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The Columbus Crew returned to its winning ways on Saturday, taking down D.C United 2-1 away from home. After a scoreless draw with NYCFC the week before at Lower.com Field, Columbus bagged two goals courtesy of Diego Rossi to take all three points from D.C. It was yet another semi-rotated lineup with Steven Moreira and Malte Amundsen on the bench, but Andres Herrera and Cesar Ruvalcaba slotted in nicely on the backline. After D.C. grabbed the opening goal within the first 20 minutes, Rossi equalized almost instantly to get the game back on level terms. The Crew’s no. 10 struck again in the 65th minute when a deflected shot from outside the box looped over the opposing keeper. From there, the Black & Gold locked down their defense and left D.C. with another win to remain unbeaten in MLS play. The way D.C United set up defensively strongly dictated how the Crew’s offense operated, but it did not stop the goals from going in. Let’s dive into all the tactics that helped Columbus grab a win on the road. D.C’s offensive strategy and defensive setup D.C United came into this game with an offense predicated around one central player: Christian Benteke. The Belgian striker has proven his worth in MLS, scoring goal after goal during his time in the nation’s capital. That being said, his particular skillset can match up well against a team like the Black & Gold. Everyone knows that Wilfried Nancy’s side wants to get as many numbers as possible into the attack and re-press when the ball is lost. This leaves gaps in the backline where good teams that can play through pressure can counter the Crew. Granted, Benteke is not a speed merchant. He is not going to outrun Sean Zawadzki or any of the other defenders Columbus put out on the field, but he can assist the counter in other ways. Benteke’s holdup play is a force to be reckoned with, especially against smaller, ball-possessing centerbacks. So instead of countering the Black & Gold with pace using a quicker forward over the top, D.C. tried to play the ball into Benteke’s feet and get secondary runners up into the attack. Nancy knew that with a player of Benteke’s caliber in terms of holdup play, the Crew needed to have a contingency plan for the Belgian. That is why for much of the first half Columbus had two center backs staying back to shadow the striker. That is huge praise coming from Nancy and the Black & Gold, but it limited Benteke’s touches and forced United to build out of the back through the Crew’s press. Due to the two center backs hanging around Benteke, Columbus employed more of a resisted pressure rather than the usual high-octane press. Credit to D.C., they played well through pressure and had some decent spells of possession to push the Black & Gold back into their own half. The hosts found a goal but only held onto the advantage for a fleeting moment before Rossi equalized. That moment of joy being replaced by frustration was partly due to D.C.’s defensive setup. United came into this game with a clear goal in mind: clog up the middle and make the Crew beat them from the wide areas. So, when the hosts defended in a 4-4-2, the four midfielders were incredibly narrow. This narrowness could be for a few reasons. D.C. may have wanted to have more coverage on dropping attackers coming back to get the ball or desired to blanket Darlington Nagbe to take him off his game. Whatever the reason was, United decided to put the pressure on Dejuan Jones, Yevhen Cheberko, Herrera, and Ruvalcaba to make plays on offense and unlock D.C. That theory has some merit. In the grand scheme of things, those players are less scary than Rossi, Jacen Russell-Rowe, and Dylan Chambost having space in the midfield to create a spread midfield. Despite D.C’s attempts though, their defensive system did have flaws. The narrow midfield naturally left acres of space out wide for the wingbacks and outside centerbacks to occupy. Another added wrinkle was that Max Arfsten and Jones became interchangeable on that left wing, easily overloading the undermanned wide defense. Jones or Arfsten would drag the outside back wide, and then a channel would open up inside. Either the United center back could side over – leaving space in behind them – or they could stay and allow the channel to open in front of them. The Crew did a good job of attacking where the space was and ultimately netting two goals. It was yet another close affair, but Columbus came out with the win and momentum heading into the next week. Piecing together the puzzle You can make the argument that a season is like a puzzle, especially for Nancy and the Black & Gold. Early on there is a general idea of what the team is supposed to look like, but at times players will be plugged into situations and roles that are different. It is at these times that Nancy and the coaching staff will be looking at how they perform so they can find the best position and role for each player. For example, in the opening game against Chicago this season Zawadzki played as a true defensive midfielder. He made some good challenges but often looked lost and overlooked. In recent weeks, the coaching staff moved him into the central center back position where he has absolutely thrived. Another great player to look at is Chambost, who started off this season in a fluid attacking midfielder role. Since Zawadzki moved back to defense, Chambost took over his spot next to Nagbe and has been gaining confidence since then. Chambost moving freed up a spot in the fluid front three – which will eventually go to a presumed DP No. 9 this summer – that was filled by a few different players. One of the more successful moves was Arfsten coming up into the attack, who has given the Black & Gold some serious firepower up top with his ability to create and play out wide. Not only did this move benefit Arfsten, but it also allowed Jones and Herrera to get more playing time at wingback, both of whom have had moments of brilliance. The moral of the story is that we are no longer in an age where players are stuck in one position, especially in Nancy’s system. There will be experimenting throughout this season to find out in what role and at what position a player can be their best. This is the benefit to having multi-faceted players on your team, but also why finding these jacks-of-all-trades can be difficult. Nancy will continue tinkering and the Black & Gold will keep moving forward. A matchup with CF Montreal awaits this weekend back at home in front of a Columbus crowd.

April 1, 2025 by Caleb Denorme Owen Presthus of Columbus Crew 2 dribbles the ball against Lexington Sporting Club in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew 2 Goals from three Columbus Crew 2 players, all under the age of 20 sent Lexington SC crashing out of the the Second Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 3-0 win. Midfielder Owen Presthus, and forwards Christian Ortiz and Brent Adu-Gyamfi each tallied goals for the Capybaras to advance to the Third Round. It was a back and forth game from the opening kick, with both teams turning each other over high up the pitch. It only took Presthus seven minutes to open the scoring for the Capybaras. Presthus connected with 16-year-old phenom Chase Adams on a low cross to dispatch a deflected shot into the far corner. Presthus said he knew the importance of the US Open Cup because his father – Tom Presthus, who won the 2002 US Open Cup with the Columbus Crew – keeps his ring in his office. “I saw he has an Open Cup ring from 2002 and he has it in our office,” Presthus said. “It’s just a constant reminder of what this tournament is. It’s the most historic soccer competition in America.” Lexington got its footing back quickly though, controlling possession and creating chances for a majority of the next 20 minutes. Midfielder Michael Adedokun grazed Crew 2’s woodwork on a first time shot from the center of the box in the 23rd minute, inches away from levelling the match. Crew 2 pushed back, attempting to hit Lexington on the counter but the visitors thwarted any of the Capys attempts to bear down on goalkeeper Brooks Thompson. Lexington had a few opportunities off of corners, but could not seriously threaten goalkeeper Luke Pruter. After a minute of added time in the first half, both teams headed to the locker room with just a goal separating them. Despite the scoreline, much of the first half was spent inside Crew 2’s defensive half. The second half started off well for Columbus. Crew 2 controlled possession and had two shouts for a penalty — one for a handball and the other for taking down Ortiz in the box — that were not given by the officials. Although the penalty cries fell upon deaf ears, the Capys continued to play with renewed energy. Lexington struggled to get out of its own half despite making multiple substitutions at halftime. The visitors’ luck changed in the 56th minute when a corner was awarded off a deflected pass. A short corner and quick cross flew into a sea of bodies in the box, sending the ball careening off the bottom side of the crossbar. Pruter quickly secured the ball before it bounced over the line, allowing Crew 2 to survive another near-miss by Lexington. A mere minute later, Pruter was called into action again. The 23-year-old used every inch of his wingspan to get a touch on a deflected shot and tip the ball over the bar to save the Capys again. Prince Forfor of Columbus Crew 2 celebrates after defeating Lexington Sporting Club 3-0 in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew 2 Lexington’s onslaught on the Crew 2 goal continued, but the hosts punched back in the 65th minute. A bad pass in the back of Lexington’s defense was picked off by Ortiz, who outpaced the defense and slotted a low right-footed shot into the far corner to make it 2-0. Seven minutes later Ortiz was bearing down on goal again. A quick slip pass caught the Lexington defense napping and the 17-year-old was one-on-one with Thompson. Ortiz attempted to nutmeg the goalkeeper, but Thompson remained big and got a touch on the ball to send it wide. Lexington threw more bodies forward and Columbus sat in a 5-4-1, with Pruter standing on his head to keep the visitors out. Crew 2 took advantage of Lexington chasing the game in the 95th minute, with Adu-Gyamfi lacing a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner to push Columbus’ lead to three goals. After 90 minutes and six minutes of stoppage time, Crew 2 came away with a 3-0 win over Lexington to move on. Crew 2 assistant coach Josh Williams was proud of his team competing in a high-level cup competition, but does not want this to be his squad’s last win in it. “I feel like the Open Cup just does something,” Williams said. “It was fun tonight to kind of play the underdog role. We’re going to show up, whether we’re home or away. It doesn’t matter the stadium, we are going to show up compete. We fear no one and anything can happen, and I feel like we showed that tonight. Columbus moves onto the Third Round of the Open Cup, which will take place on April 15-16.

Senior forward Pierre Brooks is averaging 15.2 points per game this season. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team will take the court again on Monday, March 30, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the inaugural College Basketball Crown. The Bulldogs are slated to face off against the Utah Utes in the first round, with a possibility to advance and play either Boise State or George Washington University. Here is what you need to know as the Dawgs prepare to battle the Utes in a postseason competition: Who: Butler vs. Utah When: March 31, 3 p.m. Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada How to watch: FS1 What is the College Basketball Crown? The College Basketball Crown, known simply as “The Crown,” is a new 16-team postseason tournament that includes teams from the Big Ten, Big East, Big 12 and other at-large teams. The tournament will take place from March 31 to April 6 and is a new, innovative look at postseason college basketball tournaments. The Crown will pay out NIL pots to schools based on how far they progress in the tournament. The champion of the Crown will receive $300,000 in NIL money, with the runner-up cashing a $100,000 check. The four semi-finalists will each receive $50,000. Another perk of the Crown is its one-of-a-kind championship trophy, a crown that is the first wearable trophy in modern sports. The allure of possible NIL money and an opportunity to play against other teams in top conferences is an opportunity for the “best of the rest” to end their respective seasons on a high note. Time will tell if the Crown will affect the way the NIT and other college basketball postseason tournaments are run, especially with the NIL factor. Utah scouting report The Utes currently sit at 16-16 on the season and 8-12 in conference play, but have been through a rollercoaster of a spring. Former Utah head coach Craig Smith was fired in February, and the Utes have since hired former standout forward at Utah and current Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen to be the next head coach of the program. Utah is currently led by interim head coach Josh Eilert, with Jensen preparing to take over after the Mavericks’ season ends. Since the coaching change, seven Utes have decided to enter the transfer portal. Guard Miro Little, forward Keanu Dawes, forward Jake Wahlin, center Lawson Lovering, guard Hunter Erickson, center Joul Karram, forward Ayomide Bamisile, guard Jayden Teat and guard Brandon Haddock all have decided to go portaling despite still being in the Crown. It is unclear which players for the Utes will take the court against Butler despite being in the portal, but Utah still presents a challenge for the Bulldogs. The Utes are led by fifth-year guard Gabe Madsen and junior forward Ezra Ausar. Madsen averages 15.1 points per game and is Utah’s main threat from beyond the arc. The 6’6” guard from Rochester, Minnesota, shot 300 triples this season and connected on 32% of those attempts. Ausar averages 12.4 points per game and hits on a 51% clip from the field. Although Ausar’s shooting percentage is high, he only connects on 7.1% of his threes and has only taken 14 shots from beyond the arc this season. Butler will need two completely different game plans to stop both of Utah’s guards. Madsen’s long-range ability paired with Ausar’s tendency to get to the rim will be a nice one-two punch for the Utes. The Dawgs will need to be on top of their game to advance to the next round.

The Columbus Crew took an inaugural trip out west to San Diego to take on expansion side San Diego FC last weekend. Columbus pounced out to an early 1-0 courtesy of a Max Arfsten goal, but a Malte Amundsen red card in the second half changed the game for the Black & Gold. San Diego found a foothold and began chipping away at the Crew. After Yevhen Cheberko had to exit momentarily to be checked for a head injury, the hosts capitalized on the short-manned Columbus side off a corner to level the game. Patrick Schulte kept the Black & Gold in the game from there, stopping chance after chance to secure a point for the Crew. It was a game of momentum swings for Columbus and San Diego. San Diego FC started off in control, but the Black & Gold had a spell of dominance that resulted in a goal, and another called back for a suspicious foul. After the 40th minute though, it was mostly San Diego dominance and the Crew hanging on for a point. In a game of swings, let’s dive into all the tactics that dictated this draw. Columbus’ wingback brigade The early surprise of the night was three wingbacks being named in the starting team sheet. Arfsten, Mo Farsi and DeJuan Jones were all included in the starting XI for a new look to Wilfried Nancy’s team. Instantly Crew fans could see the vision. Arfsten joined the fluid front three with Jones in the left wingback spot. Dylan Chambost moved back deeper into the midfield with Darlington Nagbe, and Sean Zawadzki was the anchor of the backline. This was an attack-minded lineup with emphasis on ball possession and width dominance. When Columbus was at its best in this game, it was stellar wingback play that propelled it to those heights. The early consensus was that Nancy wanted to spread San Diego’s four-back defensive line and overload the wings. Arfsten and Jones often operated as a double wingback tandem, interchanging often. When Jones was in the wingback position, Arfsten could go inside to drag a defender and create space or stay high and wide to combine with Jones. On the other side, Farsi had a completely different assignment. Arfsten rarely went over to his half of the field due to the buildup primarily being on the left, so Farsi played the role of an inverted wingback. The Algerian international waited for San Diego’s backline to shift and then exploited the space in between and behind the center back and outside back. He had a good look at goal on a ball over the top early on but whiffed on the finish. When the Black & Gold had a give and go game with Jones, Arfsten and the fluid attack on one side, with Farsi as a long switch and inverted runner on the other side, San Diego FC did not know what to do. Part of that was due to how the Crew wanted to attack the hosts, but the other factor was how San Diego was set up early in the first half. San Diego played a 4-3-3 with an extremely narrow midfield and backline. With Columbus committing three fluid forwards, two midfielders, and sometimes two outside center backs into the attack, the defense tried to plug up the middle. That was fine until the entire defensive line had to shift to mark on the wing, leaving the backside wide open. Throughout the first half there were giant pockets between San Diego’s wingers and outside backs. This space was routinely exploited by the Black & Gold and helped with the buildup and overloads. It was eventually San Diego’s adjustments that got them back into the game. Around the 40-minute mark, the hosts made a change. They allowed the backline to get more horizontal to mark the wide areas and the wingers dropped a bit deeper on defense. This left them a bit undermanned in the immediate attack, but they became a much better countering team. The structural change was a minute detail that the San Diego coaching staff tried and saw it give them a foothold in the game, but bigger and more impactful changes came in the second half. San Diego’s philosophy change Right off the bat in the second half you could tell San Diego made a tactical philosophy shift that changed the game. Typically, a team that enjoys a draw out buildup, San Diego resorted to going direct. Clever runs from the front three paired with a high Crew backline resulted in chance after chance for the hosts, and then their luck got better when Amundsen pulled down an attacker and got sent off. Seeing the opposition go down to 10 men, San Diego doubled down and committed more men forward. After equalizing off a corner when Columbus had nine players on the field, the aerial assault continued. San Diego sent three to four attackers probing the backline and making runs in behind which led to a ton of changes, but also a number of offsides calls. That was the gamble San Diego was willing to take. Going long in the air is always daunting because it feels out of control and sometimes needs luck, but against a high backline like the Black & Gold, a perfect pass can spell doom. The other tweak that San Diego made was on the defensive side with their press. In the first half, the hosts employed a resisted pressure with four players that was broken by the Crew routinely. It was simple math, San Diego pressed with four and Columbus had five to six players in that area at all times for a game-like version of rondo. In the second half (and especially after the red card), San Diego began pressing higher with five players and one “rover” on the backside. The five attackers went after the Black & Gold backline, with the sitting player marking the backside wingback. San Diego wanted to put the Crew under siege while taking away the backside release valve. Obviously, this was made easier by the lack of a player on the field for Columbus, but the Black & Gold got some chances off of San Diego mistakes. Diego Rossi came so close to taking the lead back for the Crew off a breakaway where it was just him and two defenders, but the shot sailed high. This was one of those games for Columbus that did not go remotely to plan, but they will take a point on the road and move on. San Diego showed they belong in this league and will be a force this season, but the Black & Gold held their own in adverse circumstances. There is still a lot of work for this Crew team to do, but a draw away from home against one of the better teams in the West while playing down a man during the match is nothing to be ashamed of.

The Columbus Crew bowed out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after winning the home leg 2-1 but losing on an aggregate scoreline of 4-2. Columbus went down in the opening leg out in the City of Angels 3-0 but showed fight in this game to get the aggregate tie back within one goal. A late Denis Bouanga clinching goal sunk the Black & Gold’s comeback attempt for good. Despite the 3-0 hole coming into this game, the Crew responded with energy and an attack-first mentality. Wilfried Nancy set up his team to chase goals and dominate the game, which Columbus did. With two early goals from Jacen Russell-Rowe and Diego Rossi, the comeback looked to be on. After halftime though, LAFC locked down their defense helped by Hugo Lloris standing on his head on multiple occasions. Let’s dive into the tactics that Nancy got right, and wrong, in the Black & Gold’s aggregate loss to LAFC. Setting up an attack-minded team From the moment the starting lineups were released, you could see Nancy’s intention for this game. On the backline, he replaced Yevhen Cheberko with Sean Zawadzki, who could slide into midfield if needed and be a better passing center-back. Including AZ Jackson, Dylan Chambost, and Darlington Nagbe in midfield gave the Crew more of an emphasis on attacking, rounded out with Russell-Rowe and Rossi up top. Typically, we’ve seen Chambost play as a part of that fluid front three, but in this game, he primarily sat next to Nagbe for his defensive duties. Jackson primarily joined the attack but often sat underneath as a roaming No. 10. At kickoff, Columbus employed a 1-4-5 formation that looked more like a 1-4-3-2. The Black & Gold tipped their hand at the weekend against the Houston Dynamo where they attacked in the same shape. Zawadzki stayed back as the lone center back but still moved 10 to 15 yards past midfield to aid in the attack. Both Chambost and Nagbe remained in the center of the pitch for most of the night, with Chambost occasionally leaking out wide or high. Malte Amundsen and Steven Moreira pushed forward as wide midfielders or second wingbacks, just lower than Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten. The tweak that the Crew made from the last game against LAFC was pushing the wingbacks higher than the three inside forwards. This pushed the LAFC backline deeper and allowed the attackers to drop into space and turn. Granted, much of Columbus’ dominance was also due to LAFC’s contentment to sit back and defend. The Black & Gold’s first-half showing was mostly due to the visitors trying to sit deep and stymie any whiff of an attack. LAFC opted to do this in a 5-4-1 with Igor Jesus dropping into a center back role in that back five. The Crew have struggled to break down a low block before, but this time they had success due to their setup. The key was the outside center backs moving into positions that wide midfielders would occupy. I would characterize this positioning as “second wingbacks” just below the true wingbacks pushing the limits of LAFC’s backline. Both Moreira and Amundsen were bridges or half-pivots to the wingbacks, but they also played an important role in widening LAFC’s midfield. The visitors had a choice to make – they could plug up the middle or choose to cover the outside center backs moving into the attack. LAFC tried to do both, which gave Columbus’ attack a diverse approach. When LAFC’s midfielders stayed central, Moreira and Amundsen would combine with the wingbacks and create wide overloads with the interior attackers. These overlaps from the outside center backs generate a ton of crossing opportunities. If LAFC decided to play with a wider defensive base, the inside was now open to play the ball into the attackers’ feet. This is where Jackson became very important for the Black & Gold. To the average viewer, it seemed Jackson did not have a good game, but he was essential to the Crew’s buildup and attack. When the opposition decided to shut down Moreira and Amundsen, Jackson became the target man inside. The young attacking midfielder dropped into the half-space and received the ball to his feet with a defender on his back. Sometimes he lost the ball due to the pressure, but on other occasions, he adopted an Alexandru Matan role and created attacks off the dribble. Once the ball went inside, LAFC’s defense would constrict and open up the wings for the dual wingbacks. From there Columbus would overload the width and force the defense to overshift to compensate, leaving the backside open for the opposite wingback and Russell-Rowe to attack. Another subtle tweak happened if LAFC committed numbers to guard against the double wingbacks on each side. In some scenarios, Farsi and Arfsten would pinch inside like second strikers to give more options for target attackers in the middle. These inverted interior runs tried to attack the channels left by the defense’s three center backs and pull them out of position with central overloads. The Black & Gold came out swinging and it led to one of the better offensive performances of the season but shot themselves in the foot late to seal it for LAFC. Despite the loss, there are positives to be taken from this game that the Crew can hopefully care into the weekend at San Diego. Where did it fall apart? Ironically for Columbus, it was the substitutions that killed the momentum. The moment Moreira went down and had to come out, the Black & Gold were losing a huge attacking and defensive piece. The Frenchman is not only the reigning defensive player of the year, but he can also be a potent attacker. Nancy’s decision to bring on Cheberko was an interesting one. When his number went up the question was where would he play? Typically, the Ukrainian sits in the center of the back five with two outside center backs around him, but this time he took up Moreira’s position and played on the right side. While Cheberko can be a multi-faceted center back, he does not have the same attacking attributes that fit him into what the Crew was trying to do. Possibly moving Zawadzki – who is more adaptable in attack – out on the right and putting Cheberko back in the center of defense would have been a better move. The simple fact is that the Ukrainian did not offer anything in the offensive sector. We’ve seen his inability to be a creative passing center back in recent games, so throwing him in the attacking third on overlaps does not make sense. We see the poor passing vision in the final move of the second half where he laid out a weak pass to the opposite side that was picked off by LAFC and ultimately converted by Bouanga. Cheberko is going to need to play in the absence of Rudy Camacho, and Columbus is counting on him to be a big part of their season. The simple fact is that Cheberko is not an attack-minded outside center back, which makes the substitution puzzling when Andres Herrera is sitting on the bench. The other substitution that was puzzling was taking out Jackson for Taha Habroune. Granted, Jackson had not been playing his best game, but he was a creative piece in the attacking third that could kick off movements. The turnovers were a problem, but that is the tradeoff you have to consider given his attacking creativity. Habroune is going to be an excellent player – hopefully for Columbus one day – but he was not ready for the stage on Tuesday night. He looked lost in the attacking third and consistently got lost in space, running into teammates and getting into others’ passing lanes. Nancy possibly thought Habroune could bring the same creativity Jackson offered but limited the turnovers. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Cheberko substitution hampered the attack, but Habroune coming on threw a wrench into the Black & Gold’s plans. He just did not fit what the Crew needed at that moment, which was a highly creative, risk-taking attacker that can create something out of nothing. The icing on the cake was both substitutes – Cheberko and Habroune – combining for LAFC’s only goal of the night. Cheberko plays a lazy square pass across the middle that is preached against in high school locker rooms around the country, and Habroune is caught watching and waiting with concrete shoes on as LAFC intercepts the ball. Players will have bad games, and this match was no different. Cheberko and Habroune will both bounce back, but their substitutions sealed this game for LAFC along with Lloris building a brick wall in front of goal. All in all, the Crew returned to Columbus in an insurmountable hole and almost got back in the tie. The team showed fight, and the attack looked better than in recent weeks. All focus now turns to a matchup with San Diego FC on Saturday.

The Columbus Crew returned home on the weekend to face off against the Houston Dynamo at Lower.com Field. After a crushing 3-0 loss to LAFC in the opening leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16, Columbus needed a pick-me-up. The Black & Gold would not get a better chance than facing the bottom-dwelling Dynamo at home. In a game that the Crew dominated, the contest would end scoreless with both teams sharing points. Columbus had opportunities to take the lead but could not find the breakthrough to claim all three points. After a disappointing showing at LAFC and now tying at home with the lowly Dynamo, the Black & Gold find themselves in an early-season rut with Wilfried Nancy looking for answers. It was a relaxing game for the scoreboard operator, so let’s dive into the tactics that saw these two sides leave finish in a draw. Columbus’ unique strategy and shapes When the Crew watched the tape from the loss to LAFC, they saw a thoroughly uninspiring offensive performance. That poor outing allowed LAFC to bag three goals on the counter and send Columbus home with their tail tucked between their legs. After reviewing this most recent matchup with Houston, the Black & Gold are taking important steps. While the Crew did not look like Nancy’s 2023 MLS Cup winning squad, Columbus made strides in the attacking sector. But before we get ahead of ourselves with the narrative about the Black & Gold’s offense, let’s look at the Crew’s shape and game plan. Columbus came out of the locker room in their normal shape, but that quickly morphed into a new formation that has not been utilized this season: a 1-4-5. Yevhen Cheberko stayed deep as the lone center back, while Malte Amundsen and Andres Herrera moved into outside midfielder/half-pivot roles. Between the converted wide midfielders sat Darlington Nagbe and Sean Zawadzki. The front five remained fluid, but there was a little tweak to it. The interior attackers consisting of Diego Rossi, Dylan Chambost and Jacen Russell-Rowe sat deeper than Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten out on the wings. Since Herrera and Amundsen were already in wide midfielder positions, the wingbacks could push the Dynamo backline further up the pitch to create that space underneath. Because of this aggressive positioning by the wingbacks, the front three inside sat a bit deeper to help out with the midfield duties in the buildup. So technically while this formation was a base 1-4-5, it looked more like a 1-4-3-2 with the top two being the wingbacks. This was the offensive shape that Columbus stayed in for most of the game. Of course, as it is in any Nancy system, there were subtle changes that reflected a 2-3-5 of later a 1-3-6 when AZ Jackson came on for Darlington Nagbe, but the formation almost always reverted to the 1-4-5. So that was the general shape the Crew lined up in throughout the game, but the offensive focus was different. Houston defended in a 4-2-4 high and then dropped into a 4-4-2 low block, so Columbus had to figure out how to unlock another low block. The solution for Nancy was to attack the width, overload wide areas and then switch the point of attack to the other flank quickly to catch the defense napping. The Dynamo did not have a wide defensive base in a natural four-back system, so shifting them was easy if the Crew could switch the ball fast enough. Some of the best attacking chances happened this way. The ball would be out in a wide area and the Houston defense would move over to cover, and then the switch would come through Nagbe or Zawadzki. If Columbus could get the ball to the opposing wingback and then have the outside centerback overlap, space would open up in behind. The emphasis on attacking the wide spaces through the wingbacks and overlapping outside centerbacks freed up some good crossing opportunities, but the fact is that the Crew just could not find that final pass. The gameplan was sound and, to an extent, it worked. The Crew had multiple promising attacking chances and looks on goal, but the second-to-last or final pass was just not there. That has been the main struggle this season for Columbus, that final combination of play to cap off a move. Fans of the Black & Gold should be encouraged, not outraged. The Crew responded well and were just unlucky not to find a goal, which is not usually the case under Nancy. It is still very early in the season, so no reason to press the panic button just yet. How can the Crew improve? The main points of growth for this Columbus team needs to come at both ends of the pitch. We have talked a little bit about the offensive improvement, but beyond the final one or two passes there are areas where the Black & Gold need to clean up. The first is utilizing the midfield during build ups. Too often the Crew are one-dimensional in their build up which is allows opposing teams to key in and adjust. Columbus loves to use their wingbacks and outside center backs to build up from out wide, but the midfield is often wide open to attack. If the Black & Gold can work from outside to inside and take the space that is given, teams will be left guessing whether to guard the flanks or interior. The other glaring issue is the decision-making on offense. The Crew go through phases where they are too focused with retaining possession that they miss opportunities to go at goal. If you watch Nancy on the sideline this past game against Houston, you can see his frustration at times when the ball is recycled instead of played into an attacking position. For a team that is built on playing beautiful, bold and brash soccer, Columbus looks timid in the attacking third from time to time. To win games the Black & Gold will need to get that boldness back and rely on their re-press to win the ball back if it is lost finding those attacking chances. Finally, the last glaring offensive issue that is a hot-button topic in the Crew community right now is the loss of offensive talent. Fans will want to talk about Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez, but I think this team is really missing Alexandru Matan as well. Matan was one of those players who was quick, could play in the midfield or on the wing and was a crafty combination in the final third with the other attackers. Columbus is missing a player who can beat a defender and start off a combination in the attacking half. Matan was quietly invaluable at doing that for the Black & Gold under Nancy, so the offensive questions marks go beyond “who can play striker?”. On defense, the biggest improvement will be limiting turnovers and moving the ball quicker. Rudy Camacho is a piece that this team desperately misses right now. Cheberko has filled in fairly well but has been shaky in possession and is often too slow with the ball at his feet. Again, reducing mistakes and becoming comfortable will come with time as the early-season rust is knocked off, but Columbus cannot keep hemorrhaging goals off dumb mistakes at the back. The season is only three games old, but there is still a lot of work that can be done. Nancy will not be focused on simply getting results in March but grabbing wins when it counts in the summer and fall as well.

The Columbus Crew kicked off their 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign in disappointing style, falling to LAFC 3-0 away from home. After controlling the opening few minutes of the game, Columbus quickly was on the back foot due to LAFC’s press and ability to hit on the counter. After only 20 minutes, Denis Bouanga opened the scoring courtesy of Steven Moreira getting pickpocketed. Bouanga would double the advantage just after halftime, and LAFC would put the cherry on top with a third goal in the final 10 minutes. It wasn’t exactly the best performance the Black & Gold have every put out, but LAFC and Steve Cherundolo did their due diligence as well. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this backbreaking loss in the first leg of this CONCACAF Champions Cup tie. First half tactics Anyone who watched the first five minutes of this game would have thought it was going to be a long night for LAFC. The Crew were controlling possession, turning the hosts over high up the pitch and coming out of the gate strong. That all would change around the 10-minute mark when LAFC finally decided to show their hand. First, we need to talk about the base setup of both teams. LAFC came out of the locker room in a 4-3-3 with Bouanga out on the left wing. This formation is fairly simply with not a lot of nuance or fluidity to it, but it is effective. Columbus came out in Wilfried Nancy’s patented 5-2-3 formation that can also change into a number of different shapes. We’ll start with the Black & Gold. From kickoff the Crew changed their shape into a 2-3-5 on offense with Malte Amundsen stepping up into the midfield alongside Darlington Nagbe and Sean Zawadzki. Both wingbacks moved up as wingers and AZ Jackson, Dylan Chambost and Diego Rossi sat inside. In the buildup, Jackson and Chambost would sometimes drop into the half pivot spaces to be the bridge to the wingbacks, but other than that there was a lack of creative movement by the attackers. Some of the attacking struggles can be attributed to the Black & Gold’s stagnant nature, but LAFC also had a few tricks up their sleeve to keep the Crew at bay. The hosts came out in a low block that resembled a 4-5-1 and allowed Columbus to control possession for a majority of the first few minutes. There was limited pressure from LAFC, almost as if they were trying to feel out the first few minutes to give the Black & Gold a sense of comfort. LAFC’s offensive strategy was simple: suck the Crew in and then hit on the counter with their speedy attackers. Cherundolo knows Nancy wants nine players at least in the attacking zone and he banked on his attackers being faster than a recovering Amundsen or Moreira. The first goal was an absolute gift by Moreira and should be ruled out as an outlier from a consistently great player having an off night. Most of (if not all) of LAFC’s attacking chances from then on came on the counter against some form of a recovering defense by Columbus. LAFC relied on the Black & Gold to get out of shape against their low block and then turn the ball over. If the hosts could win that second ball, it was off to the he races against a backpedaling Yevhen Cheberko and company. The Crew not only had issues unlocking the low block but also struggled to get out of LAFC’s pressure. Columbus routinely found themselves under attack by the opposing attackers and could not combine to get out of it. LAFC succeeded by sending five attackers to pressure the backline and midfielders and then reserved two more defenders to follow the Black & Gold dropping attackers. This left only two avenues of breaking the press: combining quickly through pressured droppers or going long. This is where the lineup decisions come in. The Crew did not have a true striker on the field with the absence of Jacen Russell-Rowe from the starting XI. Diego Rossi can play as a striker, but not one that is a big body and can hold up play. So, now the only option was to combine quickly through the dropping attackers. Columbus has done this plenty of times against LAFC in the past, but on Tuesday their touches and passes were woefully poor. Rossi was dribbling into the feet of defenders, DeJuan Jones’ touches shot off his foot and Chambost seemed to play more inaccurate passes than completed ones. There’s a word to be said about the absences of Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez, but it’s also true that if the Black & Gold played their best they could have competed against LAFC and made this a good game. Sure, the team is going to miss arguably the best player in club history and one of the best poachers in the league but losing two players does not cause a catastrophic failure like Tuesday night. You can argue this is on Issa Tall, but it also rests firmly on the shoulders of Nancy and the team who frankly did not show up. Credit to LAFC for coming out with a smart gameplan to play to their strengths while taking away the Crew’s, but two things can be true. Columbus misses Hernandez and Ramirez, but they are better than this performance on the west coast. Columbus’ adjustments One of the supposed shocks of the game came after halftime, when Moreira made way for former Crew 2 standout Taha Habroune. Why substitute the Black & Gold’s best defender – and reigning MLS Defender of the Year – for a midfielder who has not seen much action at this level? Fans were seriously doubting this call from Nancy, but there was a vision to it. Going into halftime the Crew were down 1-0 and had been outplayed for a majority of the half. Columbus already committed to sending one of the outside centerbacks (almost always Amundsen) up into the midfield and Moreira was not having a good game. Taking off a player who was not in form for a midfielder who has creative ability and could possibly change the game was a risk Nancy was willing to take. Now hindsight is 20-20, and the substitution did not pan out. It took Bouanga only a matter of seconds out of the locker room to double LAFC’s advantage and for all the Black & Gold fans on social media to lash out at the substitution. With Habroune on the field and Zawadzki back in Moreira’s right centerback spot, the Crew now had a true midfield trio to help with the buildup. Another slight tweak to the formation when Columbus was in possession was a triangle midfield of Nagbe and Zawadzki as defensive midfielders, with Habroune moving into the No. 10 spot. Habroune and Chambost both occupied that attacking midfield space and often dropped into the half-pivot area, but LAFC still shut down any whiff of an attack. Once Bouanga’s second goal hit the back of the net, Cherundolo switched things up again. LAFC still defended in a 4-5-1 but sometimes it would change into a 5-4-1. Igor Jesus for the hosts would occasionally drop into the backline to plug up any semblance of a hole on defense. Jeremy Ebobisse stayed high as the lone attacker, holding up play for the wingers to provide counter-attacking support. From there, the Black & Gold had to deal with the almost impossible task of unlocking LAFC’s Fort Knox-like low block. With nine players committed to defending and a serious counter threat looming, it was a lose-lose situation for the Crew that eventually resulted in a third goal for LAFC. This loss will be part of the growing pains this Columbus squad will go through this year, but it’s important to remember the season is a mere three games old. The Black & Gold still have 32 more MLS matches and a number of clashes in other competitions, so there is no reason to throw in the towel just yet. One may recall the start to the 2022 season when Miguel Berry was starting up top for a Crew side that was awaiting a DP No. 9… sound familiar? While fans may moan about Tall and the front office not replacing players, a reminder of patience and a trust in the process is due. If after the summer there are no replacements, I will join with the pitchfork gang… but until then sit back, relax and let Nancy and his staff figure things out. This loss to LAFC is a blow, but this Columbus side will hopefully prove it was just another early-season learning opportunity.

Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 20 points in the loss to Xavier. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team fell again to rival Xavier 91-78, this time at home in front of a packed Hinkle Fieldhouse. On a night that honored the seniors – forwards Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks, Patrick McCaffery and center Andre Screen – the Bulldogs were a no-show. It was a tightly contested first half, but the Musketeers asserted their dominance in an explosive second half showing. Xavier scored 47 points in the second half and routinely soared to the basket for emphatic slams. The Hinkle crowd was out of the game a mere two minutes into the second half. In a brutal but fitting end to Butler’s home slate, let’s go beyond the box score. Streaky first half shootout Both offenses were in rare form in the first half, dueling back and forth with a number of runs. After the first five minutes, the squads were deadlocked at 14 and were both hitting shots from everywhere on the court. At one point, the Bulldogs were shooting 80% from beyond the arc to keep up with Xavier’s red-hot offensive output. That trend would die out though. Over the next six minutes, the Musketeers built a 10-point lead courtesy of a 14-4 run. Butler head coach Thad Matta was high on Xavier, giving the Musketeers lofty praise for the offensive showing. “Xavier is playing as well as anyone in the country right now,” Matta said. “They’re a heck of a basketball team right now.” Butler’s defense remained sluggish, but when the offense went missing, Xavier took advantage. The Musketeers had the cleaner first half with only two turnovers compared to Butler’s five, but that did not stop the Dawgs from staging a few runs of their own. The Bulldogs outscored Xavier 22-16 in the final 9:31 of the first half courtesy of some hot shooting from McCaffery and a string of Musketeer scoring droughts. Butler has been streaky all year, but the first half of this game ended up being the pinnacle of streakiness. Both teams could not find a consistent rhythm on offense, which led to a back-and-forth game. In the end, the Bulldogs went into the locker room down by four, but that number would soon inflate to an embarrassing proportion in front of a home crowd. A depressing ending to a severely underwhelming year Butler had its sights set on an improvement in Matta’s third year at the helm, but those aspirations were quickly put on hold after alarming early-season losses to Austin Peay and North Dakota State. Although the Bulldogs beat Northwestern and Mississippi State en route to an Arizona Tip-Off championship, there were always questions surrounding the team. Early season highs and lows are typical for any college basketball team, but how would the Dawgs respond to a daunting Big East slate? Butler fans got their answer as fall turned into winter when the Bulldogs started conference play with six losses, part of a bigger nine-game stretch. Those losses were mired with squandered leads, blowouts and poor basketball. The harsh reality is that Butler’s regression has been a season-long escapade. The Bulldogs had flashes of talent – especially from team leaders Telfort and Brooks – but there was always a sense that the final product was not refined. With the four seniors leaving after this season, Matta reflected on what Telfort, Brooks, Screen and McCaffery meant to the program despite the lackluster season. “I love these guys,” Matta said. “They’ve been great teammates [and] they worked hard. It [is] hard for me to see those four guys go even though we’ve only had them for a little bit of time. I’ll miss these guys.” When Matta returned to his alma mater there were dreams of NCAA Tournament appearances and getting back to the glory days, but in year three the Dawgs are no closer to accomplishing that feat. With a talented senior class exiting with no real team accolades to show, a longer rebuild is on the horizon. For now, it will be back to the drawing board for Matta and Co., seeking to make true on the promises given in the summer of 2022. As stated in the opening home hype video displayed in Hinkle before every home game, Butler is made by history. The problem with history is that it is in the past, and dwelling on the past will never bear fruit to a brighter future.

The Columbus Crew grabbed its second win of the season on the road against the New England Revolution. On a freezing night in the northeast, the Black & Gold weathered former Crew head coach and current New England coach Caleb Porter’s storm and grabbed a singular goal to claim all three points. It was a cagey affair, with little action for most of the match. The Revolution did their best to contain Columbus, but the Black & Gold eventually got on the scoresheet courtesy of Jacen Russell-Rowe. His goal would be securing the Crew’s second win of the young season. In a particularly uneventful and slightly boring game, let’s dive into the tactics that gave Columbus the victory over New England. Taking advantage of New England’s over shift Fans of the Black & Gold are used to seeing Porter-coached teams after the coach’s tenure in Columbus. His classic 4-2-3-1 formation is a staple, and that was the shape that New England lined up in on Saturday night. We know by now what tactics Porter was going to employ. The Revolution would play a passive style of possession to draw the Black & Gold out and then hit the Crew when they over-commit or get out of shape. New England’s offense was essentially a non-factor in this matchup. Much of the Revolution’s chances or half chances were created by their defense pressing Columbus into making mistakes. These mistakes led to transition chances, but New England could not capitalize on any of them. The biggest hurdle for the Black & Gold was getting around New England’s compartmentalized press. The Revolution matched the Crew’s overloads and often pressed them toward the sideline, hoping to cut off any switches or combinations of play that could break the pressure. When Columbus would shift two center backs, a wingback, midfielder,s and even a dropping striker over to one side, New England would combat that by shifting over defenders of their own. It was a man-marking press that eventually tightened until the Black & Gold had to play along, turn the ball over or the Revolution made a mistake. This is exactly what happened for much of the first half, but the key in this press was Leo Campana up top for New England. He was responsible for cutting of the Crew’s switch point, which in this case would be Yevhen Cheberko. If Cheberko was marked by Campana and the rest of New England’s press was airtight, Columbus would have to go long or switch the point of play through Patrick Schulte. Switching the ball through Schulte works in theory, but the Black & Gold would give up depth and it would give the Revolution time to recover to cut down space on the opposite flank. Again, this stifled the Crew for much of the first half. It would be great to say that Wilfried Nancy went into the locker room and devised a master plan to come up with Russell-Rowe’s goal, but it was actually a mistake by New England that caused Columbus to go ahead. Off a throw-in during the 50th minute of the match, the Black & Gold dropped nine(!) players back onto the sideline for a throw-in. The Revolution had seven defenders in the same area, but they did not account for Dylan Chambost dropping in from a higher attacking area. The New England markers did not check their shoulders, and a quick throw-in combination sprung Chambost into attack. Now the Crew had exactly what they wanted – a three vs. three with the defense on its heels. Mo Farsi received the ball flanked inside by Diego Rossi and Russell-Rowe, with a trailing Chambost behind them. This is where the critical mistake from New England becomes complete. To compensate for the blown press, the Revolution overshifts towards Farsi on the right side while Rossi makes a dummy run inside to freeze the backside defender. Russell-Rowe on the other hand beats his marking defender backside and receives a picture-perfect pass for him to dispatch in the back of the net. All credit to New England for staying in their shape for the majority of the match and making life difficult for Columbus, but in the end the Black & Gold’s offense was too much to hold back. Teams are learning that even without Cucho Hernandez, you can have a perfect game plan and still concede goals. The Crew’s ability to grind out wins on the road despite being in cold temperatures and in a cagey game is admirable. After the offseason departures, fans will be encouraged by this start by the Black & Gold.

Junior guard Kolby King had 11 points in the loss against St. John’s. Photo by Jonathan Wang. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team heads East on March 1 to take on Villanova in Butler’s third-to-last Big East game of the regular season. The Bulldogs fell in dramatic fashion on Jan. 1 against the Wildcats, blowing a 13 point lead with six minutes remaining and scoring only one point over that span. In their last game, the Dawgs were handled by No. 7 St. John’s. Butler grabbed the lead against the Red Storm with seven minutes remaining, but ended up falling 76-70 for the Bulldogs 15th loss of the season. Here is what you need to know as the Dawgs prepare to scrap with the Wildcats: Who: Butler vs. Villanova When: March 1, 12 p.m. Where: Finneran Pavilion How to watch: FOX Holding onto a lead If there has been one recurring issue for Butler this year, it is the Bulldogs’ inability to finish games and hold onto leads. Fans of the Dawgs got an early taste of these shortcomings in the first matchup with Villanova, but the problem reared its ugly head against St. John’s. Butler often does just enough to get within striking distance, but shies away when the lights are the brightest. Even having a home crowd behind them with seven minutes to go against the No. 7 team in the nation, the Bulldogs could not muster enough to stay in the game and grab the victory. This issue has been the defining quality of the Dawgs’ season. At the conclusion of this year, fans will wonder what could have been if Butler had the willpower to finish games, but the reality is it cannot pull out wins in crunch time. In this game against Villanova, the Bulldogs have a chance to exorcise their demons. If the Dawgs can go on the road, grab a lead and finish the game strong with a win, they can begin to move forward with momentum. Villanova scouting report Villanova is currently sixth in the Big East with a conference record of 10-8, and an overall record of 17-12. After dropping two in a row against UConn and Providence, the ‘Cats rebounded with wins over a ranked Marquette and Seton Hall. The Wildcats are led by graduate forward Eric Dixon and senior guard Wooga Poplar. This season Dixon has solidified himself as one of the best players in the Big East and college basketball. The graduate averages 23.3 points per game on 45.8% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. Poplar has been the perfect complement to Dixon’s dominance. The dual-threat guard averages 14.5 points per game and leads Villanova in rebounding. For Butler to win this game it starts with stopping Dixon and Poplar. Senior guard Jordan Longino is the only other Wildcat to average double-digits in scoring on the season, so if the Bulldogs can limit Dixon and Poplar they will be in good shape. This game offers yet another opportunity for the Dawgs to get a good win on the road and gain momentum heading into the Big East Tournament. With this matchup against Villanova, a date with Xavier and a final Big East clash with Creighton on the horizon, Butler has its hands full for the next week.

Sophomore Boden Kapke had 12 points in the loss against St. John’s. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team fought valiantly but eventually fell to No. 7 St. John’s 76-70. After spending most of the first half down by single digits, the Bulldogs rallied to take the lead with seven and a half minutes remaining. Unfortunately for the Hinkle faithful, that lead would not last. The Red Storm went on to regain the advantage and never look back, giving the Dawgs their 15th loss of the season. In a heartbreaking loss to St. John’s, let’s go beyond the box score. Standing tall in a physical battle Despite the final score, Butler took the Red Storm to the wire. The Bulldogs had several chances to tie or take the lead in the final minutes of the game, but could not capitalize. The inability to close out games is the story of the Dawgs’ season. Time and time again Butler proved that it can hang around with some of the toughest teams in college basketball, but it just cannot find the finishing touches to secure the victory. Bulldogs head coach Thad Matta knew his team put up a good fight, but gave credit to the Red Storm for taking their chances. “We fought,” Matta said. “Give [St. John’s] credit. They started the game on fire. We had to adjust defensively because they were making shots.” St. John’s had a blistering first half, shooting 53.1% from the field. The Red Storm were able to keep Butler at arms length for a majority of the half, but the Dawgs went into halftime only down by six. Down by single digits at halftime to a top-ten team in the country is nothing to be ashamed of. This loss – which will sting – showed what Butler could be. The Bulldogs did not have their best game, but they still went down to the buzzer with one of the best teams in college basketball. This team has come a long way since those embarrassing losses to Austin Peay and North Dakota State, but the Dawgs came up just short in the end yet again. A total team effort in a losing battle One of the bright spots tonight was how Butler played collectively as a team. Every Bulldog who played got on the scoresheet, with four of them ending up in double-digits. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring charge with 13 points, followed closely by senior forward Pierre Brooks and sophomore center Boden Kapke with 12 points each. Junior guard Kolby King poured 11 points off the bench as well. The Dawgs survived much of this season riding the hot hands of Telfort and Brooks, so it is rare to see such a comprehensive performance from Butler. Sharing the scoring burden made it hard for St. John’s to key in on one or two players to “shut down”, which ultimately allowed the Bulldogs to stay in the game. Although the scoring output was evenly distributed, Butler remained a few baskets away from capturing victory. “We put ourselves in a position to win [with] a couple crazy plays down the end,” Matta said. “[St. John’s] kept coming at us. We needed to make a couple [more] plays and we didn’t get it done.” The Bulldogs will have a chance to avenge this loss on Saturday in Pennsylvania against Villanova, before returning home for a rivalry matchup with Xavier.

The Columbus Crew grabbed its first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Fire at Lower.com Field. The visitors got out to an early lead, but Columbus responded shortly after courtesy of Jacen Russell-Rowe. Yet again, Chicago pushed out in front just minutes later to give Gregg Berhalter a lead against his former team. From there, it was all Black & Gold. A Fire own goal and a brace from Diego Rossi sealed all three points for the Crew on the first matchday of the season. After the departures of Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez this offseason, the Black & Gold held their own in the first match of the new year. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into the opening-day victory. Early struggles and tactical setups The first 30 minutes of the match did not go the way the Crew wanted it to. Chicago took the lead inside 15 minutes and then regained the advantage another time after Columbus landed a counter punch. Wilfried Nancy’s team looked rusty. The Black & Gold misplaced passes, took poor touches and could not stop turning the ball over to the Fire’s press. It was a first 30 minutes that resembled a team in its first MLS match since November. Some of that sloppiness is due to this game being the first meaningful match that Columbus played in three months. The other mistakes were due to both the Fire and Black & Gold’s tactical setups. Let’s start off with the Crew. Columbus lined up in the typical 3-4-3/5-2-3 formation that has become commonplace under Nancy. Yevhen Cheberko anchored the center of the back three alongside Steven Moreira and Malte Amundsen. Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten flanked the defense, with Darlington Nagbe and Sean Zawadzki in the center of the midfield. The front three was rounded out by Dylan Chambost, Russell-Rowe and Rossi. On defense, Columbus defended in a 5-3-2 with Chambost dropping into midfield alongside Nagbe and Zawadzki. That formation was the standard Black & Gold defensive setup throughout Nancy’s tenure in Columbus. On offense, the Crew had an altered look from the prior season. They stuck with the 3-4-3 base formation, but it changed quickly. The first altered shape was a 3-3-4. The back three remained the same, but the wingbacks pushed up high as wingers. In this shape, Chambost often dropped into the half-space between Moreira and Farsi to play as a half-pivot. The objective of this offensive formation was to hit the wingbacks on diagonal runs in behind Chicago’s center backs. Relying on long balls is not usually Columbus’ style, but it was the main avenue of attack in this formation. When Chambost moved into the half-pivot space and Amundsen did the same on the left, the Black & Gold would shift into a 2-4-4. Moreira and Cheberko would stay as a back two, with Amundsen and Chambost making a cupped midfield with Nagbe and Zawadzki. The front four would stay in the same positions. The offensive approach did not change much when the formations were tweaked, with the long balls to the wingbacks remaining as the Crew’s path of choice. While this long ball strategy took place in both formations, it was the Fire’s defensive approach that caused Columbus to play the aerial game. Chicago lined up in Berhalter’s classic 4-2-3-1 and employed a press with six of their 11 players. The Fire’s attack and midfielders used a man-mark press to get after the Black & Gold, with the back four playing a higher line. Wherever the Crew tried to create an overload, Chicago would match the numbers. This made it incredibly hard for Columbus to combine and build out of the back, leading to the long balls over the top. The worst part was the Black & Gold’s transition defense. With one of the three center backs high up the field, Chicago routinely got wide mismatches on the counter which sprang Jonathan Bamba down the left side time and time again. This led to a difficult first half hour of the match, resulting in the Black & Gold going down 2-1. The tides would soon change though, with Nancy unlocking Berhalter’s defensive enigma. Nancy’s answer to the Fire’s defensive tactics The Crew’s French manager unlocked Chicago’s defensive structure around the half-hour mark. His answer to the Fire’s press would flip the game on its head and give Columbus the foothold it needed to grab all three points. It started with the attack. Rossi, Russell-Rowe and Chambost were not getting the ball played into their feet because they were not dropping into midfield. For much of the first half they just stayed high on the backline and fought for those aerial balls. The Black & Gold began to break Chicago’s press when they could get the ball into one of the attackers’ feet and combine quickly on one-twos. This put the Fire’s press on its heels and opened up space in behind to run into. This is the area of the game where Rossi became absolutely immense. The Uruguayan became the focal point of the team, dropping into midfield and spraying out first-time passes to spring the Crew out of the press. His ability to do this freed up the second key for Columbus getting back into the game – Moreira getting higher up the pitch. During the first part of the opening half he often stayed back alongside Cheberko, but Nancy convinced him to be bold and attack. Once Rossi began breaking the Black & Gold out, the right side of the field became Moreira and Farsi’s playground. The two defenders-turned-attackers combined to put Chicago’s left back in a blender on multiple occasions, with two goals coming directly from Moreira’s foot. Once Moreira was able to get into the attack and Rossi put the buildup on his back, the Crew turned into a completely different team. There were still times when the Fire had chances on the counter, but that is to be expected in Columbus’ system. The difference in the offensive approach for the Black and Gold was night and day though. Those in-game adjustments are what make Nancy one of – if not the best – managers in MLS. Crew fans will want to see more of the Columbus squad that showed up for the last 60 minutes of the match as the season gets rolling.