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The Columbus Crew played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday verses a competitive New York side who currently sits 4th in the Eastern Conference. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 until the 84th minute when a cross deflected off of multiple players before finding the back of the net. Later, the goal would be attributed as an own goal to Black & Gold goalkeeper Eloy Room. The hosts looked to have secured all three points until a Darlington Nagbe toe poke levelled the game in the 95th minute of the match, it was essentially the last kick of the game. This result keeps the Crew undefeated on the year, and sitting in 2nd place in the East, but the game was different from the others in the way Columbus set up tactically. Columbus’ Relaxed Approach This was surprising to me as I started to watch the game. Typically, the Crew comes out the gates with long spells of possession, lots of passes, and just seem to feel to opponent out. This time however, Columbus decided to give New York the baton and let them try to control the game. This not only put pressure on Red Bull to figure out their own attack, it also took away their best goalscoring option, the press. New York is well known for their high, aggressive style of pressing. This allows them to force their opponent to turn the ball over in dangerous areas and score easy goals off of transition. This did not match up well with the Crew’s highly possessive and slow building attacking play. So, Caleb Porter decided to switch to a more direct approach and try to exploit New York on the long ball. If that isn’t working, it’s not a big deal, because then New York wouldn’t have the opportunity to win the ball deep into Columbus’ territory and have an easy goalscoring chance. Porter’s hope was to defend well, send balls deep into New York’s half, and possibly snatch a goal somewhere along the way. Exposing the three back system New York’s line up also is very telling of their system. By employing a 3-4-2-1 formation, this gives them the opportunity to get up high and press using the 6 players they have in midfield. This sometimes leaves them vulnerable though, with three defenders left to clean up the mess if the midfield breaks down. Columbus’ coaching staff went into this game with a plan of attack hoping to exploit the narrowness of Red Bull’s three defender system. The key was to get as wide as possible, as quickly as possible. This meant getting the ball to Derrick Etienne or Yaw Yeboah on the wings in transition as many times as they could. While the Crew soaked up pressure on the defensive end, Yeboah and Etienne were always ready to break if the Black & Gold were to win the ball. While the speed advantage was clear between the two wingers and the lumbering center backs, the hard part was getting them the ball. Long balls from the back played by defenders or the dual defensive midfielders could be read easily by those opposing center backs and won in the air. This was the case a few times, but the Crew did have their share of opportunities on the break. Even if a goal didn’t result directly from this tactical switch, it created dangerous chances for the Black & Gold to capitalize on. The Berry and Zardes Conversation I know everyone is tired of hearing the speculation around Gyasi Zardes and Miguel Berry. Who will start? Who’s the better fit? Will one shine while the other is relegated to the bench? My answer to all these questions is WHO CARES. It is never a problem when you have two players from the same position group challenging each other to get better and fighting for minutes. Especially when it is not affecting the team chemistry or morale. Forget all the media buzz and look at what each of them offered in this game. Miguel Berry disappeared the entire first half of the match. To be fair, the system was not set up for him to be touching the ball every possession, but there were still opportunities where he could drop into midfield to help the attack but just stood on the center line. Again, this is not a bash on Berry, I just think there was more he could have done to help the team out while he was on the field. After Gyasi Zardes got subbed on, I started noticing the striker position being more and more involved. Now did Zardes miss that sitter in front of a wide-open net? Yes, indeed he did, but at least he was in an advantageous goal scoring opportunity! Zardes was also integral in the game tying goal for Darlington Nagbe, setting up Luis Diaz to run down the wing and then drawing the defender away from Matan and Nagbe in the box allowing them to tie the game. I’m not choosing sides, I’m not creating controversy, and I’m not promoting that there should be animosity between Zardes and Berry, but in my eyes, one outperformed the other in the game on Sunday. This could be due to tactical switch, fresh legs, or what be it, but it made a difference in the match that was integral for the Crew securing a tie.

The Columbus Crew came from dropping behind early to winning against Toronto FC 2-1. The Black & Gold persevered through a part-time blizzard after conceding a header in the 14th minute to Jesus Jimenez courtesy of goals by the fantastic Lucas Zelarayan and Derrick Etienne. This raised the Crew’s record to 2 wins and a tie, bringing the season point total to 7, up to 1st place in the Eastern Conference for the time being. The home team struggled early, but a change in tactics at halftime spurred Columbus to victory. A More Aggressive Style of Pressing The press was a game changing factor for the Crew. Caleb Porter typically likes to press at opportune times. This means the team will instantly press when the opposition takes a bad touch, makes a bad pass, get near the sideline in their own half, or if the Crew have a numerical advantage on defense. In the second half after being down 1-0, Porter decided to shift to a more aggressive approach and create numerical advantages to cut the field in half for the opposing offense. When Toronto was possessing the ball in their own half early in the second half, the Crew shifted Miguel Berry, Lucas Zelarayan, Yaw Yeboah, and then both Artur and Nagbe to isolate the left side of Toronto’s defense. This cuts down the number of passing options for TFC and creates turnover opportunity for the Crew to break out and strike on the counter. To help ensure that Toronto couldn’t switch the ball, Derrick Etienne shifted up to play to the left of Miguel Berry in a left striker position. Now the only way to get out of this press would be for Michael Bradley or whoever else was on the ball to send a long ball up top to their striker. Now the problem would be the aerial beast that is Jonathan Mensah. This was the key for the Crew getting back into the game, and ultimately changed the game. Brilliant adjustment by Caleb Porter and the coaching staff. Getting More Numbers in Attack This is the main way that Columbus’ offensive game plan changed in the 2nd half. In the first 45 minutes the Crew struggled to create and finish offensive opportunities, so Caleb Porter made the change at halftime to push Darlington Nagbe and Artur higher up the pitch. Instead of having either Nagbe or Artur dropping in between the center backs to better keep possession, the center midfielders fought to get higher up the pitch to get into goalscoring opportunities. Not only did this get two of the Black & Gold’s most effective long shot specialists closer to the opposing goal, it creates mismatches against Toronto’s defense. By adding two more pieces into the attack that takes attention away from Lucas Zelarayan and both wingers, allowing them to create and go into one on one situations. I don’t expect the Crew to come out of the gate pushing both Artur and Nagbe up the field because the drawback is that it leaves Columbus vulnerable in defense. All in all, it was a gamble that was worth taking and it paid off i

The Columbus Crew played out a disappointing draw on Saturday vs a short-sided San Jose squad who found their way back into the game due to a pair of late goals by Francisco Calvo. The Crew found themselves a goal down, but up a man due to Jamiro Monteiro being sent off in the 33rd minute. At the 84th minute mark the Black & Gold would watch their 3-1 lead be whittled down before seeing it dissipate before their eyes in stoppage time when Calvo powered home his second header of the game to secure a draw for the Quakes. Caleb Porter did make a few notable adjustments in the game, but in the end the Crew only have a point to show for it. Attacking through give and go’s This is one of the bright spots from the game. The Crew has been so entertaining to watch because in these first two games they go through spells of quick, but efficient, passing sequences. Once all the attackers get on the same page and start doing little one two around the defenders the Black & Gold can be a very dangerous team. By finding numerical mismatches where the Crew attackers outnumber the defenders, they are able to just pass around them and get in high quality goalscoring spaces. Another layer to this style of play is Miguel Berry. Lots of outside noise is being directed at Berry getting the first two starts of the MLS season, but his passing so far has been superb. He has great awareness of where his teammates are on the field and his passes are laser focused at times. Saturday he was missing the goalscoring touch, but he is showing incredible promise for a 24-year-old. Using width and space to their advantage One of the biggest adjustments I observed Caleb Porter make was after Monteiro was sent off for his tackle on Darlington Nagbe. After he knew San Jose was down a man, he instructed Pedro Santos and Stephen Moreira to push wider and higher to stretch the opponents even more. At times, Santos and Moreira were almost a second set of wingers, adding to the attacking threats the Crew had going forward. Not only did this give flexibility down the wing, it opened up space inside for Artur, Nagbe, and Zelarayan to operate. When the defense was worried about getting beat on the outside and shifted to defend it, Zelarayan would scamper down the middle. When the Quakes bottled up to keep Zelarayan in front of them, he would knock it out wide for one of the wingers to wreak havoc. Unfortunately, the Black & Gold had to abandon the hyper attacking approach after San Jose’s second goal, but there were flashes of real attacking danger from the Crew in those areas. The Zardes Substitution: Why is it brilliant? I know what you’re thinking… the substitution was brilliant because Miguel Berry had done nothing all game and Zardes ended up scoring, but that’s not the whole picture. The substitution was brilliant because of what the Crew needed at that moment. From the start of the game, Caleb Porter needed Miguel Berry to feed the attacking pieces around him with great passes and set them up in scoring positions. While Berry accomplished his task, he didn’t get his own name on the scoresheet even though he had opportunities to. So, when the Crew are tied and need a goal, why don’t you put on a natural born finisher and top rate poacher? Gyasi Zardes was subbed on because he was what the team needed at that exact time. Miguel Berry had done all he could, he had set his teammates up in scoring positions and aided the attack mightily, but when you have an ace up your sleeve like Gyasi Zardes, you’re going to pull it out. Now if Zardes had ended up not scoring would this substitution be brilliant? Maybe… maybe not. The fact of the matter is, Caleb Porter had a decision that was a no brainer. The Crew needed a goal, Porter subbed on Zardes, he scored, and now all the USMNT fans who call on Twitter for him to be dropped can rest their thumbs for a week until they figure out something else to criticize him about. Brilliant move by Porter, good poachers finish by Gyasi, and solid offensive day for the Black & Gold.

The Crew played out a 4-0 win over Vancouver this past Saturday on the first weekend of MLS action to start the 2022 season out extremely strong. The Black and Gold were on top of the Whitecaps right from the kickoff until the breakthrough came in the 8th minute courtesy of Miguel Berry. After that the home side never looked back, adding three more before the clock struck 90’. It was a dominant performance overall, largely due to the tactics employed by head coach Caleb Porter. Here’s three takeaways about Porter’s opening day tactical setup that willed the Crew to a comfortable victory. Overloading one side of the field to free up wingers This was a huge part of the game Saturday. Porter expressed in preseason through signings that he wanted more production out his wingers. Last season the goals and assist total was very low from wingers, so Porter went out and signed Yaw Yeboah to reinforce his depth at the position. The second thing he did was adjust his team tactically to free up his wingers and put them in scoring positions. The best example of this was Derrick Etienne’s goal in the 25th minute to put the Crew up 2-0. The Black and Gold passed the ball to Yaw Yeboah on the right wing, and at that moment shifted Zelarayan, Nagbe, Artur, and even Pedro Santos toward the ball while Miguel Berry ran through the defense to pull the opposing defender away from the left flank. The ball was then switched to Derrick Etienne who was left alone on the left side for an easy opening to his season’s goal account. Dropping Nagbe or Artur into defense to free up Fullbacks This is a classic part of Caleb Porter’s system, but it has evolved. Last season the Crew would typically drop in a defensive midfielder to play between to center-backs so Columbus could keep possession and switch the play easier. Now, with either Nagbe or Artur dropping in, Pedro Santos and Steven Moreira can go higher up the pitch and the Crew’s formation can evolve from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3. This is a more direct attacking approach and give Santos and Moreira the opportunity to create in midfield. This also pushes wingers Derrick Etienne and Yaw Yeboah higher up the field, hoping to get them in more goal scoring areas. Miguel Berry getting the starting nod This is not so much a tactical move, but it made a difference in the game. Miguel Berry was on fire near the end of last season, so out of that respect Porter decided to give him the nod over Gyasi Zardes. This could be just because of Berry’s good play at the end of last year or because Zardes missed bits of the preseason, but the choice seemed to pay off. Berry opened the scoring in the 8th minute but that wasn’t the brightest spot of his play. His passing was sublime. The combinations between him, Zelarayan, Etienne, and Yeboah looked beautiful and created loads of attacking chances for the Black and Gold. The nagging question is now who is the Crew’s starting striker going forward? Will we see Zardes return, or will we see Berry take his sport? Or will Porter find a way to incorporate the pair into the same starting XI? Only time will tell.

On December 2nd, 2018 the USMNT announced that Gregg Berhalter would leave the Crew after 5 seasons to take on the challenge of rebuilding an aging United States soccer squad. He left the Crew after leading them to four playoff appearances in five seasons, and a berth in the MLS Cup Final in 2015. In his wake the Crew hired highly touted Caleb Porter, who had bested the Crew in the 2015 final, but his luck had run out with the Portland Timbers in 2018. The Berhalter era of Crew soccer began in 2013 after he took over for Robert Warzycha. Immediately he began installing his system centered around controlling the ball and pace of play mixed with a defensive style to try and make opponents “predictable”. Berhalter’s offensive emphasis was creating positional overloads mostly for his fullbacks to get up and add another element to the Columbus attack. He accomplished this by cheating the forwards to one side of the field and sending the fullbacks high up the pitch to make a numerical advantage against each side of the opposing defense. He also made an emphasis in controlling the ball until the opportune time to attack. This was most successful when using “pivot players” such as Wil Trapp, Artur, and later Darlington Nagbe as well as the cernterbacks to switch the ball. The downfall of this offensive style was the ability for the defense to be exploited in transition after a turnover. A turnover during the Crew attack could lead to 1v1 defending situations for Crew defenders and could create numerical disadvantages for them on their own side of the pitch. Berhalter’s defensive scheme was to make opponents predictable by limiting the number of passing options to the player on the ball. He also instituted a medium style of pressing when the ball was able to be won. This tactical system was usually used with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation Berhalter’s system led him to a 67-55-49 regular season record with Columbus, scoring 256 goals while conceding 247. His consistency was what made Columbus so threatening, making the playoffs 4 out of the 5 seasons he was at the helm. Over those 5 years he accumulated 1.446 points per match (PPM) and was MLS Cup runner up in 2015. While many may think the Crew preformed and won more games while having more of the ball, a look into the statistics show that in games where Berhalter won or tied, the average possession was 53.77%. On the other side of the coin, average possession was 53.24% in a loss for the Black and Gold during his tenure. While other factors such as injuries and international duty can have effect on the results of some of the games, ultimately controlling the ball and keeping possession was not a deciding factor during Berhalter’s tenure with the Crew. When Caleb Porter was introduced as head coach of the Crew, many fans thought no major changes would come to the on-pitch structure of the team, and in some ways they were correct. Porter preferred playing a similar offensive style to Gregg Berhalter but tweaked a few aspects on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Porter’s first order of business was to push Wil Trapp closer to goal. Porter felt the want to control play, but he wanted his best passer higher up the pitch. This duty fell to Wil Trapp but has now be transferred to Darlington Nagbe. Another tweak to the system was to put the emphasis on vertical passing rather than the possessive based horizontal balls. Porter was keen to attack off the bat, rather than draw opponents in and the breakout. He still valued controlling the game, but instead of controlling in the back, he pushed that responsibility up the field to the attacking midfielders and strikers. This is a technical way to say get Lucas Zelarayan the ball. Porter wanted to push the tempo more than Berhalter did, so he entrusted that job to Zelarayan. Defensively the only big change Porter made was to press as soon as the Crew lost possession to win the ball high up the pitch. This would usually happen near the sidelines so the Crew attackers could trap the other team in and get a turnover high up the pitch. Porter’s 3-year campaign has yielded a regular season record of 35-35-21, with 121 goals scored compared to 113 conceded. He averaged 1.42 points per match, while scoring 1.36 goals per game. The average possession stats show Porter’s adjustments to Gregg Berhalter’s system working for him, having 50.27% possession in wins and ties. The flip side is that when the Crew lose, the average possession over Porter’s tenure is 52.73%. This shows that the Crew are better off when they are pushing tempo with Lucas Zelarayan, rather than possessing the ball too much. Porter’s accomplishments with the Crew are monumental, winning the club’s second MLS Cup title in 2020 with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders, and winning the club’s first international trophy with a win in the Champeones Cup. Overall these two coaches have made life very enjoyable for Crew fans over the past 8 seasons, but fans will always have opinions on who is the better coach. Columbus kicks off the 2022 season at Lower.Com Field against the Vancouver Whitecaps on February 26th. Kickoff is slated to be at 3:30 local time.