into the midfield alongside Alexandru Matan on offense. With dueling no. 10’s behind Jacen Russell-Rowe, it gave Columbus more options and bodies up top to create and combine. Another change was the dynamic positioning of Aidan Morris. Throughout the match, Morris tended to drift out to the right side. With Arfsten tucking inside so Marino Hinestroza could be wider on the left side, the right side was the same. Morris played on the right side to connect with Mo Farsi and cover for the Canadian right back when he was high up the pitch in transition situations. The final switch the Black & Gold made was to push Sean Zawadzki and Malte Amundsen into the attack more. Montreal’s main attacking plan was to send the ball forward to Toye for him to battle with the defense while the rest of the team got up into the attack on the counter. The Crew left Yevhen Cheberko on Toye and sent more bodies forward in pursuit of all three points. These changes generated a multitude of attacking changes for Columbus. The chances kept coming when Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, Steven Moreira, and Yaw Yeboah came onto the pitch as substitutes. Despite the 2.1 xG amount of chances the Crew generated, Columbus never found the breakthrough. It is a rare occasion when a Nancy-led Black & Gold team does not find the back of the net, but luckily for the Crew they still came away with a point. The focus now shifts to Wednesday, when a date with Monterrey will decide who goes to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

The Columbus Crew emerged victorious on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead on aggregate down to Mexico against Monterrey. Columbus struck first against the Rayados courtesy of Cucho Hernandez in the first half. Monterrey had its chances, but so did the Black & Gold. It was the Mexican club that would get on the scoreboard next, evening the tie on goals but going up on the away-goals rule. The Crew would find the winner though, by way of Jacen Russell-Rowe’s head. Columbus would hold onto that lead, taking a 2-1 advantage down to Monterrey. Wilfried Nancy played his cards the way he has since he came to the Black & Gold. He employed a bold, brash, and beautiful style of soccer that would have major payoffs if the players executed. It was a hard-fought game against the Rayados, but the Crew got it done. Let’s dive into the tactics that went into this massive matchup. Columbus’ strategy The Black & Gold came out and played as they typically did; regardless of the competition. The Crew’s manager summed it up perfectly: “We respect everyone,” Nancy said, “but we fear no one.” In that mindset of not having fears or doubts, Columbus took the Rayados head-on. The Black & Gold lined up in their typical three/five back set, with two defensive midfielders and an attacking trio of Russell-Rowe, Hernandez, and Diego Rossi. The inclusion of Russell-Rowe in the squad was designed to combat how Monterrey wanted to go after the Crew. The Rayados’ press often left a gap between the Mexican side’s attackers and defenders. Russell-Rowe’s job was to drop into the open space and hold up the ball so the Columbus defense could move up the field. If the Canadian was marked, Hernandez and even Rossi at times would drop in to try and help relieve the pressure. The attackers’ assistance got the Black & Gold out of tough situations and set them up to counter Monterrey quickly. Because of the pressing nature of both teams, this game turned into a track meet for large portions of the match. The Rayados were very quick to dive into tackles to turn the Crew over and trigger a counterattack. After a nervous first few minutes, Columbus noticed and adjusted. From that point on, the Black & Gold tried to prey on Monterrey’s overaggressive tendency. The Crew tried to switch and move the ball to get the away side to over-commit. When the Rayados would press too far, Columbus would pounce on the vacated space. Russell-Rowe was put into the starting lineup for this reason, to hold up play and create space in behind for the other attackers. That is exactly what happened on Hernandez’s goal. The Colombian striker drew a Monterrey defender towards him and quickly played the ball into Russell-Rowe’s feet. The Canadian striker had previously dropped more into midfield, dragging a Rayados center back with him. After a quick one-two with Russell-Rowe, Hernandez ran into the space vacated by the centerback and dispatched the ball in the back of the net. The Black & Gold took exactly what Monterrey was doing to make them uncomfortable and used that tactic against them to go ahead on the scoresheet. On the defensive side, the Crew were focused on pressuring the ball and staying organized defensively. The Columbus press’ goal was to not allow the Rayados to turn upfield. They wanted Monterrey to receive the ball with their back to the Black & Gold’s goal and force them back by applying pressure from behind. This contained but effective press made Monterrey need to combine to get around the Crew, but it left Columbus vulnerable in some areas. If a player presses up, it could leave a hole in the space they just vacated. This is where the communication aspect comes in. Defenders Rudy Camacho, Steven Moreira and Yevhen Cheberko had to be on top of their game to organize and sort out the defense. There were times when wingbacks Yaw Yeboah and Sean Zawadzki were caught out of position due to the press. If that happened, Aidan Morris and Darlington Nagbe needed to pull back to fill those wingback gaps. The midfielders did that job well for most of the match, with a few slip-ups here and there. The bold style of the Black & Gold perpetuated by their manager shined once again, this time on the international stage. They did their job in the first leg, but a daunting date down in Mexico awaits them. Monterrey’s strategy The Mexican side came into the game looking to disrupt the Crew’s possessive tendencies by pressing high and fast. Their offense would be generated off Columbus turnovers high up the field, or through spells of possessive pressure. Monterrey preferred to press with five players up top, and then drop another five deeper to play defense. This opened a big hole between the attack and defense, but they hoped to plug the passing lanes and bottleneck the Black & Gold defense. The Rayados’ press attempted to limit the Crew from switching the ball. A striker would cover the middle centerback on his back shoulder, making a switch to the other side of the field almost impossible without turning the ball over. What Monterrey did not consider was how Columbus could play through Patrick Shulte. The American goalkeeper became an additional option to switch the ball through when Camacho was marked. At times he turned the ball over, but having a goalkeeper who can play with their feet was paramount to this game for the Black & Gold. At times, Monterrey would throw an additional defender forward to press with six. Although it did not happen as often, it turned up the pressure on the Crew and forced them to go long into the feet of Russell-Rowe, Hernandez and Rossi. On the offensive end, Monterrey wanted to generate chances on the counter when possible. If they could retain the ball after a Columbus turnover, they were trying to fly forward through the Black & Gold’s re-press to take advantage. Because of the Crew’s affinity for throwing eight to nine players forward in the attack, it left them undermanned on defense at times. Both outside center backs and defensive midfielders for Columbus did a phenomenal job recovering to do their defensive diligence. The little things like playing through Shulte, remaining calm under pressure, and getting back quickly on defense won this match for the Black & Gold. They still have 90 more minutes to go, but they set themselves up nicely in the first leg.

The Columbus Crew finished with yet another draw on Saturday, this time against the Portland Timbers. Portland struck first early in the match on a slow rolling shot that snuck its way past Patrick Schulte. The Black & Gold evened the game courtesy of a Cucho Hernandez shot that found the bottom corner in the second half. The Timbers equalized a mere six minutes later, capitalizing off a defensive mistake by Rudy Camacho. A Steven Moreira screamer from outside the box leveled the game again for Columbus, but a Cucho free kick bounced off the inside of the woodwork and did not cross the line to end the game in dramatic fashion. The Crew started its usual first-choice lineup but made a few minor tweaks in shape before and during the game. Let’s dive into the tactical decisions that went into yet another Columbus draw. Aggression as a double-edged sword Teams around Major League Soccer know that the Black & Gold like to play a high-pressure and possession style of soccer. This tactical choice means that the Crew likes to aggressively gamble, whether trying to win the ball back or committing numbers forward in the attack. Against Portland, the pros and cons of this aggressive style reared its head. First, let’s start with what went wrong for Columbus. The most obvious example is the Timbers’ second goal of the game. The ball was played into the feet of Evander, which made Camacho step up on him to try and knock the ball out. The French center back often does this whenever the player he is marking is receiving the ball. Camacho’s pressure pulled him out of position, allowing Evander to dummy the ball and let the pass slip behind himself and Camacho. Subsequently, Camacho ran into his running mate Moreira, taking them both out of the play entirely. From there, Portland went on to score against an undermanned and scrambling Columbus defense. Many would say this is bad defense, but it is simply the risk Wilfried Nancy, and the Crew accepted when they signed onto playing this high-pressure system. Almost always, Camacho wins the ball, and the Crew can start a counterattack of his defensive quality. In this instance though, Evander’s trickiness caused the veteran defender to misjudge the pass and it ended up with the ball in the back of the net. On the other end though, the Black & Gold’s aggression paid off in a big way. Columbus’ ability to commit the outside center backs into the attack worked when Moreira hit a stunner from outside the box to tie the game. Throughout the match and especially when the Crew were trailing, Moreira and Malte Amundsen would step into the midfield. This gave the Black & Gold more width and attacking options in the final third. On Moreira’s goal, the ball was switched from the left side to him on the right side, where he was able to take one touch and have a shot. It was a laser to the top corner that would be hard to replicate, but Columbus will not complain. Moreira’s goal would not have been possible if the Crew had not gambled and pushed the center backs into the attack. While Camacho’s aggression on the defensive end cost the Black & Gold, Moreira’s aggression to go forward favored Columbus. Often, the aggressive decisions are going to favor the Crew as this team meshes more throughout the season. Formation changes The Crew came into this game set up in the usual 5-2-3 formation, but it had a twist. Yaw Yeboah did not line up in his left wingback spot, instead, Will Sands occupied that space. Yeboah played in the attack with Diego Rossi and Hernandez but tucked inside more rather than playing on the wing. By coming infield, Yeboah let Sands have more space outside to overlap and get into the attack. Crew fans will notice that despite this tweak, the Black & Gold did not have much success attacking in the first half. Portland adjusted well to Columbus’ formation change and made it hard to play down the left side. One of the Timbers’ defensive midfielders would manmark Sands on the left wing, forming a five-back formation for Portland. With Sands and Yeboah covered by the dropping midfielder and outside back, they did not get the ball much in a controlled buildup. This tactical adjustment by Portland gave the Crew fits and allowed the visitors to build a lead. In the second half, Nancy changed things up to prevent this roadblock. Sands was substituted for Jacen Russell-Rowe, who slid into the attack to form a more fluid front three. Now Yeboah moved into his more natural wingback position while Rossi, Hernandez, and Russell-Rowe roamed the attacking third. This allowed Columbus more attacking firepower in the attack, while also gaining a player in Russell-Rowe who can combine in close quarters with the other attackers. Portland’s defense emphasized plugging as many attacking lanes as possible to suffocate the Crew’s attack. The only way through was by whipping crosses in, or quickly combining in tight spaces. This meant the Black & Gold had to commit more bodies forward, shifting into a 1-4-5 on offense to put Portland under an immense amount of pressure. It worked, resulting in Columbus’ first goal. With Aidan Morris, Mo Farsi, Moreira, and Rossi overloading the Timbers’ defense on the left, they combined around the defense and ultimately found Hernandez on a late-arriving run for the goal. The in-game adjustment to bring on Russell-Rowe in place of Sands ended up being a huge move to get the Crew back in the game. It was important for the Black & Gold to recognize their plan was not working and adjust as fast as they could. They did, and it got them a point when the final whistle blew.

The Columbus Crew returned to MLS play on Saturday evening, taking on Real Salt Lake away from home. The Black & Gold’s lineup was heavily rotated, featuring only three regular starters such as Aidan Morris, Rudy Camacho, and Malte Amundsen. Columbus still played its brand of soccer but had to rely more on their defense against an RSL squad that sent out their first team. It was a back-and-forth contest, but it ended up goalless. Coming away with a point on the road with a heavily rotated squad will be seen as a win in Wilfried Nancy’s eyes. Nancy still set his team up the same way but made some tweaks based on the personnel on the pitch. Let’s dive into those tactical changes that allowed the Crew to grab a point on the road. Altered formation to accommodate the squad’s playstyles When the lineups were released, the biggest question was the formation the Black & Gold would line up in. Players like Sean Zawadzki, Max Arfsten, Alex Matan, and Taha Habroune can all play multiple positions, so Nancy could have gone several different ways regarding the formation. He opted to keep the defensive and pressing formation the same as usual with a 5-2-3. On offense though, the Black & Gold set themselves in a 3-2-2-3 with a boxed midfield. The three center backs remained in their positions, although Phillip Quinton and Amundsen were free to go forward into the midfield if they wanted. Morris and Zawadzki were the two defensive midfielders, mostly staying in the center of the pitch as opposed to shifting outside like the midfielders did against Tigres. Matan and Habroune were in front of Morris and Zawadzki as dueling no. 10s. They remained in the advance attacking positions but were free to drop deeper if the space was there. Will Sands and Arfsten pushed up from their wingback positions to be wingers while Jacen Russell-Rowe took a central striker role. That was the base formation the Black & Gold were in, but like any Nancy team, it is subject to change as the game progresses. One thing that changed was the number of players committed to the defensive midfield area. Both Morris and Zawadzki stayed in that area, but an outside centerback would step up as well based on where the ball was. If the ball was possessed on one of the wings, the backside centerback would step into the midfield to help aid in switching the ball. The other outside center back would be support for the player in possession on that side. Another thing the Crew liked to do at times was push Matan and Habroune up to form a front five. The two midfielders would slide in alongside Russell-Rowe and give an extra punch to the attack. This move did not yield many fruitful results, but it was interesting to see them try to go after the win. These changes did not net Columbus three points, but it allowed them to keep pressure on the RSL backline and come out with a draw. Columbus’ press The Crew kept their normal press going against Real Salt Lake, despite featuring a heavily rotated squad. Working out of a 5-2-3, the Black & Gold tried their best to create chaos and create turnovers that they could translate into attacking chances. The front three consisting of Russell-Rowe, Matan, and Habroune would press the opposing defenders and try to contain them. Their job was not to allow the center backs to advance the ball through the center by getting beat off the dribble. Behind them, Morris and Zawadzki stepped up to try and cut off the splits. Dropping midfielders tried to come back towards the defense to gain a numbers advantage, but Columbus’ dueling defensive midfielders followed them to ramp up the pressure. On the outsides, the wingbacks’ job was to press high on RSL’s outside backs. If they could contain the outside while Morris and Zawadzki covered the splits, they could bottleneck the hosts. With all the other players pushing up, the center backs for the Black & Gold would as well. This shortened the field for RSL, but it also left the Crew vulnerable in behind. With both wingbacks committed to the press, the wide areas were only covered by the outside center backs. This allowed long balls over the top to expose the backline and give the hosts lots of quality looks on goal. With quick players like Diego Luna and Chicho Arango up top, it posed a mismatch for Columbus’ defense. Luckily for the Black & Gold, none of RSL’s attacks resulted in a goal. Nobody ever roots for a game to end in a draw, but the Crew and Nancy will take the point and move on to the next game.

The Columbus Crew advanced in dramatic fashion in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, besting Tigres on penalties. The game got off to a disastrous start for the Black & Gold, with a failed pull-back by Patrick Schulte resulting in an easy opener for the hosts. From there, Columbus had to scrap and claw to generate scoring chances. Ultimately, the Crew found their goal in the second half courtesy of Diego Rossi. The 1-1 score line remained the same for the rest of regulation and overtime, setting the stage for a penalty shootout. Schulte redeemed himself in a big way, saving two Tigres penalties to allow the Black & Gold to advance 4-3 in the shootout. Wilfried Nancy did not change philosophy much against the Mexican giants but instead allowed his team to trust their process and figure out a way to win. Let’s dive into the tactics that allowed Columbus to advance to the semi-finals. First half woes The first half could not have started worse for the Black & Gold. Only three minutes into the game, a gaffe by Schulte gifted Tigres the lead and made life even more difficult for the Crew. In response to this, Columbus did not change the way they played. They continued to go forward and defend like they were doing before the goal went in, showing a strict belief in the game plan Nancy had set in place. Despite the resiliency to stick to the tactical vision, the Black & Gold struggled in the first 45 minutes. Tigres’ pressure caused the Crew to turn the ball over in dangerous positions. The hosts even had two more goals overturned due to offsides or fouls, but Columbus got lucky to only concede one. The Tigres press was designed to cause chaos for the Black & Gold. The hosts pressed high up the pitch with five players, cutting off the central midfielders and center backs so they could not advance through the middle. For whatever reason, the Crew did not deal well with the press. Typically cool on the ball, the center backs were making bad passes trying to escape pressure which allowed additional chances for Tigres. Another issue was the midfielders’ hesitancy to come back to the ball. Tigres always looked like they were first to react, which spelled doom for Columbus. Tigres’ press aimed to push the Crew back towards their own goal without allowing them to advance the ball to the wings. The hosts left both dropping wingbacks open and tried a pinch press to push the Black & Gold back towards the middle of the field. If Columbus could find the wingbacks or wide players, they could advance the ball much easier around the teeth of the Tigres press. Unfortunately for them, the Mexican side made it tough throughout the first half. Despite the constant press from Tigres, the Crew were able to adjust and find a way to turn the game around in the second half to advance. Another formation change The Black & Gold also tried to tweak their formation from the beginning. In possession, they shifted from their normal 5-2-3 to a 2-3-5. Yevhen Cheberko and Rudy Camacho stayed as the two defenders while Steven Moreira split out on the right as a half-pivot/midfielder. Darlington Nagbe stayed in the center of the pitch as a lone central midfielder while Derrick Jones shifted out to the left as a half-pivot. The attack remained fluid with five players up top. Marino Hinestroza split out to play on the left wing while Yaw Yeboah came inside to play as an extra false nine. Rossi and Cucho Hernandez continued to roam around the center of the pitch with Mo Farsi out on the right wing. This formational switch put emphasis on the attack, committing five players to the front line and giving them freedom to combine. Yeboah was the biggest surprise, pinching inside like a false nine of 10 from his usual wide position. The Tigres press gave the formation problems in the first half, but Columbus learned how to deal with it and find open space in the second half. The Mexican side liked to press the Crew into a certain area of the pitch and try to trap them there, leaving the backside switch wide open. When the Black & Gold realized that if they could switch the ball they could get out of the pressure, they started having more success. Columbus’ goal came on a backside switch to Hernandez who was sitting off the back shoulder of the defender. The Crew changed their formation again after the goal and with some of the substitutes coming on. When Jacen Russell-Rowe came into the game, Hernandez shaded out more on the wing to allow Russell-Rowe that inside space. With Alex Matan coming on for Derrick Jones, the Romanian had to play a bit deeper alongside Nagbe in midfield. These substitutes allowed the Black & Gold to take the emphasis off their defenders to get forward into the attack by bringing on more attack-minded players. The Columbus backline sat back more conservatively after these subs, trying to hold on to the draw while seeing if the offense could combine for the winner. In the end, the Crew battled back from a nightmare first half to advance to the next round thanks to heroics from Shulte and Max Arfsten burying the deciding penalty. The resiliency of this Columbus squad to stick to their game plan and grind out the victory will be one to remember for years to come.