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The Columbus Crew picked up a point at home on Sunday against a depleted Philadelphia Union squad. Although missed chances and referee decisions were a hot discussion topic after the game, Columbus ended up with a positive result against a good Eastern Conference opponent. The Crew now sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings but are unbeaten in their last 5 games. The Black & Gold didn’t change much from their midweek clash with Toronto FC, but there were a few tactical nuances that stuck out on Sunday. Let’s dive in. Aidan Morris’ freedom to roam Yet again on Sunday it seemed like Aidan Morris was all over the field making tackles, passes, and getting onto the ball as much as possible. It was as if he was given the green light to roam free around the field to make as much of an impact as possible. For example, at times where the Crew wanted to get their wingbacks higher up the field Morris dropping into defense alongside Jonathan Mensah to allow Steven Moreira to get higher up the field. This also makes switching the ball easier because Columbus had an extra player to control possession in the back. Another time Morris was up as high as the striker position to help the Black & Gold press and try to turn the ball over, but after Philadelphia broke the press, he was on the sprint back to his midfield spot. This freedom to roam is not usually given to many players in a system, but it fits Morris perfectly due to his ability to run and never get tired. His work rate is so immense that he can affect the game by just running around and being dynamic, and that’s exactly what he did on Sunday. Columbus’ 3-5-2 The Crew dominated much of the game on Sunday at Lower.com Field and looked very positive going forward, but when they sat back while Philadelphia attacked, they looked even stronger. This heavily has to do with the new formation Caleb Porter has instituted over the past few weeks, the 3-5-2. This particular formation is known for its ability to change based on which team has possession. On defense, Columbus played more of a 5-3-2 or even at some points a 5-2-2-1. This five-defender formation is what made it hard for Philadelphia to have quality chances going forward consistently. With three experienced defenders in Jonathan Mensah, Milos Degenek, and Josh Williams, the Crew defense looks more organized and they were able to earn another clean sheet at home. This is just another puzzle piece that Porter has in his arsenal to pull out if the Crew are protecting a lead and need to shell up and park the bus. It is not the sexiest brand of soccer to watch, but Columbus do it very well, and it gets them results. The late change to a 4-2-3-1 As the match wore on and Lucas Zelarayan’s goal was disallowed, Caleb Porter decided to make a personnel change by subbing off Milos Degenek and replacing him with Derrick Etienne. This was the Crew going all in to try and find the goal that could give them three points. In that moment they switched out of the 3-5-2 that they had played all game and went into a more classic 4-2-3-1. This was a more attack minded formation with substitutes Etienne and Kevin Molino on the wings to bring speed and energy to go at the tiring Philadelphia defense. The wingers would actually pinch toward the inside of the field to allow Pedro Santos and Steven Moreira to overlap and give Columbus even more options in the attacking half of the pitch. At points they were throwing all the attacking bodies forward except for Josh Williams and Jonathan Mensah who stayed 10 yards inside Philadelphia’s half to prevent any counter attacks from the Union. It ultimately didn’t result in a goal, but it was the ambition from the Black & Gold to throw all their chips in a chase a goal that was the message late Sunday night.

The Black & Gold got back to winning ways on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory on the road against Toronto FC. While the return of Lucas Zelarayan was exciting for all Crew fans, the game was controlled by the newcomers Sean Zwadzki and Jacen Russel Rowe. Along with that, the Black & Gold was set up to win by a strong set of tactics by Caleb Porter that allowed the team to take all three points back to Columbus. Let’s dive in. The Defensive impact of the 3-5-2 After seeing Columbus set up in a 3-5-2 against Charlotte, Crew fans got to see just how this new formation works out for Columbus against another tough Eastern Conference opponent. What stood out though was the way the Black & Gold’s defense performed throughout the game. When in possession, Jonathan Mensah and Milos Degenek would drift out toward the sideline to allow the ball to be switched to them in space. When TFC had the ball though, the wingbacks would drop in alongside the centerbacks to allow Columbus to shell up in a 5-3-2. This is why Toronto had a hard time scoring all game, because the Crew made it so congested in their own box with 5 defenders and 3 midfielders all pitching in on their defensive duties. Granted, TFC did score a goal, which was a defensive breakdown where the Crew midfielders didn’t put pressure on the ball, so Toronto got a cross into their striker who ran right behind Jonathan Mensah in his blind spot. It was a bad mistake and the Black & Gold paid for it, but if they can have better communication and organization across the backline, the Crew will be even better defensively than they already are. The Midfield Trio After the midfield’s performance in Sandy, Utah, Caleb Porter wanted to keep Sean Zwadzki, Darlington Nagbe, and Aiden Morris together for the game in Toronto to see how they could build on the display in the previous game. Needless to say, it worked out pretty well for Porter and the Crew, because they looked in sync. Nagbe always brings the flair and Morris brings his motor, but Sean Zwadzki was the standout in midfield. After banging in a superb outside of the box goal on his first ever shot in MLS, Zwadzki was all over the field, playing passes, switches, and even getting in his dirty work defensively. This midfield trio was everything the Crew needed and will need going forward. Nagbe provides a leadership role and command to the group to make sure everyone is in line and where they are supposed to be. Morris will run the entire field and put in physical work without breaking a sweat. Zwadzki controls the tempo and makes smart choices when building up from the back, while also having a cannon for a foot. One of the interesting things the midfielders did in Toronto was drift wide into a wingback position. Typically it was Aiden Morris, but occasionally any of the three midfielders would drift wide to allow Columbus to have widt, allow the actual wingbacks to get higher up the field, and free up space for Lucas Zelarayan to drop in and ask for the ball to feet. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of these three on the pitch, and the only problem Caleb Porter has now is deciding what to do with them when Artur comes back. I would say that’s a pretty good problem to have Jacen Russel-Rowe and Lucas Zelarayan up top The biggest surprise of Wednesday night was Jacen Russel-Rowe being instantly inserted into the starting lineup after being signed from Crew 2. It was a welcome surprise from Crew fans and ended up being just what the Black & Gold needed. Porter put Zelarayan and Russel-Rowe up top so that they could provide an attacking threat without getting in each other’s way. For example, when Zelarayan is more comfortable dropping into the midfield and asking for the ball to his feet, Russel-Rowe was making diagonal runs in behind the defense for Zelarayan to find him. This diversity of runs gives the Crew multiple options of how to build up in attack as well as giving Lucas Zelarayan space to create without the other striker running into his space and bringing more defenders over. Russel-Rowe also showed extreme maturity in how he was able to hold off defenders and wait for his trailing teammates to join him in attack, as well as being able to make different types of runs to keep the defense guessing. The return from injury for Lucas Zelarayan was a relatively quiet one, but it was productive because it got him some time to work with Russel-Rowe in a real game situation, as well as providing a chance to knock off some rust. I think we will be seeing more of young Crew players making impacts in the future, and I just can’t wait.

Saturday’s late-night game ended in a scoreless draw for the Black & Gold against tough competition in Real Salt Lake. RSL sit near the top of the Western Conference in second place, so a point on the road for Columbus feels like a victory. In a heavily rotated squad due to injuries, Caleb Porter opted for a more conservative, but effective approach when setting up his team tactically. Let’s dive in. Sitting back Many times, in this series of tactical reviews I have put emphasis on the way the Crew presses, and the nuances of the press depending on the game. While there was some pressing done by the Black & Gold in Utah, it was the decision to sit back that made the game interesting for Columbus. Caleb Porter was faced with a mountain of a task going into this matchday with an away game, a good opponent, and an injury ridden squad to deal with. All these factors played into Porter’s decision to sit back and really try to either get a 1-0 win or a 0-0 tie. While fans may have an issue with this, the fact is that the Crew need to pick up points wherever they can, and when you’re facing a very good team, on their turf, with a squad that is far from your preferred starting eleven, you have to work with what you have and adjust your goals for the game. This game Columbus was content at times to just let RSL possess the ball, but at moments would try to get forward and win the ball. Most of the time the Black & Gold sat back with 8-9 guys on defense, usually with Miguel Berry alone up top to run down long balls. All in all, the choice worked, and the Crew are heading back home with a hard-earned point. So many set pieces! The Crew looking to earn fouls and free kicks is something that we usually don’t see when Lucas Zelarayan is not on the field. Columbus again had to accept the reality of the game, and Caleb Porter figured that the best chances the Black & Gold would get would have to come off of set pieces. Throw ins, free kicks, and corners were a point of emphasis today for Columbus as they pushed for the opening goal to get ahead. On corners, the Crew would crowd the opposing goalkeeper, hoping to cause some mayhem that could end up with the ball in the back of the net. With all the bodies flying around, the goalkeeper is more prone to make a mistake, and then you have multiple players ready to pounce. Real Salt Lake committing 16 fouls also helped Columbus gain some dangerous opportunities, but unfortunately for the Black & Gold, the service was just not there for a player to make the home team pay. 0-0 is never a fun score line from a fans’ perspective, but Columbus will take the ever elusive road point. The return of the swing player Ah yes ladies and gentlemen we are back again talking about the swing player. We haven’t seen Caleb Porter deliberately use a swing player consistently in quite some time, but Sean Zawadzki filled in position very comfortably. There are two reasons for the implementation of the swing player against RSL. Firstly, the swing player provides better help in possessing the ball and transitioning into attack. With Sean Zawadzki sitting between Mensah and Degenek, it allowed both outside backs to get higher, while also creating channels for Nagbe and Morris to exploit. If the RSL midfielders were to cheat towards the outside to cut off the outside backs from receiving the ball, Zawadzki could just pass to Nagbe or Morris. On the other hand, if the RSL midfielders decided to stay more central, it allows Zawadzki to get the ball out wide and into space. Secondly, it provides defensive cover in case of a turnover in transition. If the Crew were trying to build out of their half but gave away a bad pass, you already have extra support from Zawadzki because he is sitting so deep. He also is quicker than Mensah and Degenek, so he can track down 50/50 balls more effectively. Watching the game tonight reminded me of 2021 where Columbus played high possession ball, while utilizing the swing player to break down opponents. Hopefully Columbus can build on this heading into a midweek clash in Toronto.

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

The Columbus Crew finally picked up a win in Atlanta on Saturday with a 2-1 score line. After a quick goal from Jonathan Mensah, Erik Hurtado doubled the Black & Gold lead before halftime. From there Columbus held on, only conceding a bicycle kick goal by Dom Dwyer in stoppage time. Heroics from Eloy Room along with some changes in play from the coaching box led the Crew to a much-needed road win. Let’s dive in. Darlington Nagbe playing deeper I think it can be said that Darlington Nagbe has had his fair share of bad press in the past few weeks relating to his performance on the pitch, but he bounced back with a nice performance on Saturday evening. His positional placement is what I want to focus on here. At the beginning of the season, Darlington Nagbe and Artur were given a freedom to roam the midfield to keep possession of the ball and make plays. That changed this past weekend, as Nagbe was placed in front of the defense in a defensive midfielder role, while Artur was pushed a little bit higher up the pitch. This allowed Nagbe to see the play happening in front of him clearer, and then he could make interceptions and organize the team from his defensive midfield spot. By pushing Artur higher, it also gave him more space to find passing lanes instead of restricting him to one side of the field, which is what tends to happen when Artur is playing alongside him. This openness gave Nagbe creative freedom and also put one of Columbus’ more dangerous players in a favorable situation More emphasis on playing the ball through the middle of the pitch Caleb Porter in the preseason said that he needed more production from his wingers this year, meaning the ball would have to be put at their feet out wide to allow them to create. This has been mostly what the Crew have done this year, attacking down the sides of the pitch. The difference on Saturday was that we didn’t see that as much, and most of the play was making its way through the middle. With the players Columbus had in midfield I think this was a good move, because Artur, Darlington Nagbe, and Aidan Morris are highly technical quality players on a consistent basis. By putting the ball at their feet, they then could feed Erik Hurtado down the middle, while also still having the option to swing the ball out wide to the Black & Gold wingers. When you only are attacking down the sides of the field, there aren’t many options once you get in an attacking area. Usually you can either cross the ball into the middle of the box or drop it back to a trailing wingback or midfielder. When a team attacks down the middle, they have the whole field to work with. Another element of this style of play is the wingbacks can stay a little bit more back than before. Because the ball is not being isolated on the side of the field, there is no need for the wingbacks to get super high and support, because the midfielders have enough support already in the middle of the pitch. Where the Crew need to improve The quality of play and lack of mistakes was much better on Saturday compared to past games, but there is still areas of improvement that the Black & Gold can take to get better results. The main thing they need to fix is their passing. Columbus prides itself on a style of play that emphasizes passing the ball, lots and lots of times. They want to break down an opposing team and then capitalize on their chances they create. The passing has not been good enough in the past few weeks. Many times, there are chances to pass out of an opposing team’s press, but the Crew just blast the ball down the field. Nagbe and Artur are finding good splits, but the defense is just electing to play long instead. They need to pass the ball better and more efficient. They also have to get the ball off of their foot quicker. Too many times the players try to dribble their opponents when there is an easy pass that can be played that is a much better option. These are juvenile mistakes that can be fixed, but that is up to Caleb Porter and his coaching staff.

The Crew fell yet again on Saturday to league points leader LAFC at home, making playoff hopes look more farfetched. Columbus now sits in 12th in the Eastern Conference, only a mere two points ahead of last place Chicago. The baffling part of Saturday’s game was the way the tide changed for the Black & Gold, from domination to subjugation in a matter of minutes. An array of mistakes and stupid decisions got in the way of the Crew securing all three points, even though they controlled the game for 60 minutes. Let’s dive into some of the tactical decisions Porter went with. Stacking Artur and Nagbe to send the wingbacks higher This was a subtle nuance of what Columbus has been doing for the past few weeks. In recent games, Darlington Nagbe and Artur have been filling in on defensive duty to allow Pedro Santos and Steven Moreira to go higher up the field into attacking areas. Typically, this looked like one of the midfields dropping between the centerbacks while the other stayed up in a true midfield role. With the Crew looking to try and create more of an attacking threat, Porter has decided to gamble a little bit. He tweaked this game plan by keeping Artur and Nagbe up higher. Instead of dropping in between the centerbacks, Darlington Nagbe would play right in front of them, and then Artur would play in front of Nagbe in a line. The wingbacks would still go high, the only difference compared to the last few weeks is where Darlington Nagbe and Artur would play. This means that Nagbe could still play a true midfield role in front of the centerbacks, but the downside is that now if the Black & Gold were to get counter attacked, the only deep players would be Jonathan Mensah and Josh Williams. Wingers making cutting runs to the inside Another little tweak to try and spark the offense. Throughout the start of the season the Crew’s emphasis has been on crossing the ball into the box using their wingers or allowing the wingers to create and dribble on the outside. That changed on Saturday a little bit, with Yaw Yeboah and James Igbekeme looking more often to make splitting inside runs. This forces the LAFC defense to have a high level of communication to pick up runners and can cause problems for the defense if not dealt with correctly and efficiently. For this to work, Miguel Berry had to drop more into the midfield to create space in behind for the wingers to run into. Columbus was hoping the Berry could draw one of LAFC’s centerbacks with him and then slip a ball in behind to one of the pacey wingers. This didn’t result in a goal or very many clear cut chances, but its something to keep an eye on in the coming games as Caleb Porter continues to experiment to get his team back on track. What is going wrong for Columbus? This is a loaded question, but I have a few observations from this first portion of the season of what the Black & Gold need to fix. Firstly, they simply need to finish the limited chances that they get. We are used to seeing a Crew team that can control a game for 90 minutes while creating 6-8 chances and finishing 2-3 of them. Unfortunately, this has not been the reality of this season. When Columbus gets a valuable, quality chance, they need to put it in the back of the net. Secondly, they have to quit making stupid mistakes and shooting themselves in the foot. I can think of 4-5 separate games where the Crew has conceded absolutely stupid goals because of an individual, or group mistake that should not be happening at a professional level. Columbus has just played very inconsistent, sloppy soccer, and they have paid for it by staring down the handle of the Wooden Spoon. Lastly, the Black & Gold need a real starting quality striker. The Miguel Berry experiment is over, and the only reason he is starting is because Hurtado isn’t the answer either. The Crew HAVE TO sign a quality striker in this upcoming transfer window or else Columbus shouldn’t even begin to think about contending for a playoff spot.

The Crew fell to the defending champs on a baseball diamond on Saturday night. This dropped Columbus to 10th in the Eastern Conference and makes a playoff spot look a lot more unlikely. The goals that the Black & Gold conceded were incredibly soft and preventable, so how did the Crew’s tactics fail to stop these soft goals? Let’s dive in. Lucas Zelarayan on the wing This was a surprising change in the pre-match lineups. Caleb Porter sang the praises of James Igbekeme over the past weeks, so he decided to slot in Igbekeme in midfield and push Zelarayan to the winger position. The idea behind this was to allow Zelarayan to work one on one verses the outside back and hope to create mismatches and chances for Lucas to attack. Zelarayan wasn’t confined to the winger position though, many times he came into the midfield to possess the ball, pushing Igbekeme out to the winger spot. This interchange shows the freedom that the Crew operate with, but it didn’t pan out in the form of goals. I believe another reason for starting Lucas Zelarayan on the wing was because he has looked defensively disinterested in the past when he loses the ball. He is working incredibly hard on the attacking end, but as soon as the ball is turned over, he switches off to some degree. Putting him on the wing requires him to play less defense, but it also restricts his playmaking abilities to one side of the field, unless he dropped into the midfield role. Defensive setup is very vulnerable to counter attacks We all saw the second goal, right? Josh Williams and Jonathan Mensah just sleeping 10 yards past the halfway line while arguably the most dangerous player in the entire league sits behind them ready to bear down on Eloy Room. Yeah, it was pretty bad, the kind of stuff I teach the 13-year-old girls I coach. On a more serious note, I’m not sure if this was a tactical call by Porter or just a lapse of concentration by the cernterbacks. One thing I am sure of is that Columbus is setting up in a way that leaves them incredibly vulnerable to get exposed on the counterattack. On many occasions when the Black & Gold are on the attack, the only two players back are the two cernterbacks. The wingbacks have been getting really high to help bring width and attacking numbers, but it leaves Williams and Mensah out to dry. When you have attackers as fast as Castellanos and Talles Mango going against Williams and Mensah, you are bound to get burned. Now the Crew has to learn that by throwing a ton of players forward is not producing goals. There has to be a balance of dangerous attacking play and stout defensive performance. Columbus has been throwing too many numbers forward, and they keep ending up getting burned for it. The lack of a vertical threat for the Crew This was incredibly evident throughout the game on Saturday. I’ll say it, Miguel Berry is not a starting caliber player in MLS. A good sub? Sure, but he should not be starting consistent games for the Columbus Crew. When Columbus sold Gyasi Zardes, it was thought the Berry would take over and hopefully start to produce consistently, but in reality, that hasn’t panned out. The Black & Gold lack a quick, decisive player up top who can stretch defenses, create space for Lucas Zelarayan, and finish good chances. An example for Columbus was Taty Castellanos on Saturday. Granted, it will be hard for the Crew to find a player of Castellanos quality, but Columbus needs a gamechanger like him to partner with Zelarayan. This is why the Black & Gold had success in 2020 on their run to an MLS Cup title. Gyasi Zardes was the player stretching defenses and allowing Lucas Zelarayan to work his magic. The formula is there in front of them, now Columbus has to go out in the next transfer window and sign a DP who can provide this for the Crew. Then we will hopefully see results turn, and the Black & Gold can return to winning ways. In the meantime, they have to figure out how to compete and consistently grind out results.

The Columbus Crew finally got back to winning ways this past Saturday, trouncing a lowly DC United squad 3-0. After finally getting on the scoresheet for the first time in April in MLS play, the Black & Gold added two more goals before the final whistle blew. All Crew fans are hoping that this puts the club back on track to keep climbing up the Eastern Conference standings and find that playoff spot. There was not much change in Columbus’ tactics from the last game, but there were a few nuanced tweaks that compelled the Black & Gold to victory. The Crew in a 4-3-3 For the second straight game Columbus lined up in 4-3-3 and looked really dangerous and organized, something Crew fans haven’t seen enough of in the past few weeks. After watching the Black & Gold in this formation for the past 2 games, here’s what I’ve noticed. First off, the Columbus press has been tweaked a little bit. The Crew used to press in situations where the opponent is getting near the sideline or if Columbus had a numbers advantage, but that has changed. Now, the Black & Gold will man mark and press instantly on a player’s touch. Miguel Berry or whoever is up top just presses the ball until it is passed forward into the midfield. That’s where the Crew midfields will be man marked to the opposing midfield, making it difficult to turn and go at the Columbus defense. This forces the ball to either be played back to the defense where Berry will continue to press, or a bad pass will be made, then the Black & Gold are on the attack. Another nuance to the press is the Columbus wide backs. If the ball reaches an opposing winger, Pedro Santos and Stephen Moreira will instantly step up to press and try to turn the ball over. When this happens, occasionally a midfield will fill in the space where the back vacated, so the Crew can’t get countered in that space. Secondly, the midfields have been more interchangeable in a 4-3-3. This means that the three players that the Crew have in midfield can switch with each other positionally to allow some creative freedom. The Columbus midfield on Saturday was a revolving door, sometimes Morris would be high up the pitch, but then the next possession it was Nagbe or Artur. This displays the understanding that each of these players have for Caleb Porter’s system. They all know their job and work together so well, that they can fill in for each other and allow their counterpart to create. This just makes the team beautiful to watch, because we get to see 3 guys working so well together in harmony while producing for the team. I think Morris has been a huge addition to the starting XI, and I hope that Porter can continue to utilize him and get him game time in the future when Lucas Zelarayan returns to the starting lineup. Finally, the Crew has maintained their philosophy of creating positional overloads, despite the change in formation. I touched on this in one of my earlier tactical reviews, but Caleb Porter’s whole mantra is creating positional overloads to gain an advantage over the opponent. The simple way to explain this is that Columbus wants to have more players in an area than their opponents. This numerical advantage is useful in getting forward in attack through combining with each other and pressing on defense. This was evident on Saturday by the way that the Black & Gold wingers pinched so far across the pitch. When the opposing team had the ball near the sideline, the winger on the opposite side of the pitch would be all the way in the middle of the field. That’s because the Crew shifted all three midfielders, a winger, a wide back, and sometimes even Miguel Berry to create numerical advantages to win the ball and then break through the opposing defense. Usually this would happen on opposing throw ins or goal kicks. This tells me that Porter’s system still works in a different formation, and that it can still be effective and get the Crew three points on any given matchday. Dropping into a 5-4-1 This was employed later in the game after halftime when the Crew was guarding a 2-0 lead. Last week we saw Columbus dropping into a 4-5-1 against Kansas City, but this week it was more of a 5-4-1, but only in certain spaces. When DC United would come on the attack and get close or come into the Black & Gold’s half, one of the wingers would drop into a wingback role. This happened when DC had the ball coming down the wing, in this case the backside Crew winger would drop deeper into a wingback role alongside either Pedro Santos or Stephen Moreira. This would allow Columbus to have more numbers behind the ball and allow Santos or Moreira to be free from marking the backside runner. There may be a few reasons for this change. The Black & Gold might just have been preparing to park the bus and protect a two-goal lead, in which case they would have been comfortable having an extra defender back and sacrificing their help in attack. Another reason is to free up more space for Miguel Berry or later Lucas Zelarayan to have more space to be free and create. By dropping that winger all the way back into defense, it frees up the entire side that the once occupied. Now, they only switched to a 5-4-1 when on defense. When Columbus went back on the attack, whichever winger was back (Derrick Etienne or James Igbekeme) would fly up the field and support whoever was on the ball. I think the reason for the change was a little bit of both parking the bus and creating more space, but it paid off for the Crew, as they keep a clean sheet for the second straight game. Lucas Zelarayan playing up top This is a change I think we will see Caleb Porter play around with in the upcoming weeks. Given that the Crew only have Miguel Berry on the roster as a quality starting striker, Columbus needs options to play up at that number 9 spot if Berry is struggling to produce. I’m not sure if we will get to a point where Zelarayan is starting the game playing that striker position unless Berry gets hurt but knowing that he can play up top and produce is a big ace for the Black & Gold to have in their pocket. If Caleb Porter does decide to play Zelarayan up top, it allows him to plug in Aiden Morris into the midfield, who has been on fire for Columbus as of late. A midfield of Artur, Nagbe, and Morris can prove to be highly productive, and it doesn’t sacrifice Zelarayan’s time on the pitch. This midfield trio would benefit the Crew because all three players are highly technical and very good at putting in work on the defensive end, so they can win more balls in the middle of the park and give the attackers more chances going to goal. Another positive is that you are pushing your best player on your team closer to goal and getting him in more dangerous positions. Again, I’m not sure Columbus will come out of the gate in a game set up like this, but it is an interesting concept to play around with.

The Columbus Crew ended the losing streak on Saturday night by tying Sporting Kansas City 0-0. While a win would have been more preferable to end to streak, the Black & Gold leave Kansas with a point to show for their road trip. This leaves Columbus in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, only one point behind a playoff spot. While the Crew have struggled in recent games to find goals and produce results, Saturday night in Kansas City was far different tactically than past games for the Black & Gold. Pressing in a 4-3-3 formation The biggest difference from the past few games was the Crew’s pressing structure. We’ve seen Columbus press in a 4-4-2 and a 4-1-4-1, but this game they decided to press in a 4-3-3 formation. This was not really groundbreaking because the Black & Gold came out set up in a 4-3-3 with their lineup with Nagbe and Morris staying up higher than Artur. The nuance of the press would come from the wingers and midfielders. Instead of pressing for short spurts at those “opportune times”, Columbus came out and man marked the middle. This consisted of either Miguel Berry or one of the wingers pressing the defender on the ball, and then Aiden Morris, Darlington Nagbe, and Artur would step up to find the nearest Sporting KC player and just stay on their back. This allowed the attackers to press the player who had the ball harder, without fear of being passed around. This also allowed the Crew to win the ball in the midfield and break on the counter. Typically the would only press when the ball got passed toward the end line to an outside back, so this allowed Columbus’ speedy wingers to close down quicker. The beauty of pressing in the 4-3-3 was that the Black & Gold didn’t have to revert to their default offensive formation, because they were already in it. While it didn’t yield a goal, the press did make Kansas City turn the ball over several times and give the Crew a few dangerous chances on the counter. Sitting back in a 4-5-1 and playing more direct Huge change here. For the longest time, the Columbus Crew have been the team that possesses the ball, side to side passes, and breaks down the opposition by methodical passing and patience. Many find it boring while I find it somewhat beautiful, but for the first time in a long time the Black & Gold did not play that brand of soccer. For much of the game the Crew were content to sit back in a 4-5-1 and allow Sporting KC to have the ball in their own half. If they saw a chance to press Columbus would send the wingers flying up at the opposing defense hoping to snatch an opportunity, but other than that they were fine just for the home side to hold the ball. Then, when the ball was turned over the Crew would play very direct. This means instead of playing the “boring” brand of soccer that’s associated with the club, they would play quick long balls, through balls, and throw numbers forward in attack. This also included getting Nagbe and Morris forward, and both wing backs forward to try and create a numerical mismatch in the opponent’s half. This left only Artur and both center backs to prevent a counter by Kansas City. This was a risky move by leaving only three defenders back, but the Crew needed a goal, one which they never found. The different play style yielded a positive result for Columbus, giving a team that doesn’t perform well on the road a point to return home with, and maybe some hope for the fans that they can still right the ship.

The Crew lost again Saturday, this time at home, by two goals to Orlando. This marks the third straight loss for Columbus, as critics are building for head coach Caleb Porter and the Black & Gold players. With this loss the Crew slip to 9th in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing the final playoff spot by two points. Although the Black & Gold have now failed to score in their past three games, changes were made to try and make Columbus more potent going forward. Unfortunately, those changes didn’t pan out in goals. Let’s take a look at some of these adjustments. Pressing in a 4-2-4 formation A big change to the Crew’s normal tactics on Saturday was the decision to utilize a new formation, the 4-2-4. In this new formation, Columbus would send Lucas Zelarayan up top alongside Miguel Berry almost as a 2nd striker, while Derrick Etienne and Yaw Yeboah pushed up as well, forming a line of 4 attacking players. This new pressing formation meant the Black & Gold were trying to throw more numbers forward to try and win the ball higher up the pitch. Columbus has struggled to score goals, that’s no mystery, so Caleb Porter decided to gamble by pushing guys higher to try and win the ball in dangerous, goal scoring areas. Along with Zelarayan and the wingers pushing up, Darlington Nagbe and Artur slid into that central midfield area and played alongside each other. Their job was to immediately press the Orlando midfielders who get the ball if the opposition broke the first line of the Crew’s press. In terms of the defense for the Black & Gold, the only change was the wide backs pushing up in the half space between the defense and midfield. This is what broke down for Columbus. Because those wide backs pushed a little bit higher than the center backs, the Crew were vulnerable to long diagonal balls over the top to the opposing wingers. The wide backs weren’t able to recover in time, and the center backs are too slow to keep up with Orlando’s pace down the wings. It was an aggressive try by Caleb Porter to get his team to score, but it didn’t pan out in the end. Attacking in a 4-2-4 formation Another component to the game was how the Crew decided to set up their attack. Typically, they would attack in their traditional 4-2-3-1, but Porter switched it up against Orlando. Some of this change might have to do with how they pressed and not wanting to change from their pressing formation, but the change didn’t do much damage in terms of goals. The way they set up was the same as when they pressed, with Lucas Zelarayan pushing up next to Miguel Berry as a second striker and the wingers coming alongside both of them. The role of Zelarayan as a striker though was different than Berry’s role. Zelarayan would start up top next to Berry, but he would drop into midfield and receive the ball to feet, hoping to draw the opposing center back with him. Then, this would give Miguel Berry the opportunity to run in behind the defense in the space that Lucas Zelarayan cleared out for him. The problem the Crew ran into was that Orlando’s center backs let Zelarayan drop into midfield and receive the ball, and then let the Orlando defensive midfielders deal with Lucas. When Columbus found out this wasn’t working, Zelarayan began to drift wide and become interchangeable with the Black & Gold wingers. He was just trying to find space to create and make some magic, but Orlando did a really good job a sitting back and plugging those holes, which is why the Crew had so many shots blocked. Another aspect to the 4-2-4 is the wide backs pushing up really high. When Columbus got high into Orlando’s attacking third, Pedro Santos and Stephen Moreira came forward and played almost as a second set of wingers. This gave the Crew support high up the pitch, but also left them vulnerable to the counterattack. With all these players forward, the only players back on defense were Milos Degenek, Jonathan Mensah, and one of the Black & Gold defensive midfielders. This is why Columbus was so vulnerable to the counter, because they didn’t have speed guys on the outside to keep up pace with Orlando’s wingers. Again, this formational change in the press and in attack for the Crew was a big aggressive risk by Caleb Porter, and it didn’t pan out. I don’t believe it is time to panic, because the MLS season is 34 games, and we are only 20% through it. So, buckle in, because these next few weeks will be a big defining moment in whether the Black & Gold’s season ends in triumph, or disappointment. At least the team and the coaching staff recognizes that there is a problem, and they are willing to try new ideas and tactics to try and right the ship.

The Crew fell again on the road Saturday against a solid Philadelphia team, dropping them to 7th in the Eastern Conference. The Black & Gold conceded early due to an Eloy Room howler and was never able to claw back into the game. This now marks two straight games in which Columbus has failed to score and conceded the winning goal on a defensive mistake. The way the Crew was set up was different from the past few games in subtle ways, but the scoring touch was lacking from the Black & Gold’s attacking players. Switching to a 4-4-1-1 and 4-4-2 defensively The Crew lined up on Saturday in the classic 4-2-3-1 formation that they usually do but shifted when the ball was turned over. What formation they switched to depended on where the ball was on the field. When Philadelphia had possession in the middle of the pitch, the Black & Gold would play in a 4-4-1-1 with Lucas Zelarayan as the lone attacking midfielder with Miguel Berry in front of him. Derrick Etienne and Yaw Yeboah would drop in deeper than Zelarayan in the half space between the defensive midfielders and Lucas so that the Union couldn’t get behind them. When the ball was switched wide, Columbus reacted by going into a 4-4-2 formation. The wingers stayed in the exact same spot as in the 4-4-1-1, but Lucas Zelarayan stepped up alongside Miguel Berry and took the weak side of the field. This means that Berry always pressed the ball on the sideline, while Zelarayan prevented the switch. Artur and Darlington Nagbe also stepped up a little bit more in the 4-4-2 than in the 4-4-1-1 to prevent Philadelphia’s midfielders from receiving the ball and turning. The Crew’s whole defensive mantra was keeping Philadelphia in front of them, pressing the ball, and then preying on a bad touch, pass, or mishap by the Union team. Columbus pressing as soon as the ball goes toward the sideline I’ve already touched on this a little bit, but this is the “opportune” pressing system that is a staple of Caleb Porter coached teams. When the ball is in the middle of the pitch, the player in possession has lots of passing options, and it’s easy to get exploited if you press too hard. This is why the Crew tended to sit back in the 4-4-1-1 in this situation, but as soon as the ball was played to a wide back or winger, the press was on immediately. The idea of pressing toward the sideline is more opportune than pressing in the middle because the options are cut down. As soon as the Black & Gold press, the field is cut in half, and so are the opposing player’s options because the Crew are cutting off the switch, cutting off the pivot player, and they are backed up against the sideline. Typically, if the press works, the only options are to play back to the goalkeeper or to play a long ball up top to the striker. If they play back to the goalkeeper Columbus get to step up and gain ground, and if the ball is played up top to the striker, that player is going to have a headache after being run through by Jonathan Mensah or Milos Degenek. The problem on Saturday was the Black & Gold’s press was too slow. The players looked tired and lethargic as they pressed toward the ball, which allowed the Union to either switch the ball or find the pivot player quicker than the Crew were pressing. This is a problem that needs to be resolved in the upcoming games if Columbus wants to get back on track after two straight 1-0 losses. The absence of the “Pivot” player Another staple of a Caleb Porter coached team was missing on Saturday night, the pivot player. In Porter’s system, he wants to possess the ball and break down an opponent until the Crew can create positional overloads and go on the attack. This is accomplished by repeatedly switching the ball and probing the defensive team until they crack, and the Black & Gold can break through. Columbus is completely fine with passing the ball around their back line until they see an opening they can exploit, and this is where the pivot player is so important. Typically, the pivot will be either Darlington Nagbe or Artur. When the Crew get possession in their defensive half, either of the defensive midfielders will tend to drop in between the center backs and provide an extra option for the ball to be played to. This accomplishes a number of things for Columbus. Firstly, it allows the center backs to get wider and pushes the outside backs like Pedro Santos and Stephen Moreira higher up the field. Secondly, it gives the other defensive midfielder more room in the middle to find splits and be creative. Thirdly, it takes pressure off of Milos Degenek and Jonathan Mensah to control playing out of the back. By sticking a midfielder in the backline, it provides a sense of comfort and technical skill for the team as they work the ball around and try to find an opening. On Saturday, the Crew opted to play much of the time without a pivot player. This may be due to conceding the early goal, but Darlington Nagbe and Artur for the most part stayed in their defensive midfielder spot and tried to get the ball to their feet. This change could explain the lack of attacking creativity going forward, because when you remove the pivot player from the defensive line, the wide backs can’t get up as high, the space in the midfield is more occupied, and the wingers are forced to go one on one against the opposing outside backs. The pivot player is essential in Caleb Porter’s system, and it is puzzling to me why they would abandon it for this match. This change though, could explain the Black & Gold’s inability to score on Saturday.

The Crew fell to Nashville 1-0 on Saturday at home after the Black & Gold fell behind and was never able to answer back. On a day that honored a Crew legend, Columbus lacked a signature Pipa finish to get on the board at Lower.Com Field. Nashville came into Columbus with a game plan to shut the Crew down and succeeded by walking away with all three points. While the goal that Nashville scored could be attributed to Pedro Santos losing footing and not being able to challenge the header, the Black & Gold knew they should have capitalized on some of their chances in the match. Here’s what the Crew did with their game plan for Nashville. Wingers pinching on the attacking half One way that Caleb Porter decided to attack the stout Nashville defense was by pulling his two wingers closer inside so that they could possess the ball better in the attacking third. We saw this mostly with Derrick Etienne coming inside almost alongside Lucas Zelarayan to give another option to gash through the opponent’s defense. I think Porter’s cause behind this switch was to try and unlock the away side’s defense by quick passing and give and goes. Combinations between Zelarayan, Zardes, and one of the wingers provided a few glimpses of promise, but never panned out in a goal. The hard thing about playing Nashville is dealing with their low block defensive structure. They were content with just putting 9 guys behind the ball, clogging passing lanes, and forcing the Crew to make absolute magic happen for a goal. Then, once the ball would be turned over, Nashville would outlet to Mukhtar or Sapong and go off to the races. By pulling the wingers in, Porter was trying to find little pockets where he could have numerical advantages and combine, but the spaces just weren’t there. When you put 95% of your team back on defense, it’s going to be hard for the other team to score, and that’s what Columbus ran into on Saturday. Artur dropping into defense to send the wingbacks up Another change was in the Crew’s defensive structure while Columbus possessed the ball. With the wingers up top pinching in toward the middle of the field, the space they left was now occupied by Pedro Santos and Stephen Moreira. This allowed to Crew to have some creativity and width, as well as numbers inside to combine and get on the end of crosses. Now Caleb Porter knew he didn’t want Jonathan Mensah and Milos Degenek to be forced to deal with Mukhtar, Leal, and Sapong alone on the break, so Artur dropped in sometimes to play a 3 back defensive formation whole the wingbacks were up high. So, in case the Black & Gold did turn the ball over, it would be an even 3 vs 3 transition instead of the pacey Nashville attack running past the two Crew center backs. This also pushed possession higher up the field so Columbus wouldn’t turn the ball over in their own half. Most of time the ball was higher up the field being possessed by the Columbus midfield, but occasionally when the ball would make its way back to the defense, the wingbacks would drop back to help push the ball higher. The emphasis was getting the ball through the chunk of nine Nashville defenders to Lucas Zelarayan’s feet and letting him make magic. He had a few chances in the game, but none that he could add to his goal tally with. Playing a “Ball Heavy” Formation I’ve touched on this a little bit in the last two points, but this was very important for Saturday. Caleb Porter’s whole system revolves around creating numerical advantages and combining. Many times, the Crew tried to accomplish this by shifting the whole midfield and even the opposite side winger over to the half of the field where the ball was. From there, the opposite side’s wingback would move up into the space that the winger had once possessed. Now Nashville would have to make a choice to either shift all their players over to defend the numbers or stay in place and risk Columbus combining and getting through on goal. The only downside to this tactical change is when you shift all these players into one area, there’s not much space to work with and exploit. It gets congested, and the only way out is by all the players being on the same page and quickly combining to go forward in attack. Not to restate my earlier point, but the Black & Gold had some good combination play, but it just didn’t result in a goal. The idea and tactical setup was all there, but it was just the stubbornness of Nashville’s defense and a Pedro Santos slip that sent the away team back to Tennessee with all 3 point