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The Columbus Crew’s winless streak continued as they fell to Inter Miami 5-1 on May 31st. The hosts struck early and often, thanks to defensive mistakes by the Columbus backline and goalkeeper Nico Hagen. Miami netted three goals in the first 25 minutes of the match, heading into the intermission with a 3-0 lead. A header from substitute Cesar Ruvalcaba brought the deficit back to two, but more poor defending and goalkeeping allowed Miami to continue the onslaught. Ultimately, Miami walked away with a comfortable 5-1 victory and the season sweep over the Black & Gold. The Crew has not won a game since May 3, nearly a month ago. In victory as well as defeats, there are tactics at play by both sides that dictated the outcome of this game. Let’s dive into all the tactics that handed Columbus one of the biggest losses of the Wilfried Nancy era. Playing into Miami’s hands As many fans saw in the last matchup against Miami, Javier Mascherano’s side often plays better on the counterattack. Although Miami is among the league leaders in possession, sucking an opponent in and countering with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez would be a potent gameplan for any team in the world. With the Crew leading the league in overall possession, their play style gave Miami a perfect chance to play on the counterattack. The hosts sat in an extremely narrow 4-4-2 on defense and forced Columbus to attack down the flanks. Many of the Black & Gold’s turnovers came in the center of the pitch due to the congestion of the Miami players in that same area. Due to Miami’s narrow approach, the emphasis was now on Max Arfsten and Mo Farsi to cultivate the attacks. Early in the game, Miami rotated its entire formation to the ball-dominant side to leave the backside of the defense wide open. With all the other attacking options stopped by Miami’s narrow approach, the Black & Gold’s best attack opportunities came on aerial balls to the backside wingback. To get those wide chances, the Crew had to commit sizable numbers into the attack. Columbus is not shy about getting defenders forward into an attacking phase, but this time it was exactly what Miami wanted them to do. The second the wingbacks and outside centerbacks flew forward for the Black & Gold, Messi started to roam to find space and be an outlet. From there, when the Crew turned the ball over it was a track meet. Miami threw numbers forward at a disorganized and recovering Columbus defense, reaping the benefits on multiple occasions. The Black & Gold’s recklessness with the ball and on defense landed them in a three-goal hole only a half hour into the match, which meant they had to send more players forward to chip away at the deficit. This cycle of throwing numbers forward, getting countered and conceding a goal was seemingly never-ending, but there was one are of the pitch that influenced the game more than another. The key for Miami in this game was winning the midfield battle. The Crew typically plays with two true midfielders, with outside centerbacks and attackers occasionally dropping in to fill voids. Miami knew the Columbus was light on defensive roles, so they overloaded the midfield. On offense, the hosts essentially transformed into a 4-4-1-1 with Messi as the attacking midfielder. Runners would push back the defensive line for the Black & Gold, allowing Messi and Sergio Busquets the time and space to create against an undermanned Crew midfield. From there, it was goal after goal until the final whistle mercifully blew for Columbus. This loss caps off the Black & Gold’s dismal month. The bad and the ugly Contrary to prior belief, the Crew’s biggest problem is their defense. Originally missing a true goalscoring threat to cap off the dynamic attack, Columbus’ biggest issue has morphed from an inability to score to a lack of defensive stability. Part of the problem is the inherent system. Nancy prides himself on allowing his players to go out and play beautiful soccer, but it does leave the defense exposed at times. With experienced defenders like Steven Moreira, Rudy Camacho and Malte Amundsen anchoring the backline, the Black & Gold used to be able to sort out those transition moments. As time has gone on, that cool-headed but stout defensive approach has vanished into thin air. Goals are going to be scored on a defensive line that plays high and allows it’s outside centerbacks to make runs into the attack. It is up to the offense to outscore opponents, but the defense also has to limit the damage. In recent weeks the Crew have not been limiting damage, they have rolled out the red carpet and invited it. One huge issue has been the number of turnovers. Columbus got into a rut of giving the ball away in the worst possible places and times. That brings on reactionary defending, which creates mistakes and allows the other team to capitalize. The Black & Gold are gifting opportunities to other teams at a rapid pace, which is not sustainable with the current offense. Another problem has been the communication and chemistry. For the Crew to play high-intensity transition defense, there needs to be a lot of communication about marks, where to set the defensive line and who can cover for players who run into the attack. Columbus has missed the mark on all three of these points. Farsi dropped too deep on Miami’s first and third goal to keep the runner onside. There were numerous back post marks that went undefended. Outside centerbacks will make runs and be too slow to get back or not communicate with someone to cover. All three of those defensive tenets have been poor for the Black & Gold in the month of May. The strength of a team starts from the back, and right now, the defensive line for the Crew is one of the weakest links. The weakest link, however, has been the play of Hagen. Taking over for the injured Patrick Schulte, Hagen has routinely not been able to give Columbus stability in between the posts. The Guatemalan’s positioning is not at a pro-level – consistently giving up his front post (Miami’s fourth goal) and getting caught off his line in no-man’s land when he needs to decide whether to drop back or rush the attacker (Miami’s first and third goals, and Charlotte’s corner goal a few weeks ago). On top of that, he withers when he makes mistakes. One of the purest qualities a goalkeeper can have is a short memory. Make a mistake? Put it out of your mind and execute. After Hagen essentially handed Messi the ball, got chipped, made a mess of tipping it over the bar, and ultimately gave up a goal, he could not play out of the back with his feet for the rest of the match. Every time the Crew gave the goalkeeper a back pass, Hagen would hit it long and direct or play a half-hearted nervous pass. At the end of the day, if you need a goalkeeper to step up and be a pure shot stopper, Hagen can do it. He has the ability to make great saves when he has to, but the rest of his game is unpolished and sloppy. If he continues to start in Schulte’s absence, the Black & Gold will have a liability between the posts. As for the rest of the team, this two-week break gives the Crew time to take a breath, get healthy and figure some things out. For Nancy and his coaching staff, the international window could not have come at a better time. It is back to the drawing board for Columbus, because this team is better than their record in the month of May.

The Columbus Crew continued their recent struggles this week, falling to Charlotte FC on the weekend and drawing Nashville SC in a midweek clash. Columbus got an early goal down in Charlotte, but the hosts battled back to eventually win the game 3-2. The Black & Gold never have good luck in Charlotte, but they returned home on Wednesday for a matchup with Nashville – who had climbed in the standings in recent weeks. After conceding in the opening 90 seconds, the Crew struck back courtesy of a Diego Rossi rebound. Then, Columbus gave up the lead again when a quick throw in snuck by the defense and allowed Hany Mukhtar to score on an open net. At the point it looked like the Black & Gold would end up in the loss column again, but a low cross from the left side was turned in by a Nashville defender, ending the game in a draw. Let’s dive into all the tactics from both these matches in which the Crew extracted one point total. A two-striker formation against Charlotte One of the recent lineup surprises from Wilfried Nancy came when he decided to start both Ibrahim Aliyu and Jacen Russell-Rowe against Charlotte. Nancy also included Daniel Gazdag and Rossi in the starting eleven, setting up a fluid front for rather than the traditional fluid front three. This personnel decision set Columbus in a 5-1-2-2 that could be a 3-1-4-2 when the wingbacks push up. Very similar structure to the formation the Black & Gold always play, but they were a bit light on midfield roles. Since he came to the Crew, Nancy liked to have two central midfielders to act as deep-lying playmakers on offense, and recovery stopgaps on defense. In this game, Darlington Nagbe stood alone as the only deeper central midfielder on the field. At times, Gazdag did drop in deeper to assist Nagbe on offense, but was not up to the defensive role that Dylan Chambost is usually used to. In a sense, Nancy opted for more firepower up front in exchange for defensive instability. In the attack, Aliyu and Russell-Rowe played as dueling strikers. Aliyu stretched the defense with his pace while Russell-Rowe could drop underneath and holdup the ball for Rossi and Gazdag to be secondary runners. In theory this sounds like a good idea, but this decision also played right into Charlotte’s hands. Now Columbus turned the ball over, Charlotte already had a man advantage with the absence of a second central midfielder for the Black & Gold. The instant the hosts got the ball; they played direct passes into Patrick Agyemang and Wilfried Zaha to go at the Crew with pace. With secondary runners arriving from the midfield for Charlotte, the hosts outnumbered Columbus on the counterattack five to four. This is where defensive problems arose. Agyemang was a terror to mark one-on-one, especially for the smaller-framed Sean Zawadzki. Then on the other side you had Zaha on an island, with secondary runners arriving in the middle. Charlotte played their cards well and waiting for the counterattack because they had the numbers to overwhelm the Black & Gold in transition. That was the defensive fallout from the two-striker lineup, but there were some positives to be observed. Both Aliyu and Russell-Rowe attracting defensive attention gave Rossi and Gazdag more space to play in. The strikers also constricted the defense which allowed Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten to get into better spaces as well. In the end, the Crew had to utilize those wide areas because building through the middle remained a challenge with only one true central midfielder. Charlotte man-marked Nagbe, forcing Columbus to build through wide channels rather than through their central midfield engine. In the end, the lineup featuring two strikers was ultimately a failure. The Black & Gold lost the game and walked away still in a rut that has plagued them over the last month. A mid-week matchup with Nashville would not qualm their need for a win either, drawing 2-2 in front of a home crowd. What is the Crew’s problem? When this question is posed a lot of fans will point to Columbus’ offensive struggles. After two seasons of Nancy-ball, the Black & Gold are known for bagging loads of goals and playing beautiful soccer. This season the Crew have still been mesmerizing, but the goals have not come at the same rate. Through the first 16 games of the 2024 MLS season, the Crew scored 25 goals. In the first 16 games of this season, Columbus bagged 26 goals. Looking at the stats, the Black & Gold are actually outperforming their scoring total from last season up to this point. On the defensive side, in the first 16 games of 2024 the Crew conceded 17 goals. This season, Columbus has given up 19 goals. While there is not a huge jump in goals scored or conceded, the simple fact remains that the Black & Gold are on track in the scoring department. The Crew fail the eye-test when it comes to chances they should finish, but the stats are in their favor from the standpoint of scoring goals. Columbus’ real concern is on the defensive side of the ball. Stats can speak all they want but the simple fact of the matter is that the Black & Gold are going through the motions on some aspects of their defensive duties. Most of these mistakes that directly result in the goals are on an individual level, but as a collective the Crew’s defense has been poor by their standards. For Charlotte’s first goal of the game, Columbus played a zonal marking structure. Agyemang – arguably one of the biggest aerial threats in the league – is allowed to waltz into the front post past the Black & Gold defense and get his head on a cross that would ultimately make the game 1-1. From a collective standpoint, that is a colossal failure. No professional team accepts that an opponent’s number one target on corners should be able to score so easily. On an individual note, though, goalkeeper Nico Hagen could have prevented this goal. Hagen had his moments over the past two games, but he also made glaring mistakes. On the corner that Charlotte scored from, the ball is whipped into the front post. First response from a goalkeeper either has to be a decision to come out and claim the ball or drop back on their line for a potential save. Hagen hesitates, waiting too late before finally deciding to come out before getting caught in no-man’s-land and allowing the header to go right by him as he leaves his feet for some reason. It is a mistake that could be expected from a goalkeeper who was thrust off the bench to start in the place of an injured Patrick Shulte, but as a professional goalkeeper it is extremely poor. In the game against Nashville, both of the away side’s goals were easily preventable but due to complacency, were given up. On the first goal, Gazdag stands and watches as a Nashville attacker whips the ball into the box. Malte Amundsen makes a half-hearted effort to clear, deflecting the ball to an unmarked attacker on the back post. Three cardinal sins of defending were committed on this singular goal. Not closing a potential cross down, making minimal effort to clear a ball and not marking at the back post are all signs of complacent defending. To make matters worse, this goal came in the opening 90 seconds of the game, so fatigue is not an excuse. Fast forward to later in the game, Nashville gets a goal when the Crew were arguing a throw in. Chambost looks to the referee to change his call while Jacob Shaffelburg slips behind him into the box. Hagen makes a save, but yet again Nashville reacts first to grab their second goal. Arguing calls is part of soccer whether you like it or not, but the oldest rule that they teach in peewee soccer is to play to the whistle. Columbus was too busy arguing to get a throw in that they took their eye off the ball, and it likely cost them points. Throughout this lull by the Black & Gold the defense as not been up to par. In the past five games the Crew have tied four, lost one and conceded nine goals. Giving up a near-average of two goals per game will not lead to success. Columbus needs to start putting away more chances on the offensive end, but it is safe to say that those goals will not matter if the Black & Gold continue to defend the way they are right now.

The Columbus Crew drew their third straight game on Saturday, this time in a Hell is Real matchup with bitter rival FC Cincinnati. The visitors struck first due to a mess at the back by the Columbus defense just six minutes into the game, but from that moment on the Black & Gold had control. The Crew had the lions’ share of possession, shots and goalscoring chances, but they still lacked that killer instinct to put the ball into the back of the net. That changed early on in the second half, when a handball gave Columbus an opportunity to tie the game from the spot. Diego Rossi converted to even the score, but the Black & Gold would not be able to find the winning goal despite an absorbent number of promising attacks. It was another draw that feels more like a loss for the Crew due to the lack of finishing. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this Hell is Real showdown. Columbus’ offensive dominance Throughout this game, the Crew were constantly down in Cincinnati’s half of the field. Granted, there were times where the visitors created chances off of counter attacks, but to a neutral observer this game was largely dominated by the team in Black & Gold. Columbus did a few different things in this game to keep Cincinnati on the back foot and trap them in their own half. The first has to do with the outside centerbacks. Both Steven Moreira and Malte Amundsen were given a free pass to move into the midfield and explore out wide. This may be typical in a Wilfried Nancy gameplan, but this time it was different. Instead of pushing Darlington Nagbe and Dylan Chambost higher, the outside centerbacks were the higher attacking player. Often times, Nagbe and Chambost filled in for Amundsen and Moreira in their centerback positions to aid the buildup and offer defensive cover. When Moreira and Amundsen did this, the Crew attack morphed into a cupped 3-3-4 or a 3-4-3 depending on if Daniel Gazdag was up top or dropping into the midfield. The outside centerbacks – now moved up into the midfield – had the option to stay inside or overlap with the wingback to create wide overloads. Nagbe and Chambost operated from a deep-lying position but made secondary runs towards the box as the play developed. Not only did the outside centerbacks’ positioning create overloads, but it allowed them to choose where to formulate those advantages. Cincinnati usually pressed with four players and defender with five, leaving only one midfielder as a safety valve to pick off any stray passes. When this was the case, Moreira and Amundsen pinched in to overload that singular midfielder. When other attackers dropped in to help defend, Moreira and Amundsen moved outside to make a wide overload with Mo Farsi or Max Arfsten. This freedom for the outside centerbacks was a huge catalyst for why the Black & Gold did so well on offense (minus the final finish). No matter where Cincinnati tried to cover, the Crew could adapt around them. The second big change that came on offense was the inclusion of Ibrahim Aliyu on offense. After Jacen Russell-Rowe started much of the year, Aliyu was named as a surprise starter for what is arguably the biggest game on Columbus’ calendar. When the team sheets were announced fans were skeptical at first, but Aliyu offered a different skillset the Russell-Rowe does not have. Aliyu’s main game is to play off the shoulder of the defender as a speedy vertical option. He often drifted into pockets and made runs in behind to stretch the defense, making room for Rossi and Gazdag underneath. Russell-Rowe’s skillset is more in the realm of being a poacher and holdup player. He does not have the same pace that Aliyu does but would excel against a team that likes to press high and allow whipped balls into the box. With Aliyu stretching the defense with his verticality, Rossi and Gazdag had more room to drop into the midfield and create. If the defenders followed them, Aliyu had enough pace to get in behind the defense and cause damage that way. The third key to the Black & Gold’s dominance was their ability to change formations to better aid the buildup and attack. For example, when the Crew would be building up in possession they would be in a 1-4-5, with both outside centerbacks alongside Nagbe and Chambost. When Columbus advanced into an attacking phase, that formation would quickly become a 1-3-6 or a 1-2-7. In the 1-3-6, Sean Zawadzki would stay back with Nagbe and the outside centerbacks right in front of him. Chambost would move into an attacking space along with the front three and the wingbacks. From there, Chambost would typically drop back into the midfield alongside Nagbe in the attacking third, while the outside centerbacks moved into the attack. All these changes are subtle, but they played a huge role in why the Black & Gold were a dominant attacking team in this matchup. The final piece of the puzzle now is to actually put the ball into the back of the net. Columbus’ shortcomings Of all the characteristics we think of when it comes to a Nancy-coached team, not being able to score is not one that comes to mind. The Crew are not drowning in a goalless abyss where they cannot score a single goal, but they are not converting the chances they should. Many will point to the departure of Cucho Hernandez – which is a valid reason – but Columbus has a plethora of other goalscoring threats that simply wet the bed in front of goal on a consistent basis. Fans will point the finger at attackers like Russell-Rowe and Gazdag – who have both missed tons of seemingly must-take changes – and look for improvement, but the goals will come. Gazdag has only been with the Black & Gold for a few weeks and in the past, it sometimes takes players half a season to become accustomed with Nancy’s system. There was a time when Rossi was being ridiculed for his lack of production early on, but he has since taken the spotlight and been the Crew’s main goalscoring threat. The good news for Columbus is that they are doing everything right up until the final finish. It would be a different story if the Black & Gold were not able to even generate a scoring chance, but the only missing piece right now is the final finish. If the Crew can get a multi-goal game back on the board, suddenly scoring will feel so much easier. If the scoring lapse continues though, focus must turn to the other end of the pitch. I have often contended that Columbus only concedes goals that are self-inflicted mistakes or absolute world-class plays from the other team. If the Black & Gold eliminates the defensive mistakes, they will win more often than not. On Saturday, it was yet another shot in the foot that sunk the Crew. Patrick Schulte came out to claim a ball and did not deal with it, leading to an open shot on the back post in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Many fingers will be pointed at Schulte, but Moreira and Farsi need to share some of the blame as well. Moreira slides over to mark another Cincinnati attacker, leaving Kevin Denkey alone at the back post. In that moment, Moreira needs to tell Farsi – who was hanging out further up in the box – to track back and mark as soon as he switches onto another attacker. On the other hand, Farsi needs to recognize that while he is a staple in the attack, he has defensive duties to attend to as well. The lack of communication and cavalier nature that Columbus played on defense in that moment cannot stand if the Black & Gold cannot score more than one goal a game. These are issues that are fixable, but they are a constant thorn in the Crew’s side.

The Columbus Crew continued their unbeaten streak on the road, salvaging a 1-1 draw with lowly CF Montreal. It was a rough first half lacking scoring chances for Columbus, with Montreal fighting back against the Black & Gold’s possession style with long spells of possession themselves. The home side eventually found the opener courtesy of a dummy and a backheeled assist that found the feet of Luca Petrasso. Petrasso controlled his touch and dispatched the ball low to Patrick Schulte’s left to put Montreal on the board. After a dismal first half, the Crew got back on the horse. In the second half, Columbus had much more possession and scoring chances, finally equalizing off a Montreal disaster in the back that left Jacen Russell-Rowe with an open net. From there, it was a lot of Black & Gold possession that did not yield another goal. A draw is a draw, but the Crew were likely hoping for more against an inferior side. In another road point for Columbus, let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this match. Two different possession-dominant styles Both the Black & Gold and Montreal have a similar philosophy on the offensive side of the ball: possession. While either team may have the same ideas about how to best control the game on offense, they have different offensive philosophies based on possession. For the Crew, Wilfried Nancy’s men love to build from the back by whatever means necessary. Columbus relies solely on their individual skill and collective versatility to control the ball in tight spaces, play out of position, and find the weak points in the opponent’s defense. This free-flowing brand of soccer is proven to be difficult to stop, but if the Black & Gold have an off night with poor touches and passes, they can become ordinary. The Crew’s offensive philosophy is predicated on a possession-first mentality. That being said, if the counter chance is there Columbus will not hesitate to pull the trigger and strike quickly. More often than not though, the Black & Gold find their goals through long spells of possession that break down an opponent and overwhelm them. Many of these possession movements begin at the back, with the Crew’s backline and midfielders doing the majority of the work. A combination of small passes and playing out of position breaks through the opposing lines to overload the defense is Columbus’ mantra. If they are forced to go long into the striker’s feet they will, but the Black & Gold do not have a player that can hold up the ball well enough to do this consistently. Focusing more on short passing and building from the back is what works the best for the Crew. On the other side, Montreal also loves to possess the ball. While the home side does enjoy having the ball at their feet, the Canadian side has a different offensive approach. Columbus may love short passing and a slower buildup to break down opponents, but Montreal does the exact opposite. Le CFM is content to possess the ball but wants to counter quickly if they have the chance. Playing against a team like the Black & Gold gives Montreal an opportunity to do just that, with some Crew players overextended and out of position. If Columbus is set defensively, Montreal will keep the ball moving from side to side until an avenue opens up, much like former Black & Gold head coach Gregg Berhalter would do in Columbus. Unlike the Crew, Montreal wants to build using holdup play and secondary runners. Using striker Prince Owusu as the focal point of the attack, Montreal plays the ball into his feet and then has attacker Caden Clark run underneath Owusu to advance the ball. This combination of a tall, strong holdup striker and a speedy attacker makes for a potent strategy on offense. These differing philosophies both yielded a goal on Wednesday, but in the broader scheme of things one team sits at the top of the conference while the other is at the bottom. Both squads enjoy having the ball at their feet but have gone about putting the ball in the back of the net in different ways. Positioning of the outside centerbacks and Darlington Nagbe One of the little tweaks that Nancy implemented in this game involved the outside centerbacks and Darlington Nagbe. When Columbus was on offense, Malte Amundsen and Steven Moreira had free reign to go up into the attack. During the first half, the Black & Gold opted to keep two centerbacks deeper at all times. This was likely to account for Owusu and Clark, who could quickly hold up play and overwhelm one defender. Moreira typically moved forward during the first half since the Crew prioritized attacking the right side more often. The second half was where Columbus changed things for the better. Nancy then gave both centerbacks permission to move forward at the same time, but he kept Nagbe deeper in front of Yevhen Cheberko as a safety valve. Nagbe acted as a cutoff man for balls into Owusu and could operate as a deep-lying playmaker to assist the attack. This moved the Black & Gold offense into a 1-1-3-5/2-3-5 shape. Both outside centerbacks offered attacking midfield support to Dylan Chambost, with the attacking trio and wingbacks up high. This formation trapped in Montreal and made it easy to employ a repress, with Owusu up top as the only long-ball release valve. This formational change is part of the reason why the Crew had more success in the second half. More pressure on Montreal’s backline forced them into mistakes, which eventually resulted in a goal for Russell-Rowe. After the goal for the Canadian striker went in, Columbus sometimes moved into a 1-3-6 with Nagbe moving alongside the outside center backs. This pushed Chambost up higher into the attack and put more pressure and overloads on the Montreal defense. While this game did not result in three points, the Black & Gold keep stacking points away from home ahead of a Hell is Real matchup this weekend. Holding out Diego Rossi and Sean Zawadzki for the weekend was a risk, but one Nancy was willing to take if it rewarded the Crew with at least a point.

The Columbus Crew picked up another big win on Saturday, this time taking down a Charlotte FC side that opened up the season playing well. Dylan Chambost opened the scoring for Columbus in the 25th minute, burying a rebound that goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina spilled in front of the goalmouth. Diego Rossi doubled the Black & Gold’s lead a mere 14 minutes later, but Wilfried Zaha brought Charlotte back within one from the spot. After halftime, AZ Jackson’s first-time strike near the middle of the box found the bottom corner to restore the Crew’s two-goal advantage, but the visitors were not done yet. A poor Patrick Schulte spill led to an open-goal tap-in for Liel Abada, but Jacen Russell-Rowe would find the clincher in the 81st minute to secure a 4-2 win for Columbus. It was an offensive showdown for both teams, with six goals total ending up in the back of the net. Let’s dive into all the tactics that helped the Black & Gold secure the top spot in the East. Attacking the midfield gap One of the big mistakes Charlotte made in this game was in the middle of the field. In recent weeks, opponents of the Crew have done the exact opposite of what Charlotte did in this game, yielding good results, as it was hard for Columbus to score. Recent opponents of the Black & Gold opted for a tight and compact midfield, forcing the Crew to attack primarily through the wingbacks and outside center backs. Keeping the midfield condensed and tight forces Rossi and the other attackers to find wide space because the interior passing lanes are blocked off. Instead of keeping up the trend of narrow midfields, Charlotte’s midfielders gave up sizable passing gaps in the middle of the field. These gaps allowed Rossi, Jackson and Russell-Rowe to get the ball and turn, heading straight at a recovering backline. These passing gaps are likely due to the visitors’ formation choice. Charlotte came out in a 4-3-3, with Brandt Bronico up in the attack as a no. 10. This left two defensive midfielders to plug up the middle of the pitch, not enough to keep up with Columbus’ dropping front three, Darlington Nagbe and Chambost. Bronico and the front three for Charlotte seemed disinterested in tracking back, leaving the two defensive midfielders to fend for themselves. That matchup is just not fair, especially since the Charlotte backline was not following the Black & Gold dropping attackers. With the two defensive midfielders set to cover essentially five players for the Crew, Columbus had a field day in the middle of the pitch. Attack after attack began after playing a line-breaking pass into an attacker’s feet. Then from there, all options were on the table as the recovering defense tried to halt the impending movement. The first part of attacking the midfield gap was mostly due to Charlotte’s error, but the second part was actually something routine that Wilfried Nancy does. The only way to hold the defense accountable and make them respect the Black & Gold offense was by keeping both wingbacks as high as possible. When the wingbacks were high up the pitch, this created the space that the Crew attackers could drop into. By pushing back the defensive line, the gap between the defense and midfield grew. So, with Max Arfsten and Mo Farsi up high, Rossi, Jackson, and Russell-Rowe had more room inside to operate. Not only did the wingbacks’ positioning help in the attacking buildup, but it also offered an instant outlet to catch the defense by surprise. Defenders tend to ball-watch when an attacker turns to face them, allowing Arfsten and Farsi the option to slip in behind the defense on diagonal runs or stay wide and put a cross into the box. By holding the backline high up the pitch, the wingbacks gave the attackers time and space to exploit Charlotte’s midfield gap. Those passing lanes created several chances for the Black & Gold and were one of the main reasons the Crew netted four goals. How can the Crew be stopped? I have often said that the only way Columbus is beat is through moments of brilliance by their opponents, or by shooting themselves in the foot. In this particular matchup against Charlotte, it was the latter that caused the Black & Gold issues. On the visitors’ first goal, it was a poor challenge by Yevhen Cheberko that gifted Charlotte a spot kick. It was a necessary tackle, but the Ukrainian got there a second late and caught the man instead of the ball. The entire sequence of passes up until the foul seemed riddled with a sense of complacency by the Crew defense. It was late in the half and Columbus dominated the game up until that point, but a brief lapse of concentration gave Charlotte the opportunity to get back within a goal right before the break. The Black & Gold pushed their lead back out to two goals in the second half, but it was another poor judgment call that caught them in hot water again. Miscommunication by Schulte and Arfsten on a seemingly routine and uncontested cross ended up at the feet of Abada, who took the gift from the Crew defense and slotted it home. It does not have to always be one or the other that causes Columbus to falter. A few weeks ago against Miami, the Herons had a moment of brilliance on a counterattack that gave them the lead. On the other hand, the Black & Gold had a number of goal-scoring chances that they could not find a way to finish. Those are the games where the combination of an opponent’s brilliance and a self-implosion will result in a loss. Luckily for the Crew, they found a way to score four goals and secure all three points despite their gaffes in the back. Almost a third of the way through the season, Columbus sits at the top of the Eastern Conference still without a true DP no. 9 in the front line. If the trend continues, the Black & Gold will be in good shape heading into a crucial stretch of the season.

The Columbus Crew got back to winning ways at their real home in downtown Columbus, defeating their geographic rivals San Jose Earthquakes 2-1. Sean Zawadzki opened the scoring for the Black & Gold in the first half on a whipped in freekick, but the Earthquakes equalized before halftime to send both teams to the locker room deadlocked. Max Arfsten found the winner for the Crew in the second half, dazzling the defense with a few stepovers before roofing the ball into the back of the net. From there, Columbus defended its lead and ended up taking all three points. It was another game of adjustments with the Black & Gold having to change their offensive philosophy depending on what San Jose’s defense did. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into Wilfried Nancy’s side racking up three points. Attacking the Quakes’ press with dropping attackers In the opening minutes of this match, it was apparent what San Jose’s defensive strategy was. The Quakes wanted to make the Crew uncomfortable by instituting a man-to-man pressure high up the pitch. Unlike Columbus’ press – which is a bit resisted and focuses on cutting off passing options instead of attacking the player with the ball – San Jose put effort into putting the ballhandler under pressure. This caused some high turnovers by the Black & Gold, but the Crew quickly learned how to pick the Earthquakes apart with a few simple tactics. The first thing Columbus did had their attackers and wingbacks drop into the midfield more often than they usually do. The Black & Gold typically have two droppers during a routine game – Diego Rossi and Daniel Gazdag. Those two are the creative fulcrums of the Crew, dropping into the midfield to receive the ball to their feet and spray it out to another player. On Saturday, Columbus had Rossi, Gazdag, Arfsten and Mo Farsi drop deeper in search of the ball. Not only did this relieve the pressure on the backline by giving them passing options, but it also dragged-out San Jose’s defenders who followed the droppers. Now, the Black & Gold opened up space in behind for Jacen Russell-Rowe and others who did not have the ball to run into. By using simple passages of play like the up-back-through technique, the Crew unlocked the San Jose backline and press in one sequence. This option was not always open though as the Earthquakes made their press more compartmental. Now the visitors were cheating pressers over to one side, trying to overload Columbus and force bad turnovers. This change posed a problem, but it also opened up another avenue to attack through. Now the non-ball side of the pitch was wide open due to San Jose’s overshift. If the wingback on that backside stayed wide, the Black & Gold had an easy outlet and overloaded the far-side defender with the wingback and Russell-Rowe. Yet again, San Jose adjusted to try and stump the Crew. This time, the Earthquakes kept pressing with their frontline and midfielders but told the defenders to stay deeper. With this change, the droppers now had time to get the ball into their feet and turn, essentially eliminating the midfield battle and making it a transition game. The Quakes might have felt safer with a stagnant and deep defensive line, but there was so much space in the midfield that Columbus was now able to bear down on that defense. Regardless of how San Jose changed their defensive structure, the Black & Gold found a way to get around it. The final tweak that the Earthquakes made not only opened up the midfield, but it gave a certain player off the Crew’s bench an opportunity to further open the game. AZ Jackson coming on for Russell-Rowe – opening up the game AZ Jackson has been on the receiving end of some fair criticism in recent weeks for his play. The young midfielder tends to lose the ball too much and struggles at times to be consistent in that fluid front three. While the critics have been loud and decently fair, Jackson showed his quality in the second half against San Jose. Substituting Jackson in for Russell-Rowe gave the Crew a different dynamic on offense. Taking out Russell-Rowe – the only true no. 9 on the field – allowed Rossi and Gazdag to pursue different roles. Now, both Rossi and Gazdag were given a free license to go and hunt as dueling strikers. Both players are hybrid midfielders/forwards, but they both are still Columbus’ best attacking options. So, bringing on Jackson to carry the burden of the attacking midfield role, allowing Rossi and Gazdag to push higher and letting them be the main attacking threats gave the Black & Gold a different look on offense. With the San Jose backline dropping off later in the game and essentially refusing to follow droppers, Jackson now had loads of space to operate in the midfield. His job was simple – get the ball to his feet and then play it out wide to the wingbacks. The wingbacks then would have an opportunity to run at the retreating defense and find the Crew’s two killers in the box, with Jackson and other midfielders trailing the play as secondary runners. This substitution opened up the game for Columbus and also played to Jackson’s strengths. In that moment, a pure strike like Russell-Rowe was not offering much to the Black & Gold by pushing against the backline. Instead, Nancy opted to bring on his talented, twitchy attacking midfielder to push his more versatile threats higher up the pitch. While this change did not directly result in a goal, it did give the Crew more of a chokehold on offense and some dangerous attacking opportunities. The coaching staff has been searching for Jackson’s role as he has often struggled, but using his as a creative fulcrum off the bench to spring Rossi and Gazdag might be the move going forward. Every season is about finding which players fit the best in certain positions and roles. Nancy and the coaching staff might have unlocked Jackson’s role against San Jose.

Wheelchair basketball in the Hoosier state The RHI Racers are Indiana's only wheelchair basketball team. Photo courtesy of RHI Racers on Facebook. CALEB DENORME | BUTLER CAPSTONE | cdenorme@butler.edu In 49 states it’s just basketball. In Indiana though, basketball is engrained in every Hoosier as religion. From Evansville up to South Bend, basketball-hysteria coats the state and its residents. That feeling runs through every Hoosier’s blood. While fans from around the state support Purdue, Indiana University or Butler, there is another team in Indiana shining on the national stage. The RHI Racers, Indiana’s only wheelchair basketball team, is ranked second in the nation  and competes in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association  [NWBA]. With players traveling from all over the state and region to play together, the Racers set the standard for excellence in this state’s basketball economy. Led from the sidelines by head coach Tanner Hall and on the court by players such as Lyjah Cox and Cole Connelley, RHI is a powerhouse within the NWBA ranks. All the accolades on the court would not have been made possible without the work of people like Karen Lawrence – the Director of RHI Sports – who makes sure the team has the facilities and funds to compete. The adaptive sports program at RHI is full of people doing extraordinary things. Together, they make up a part of the RHI Racers, a devoted team that brings excellence on the court and beyond. The Coach Tanner Hall instructs the Racers during nationals. Photo courtesy of RHI Racers on Facebook. He couldn’t stop in time. Tanner Hall still does not have a perfect memory about what happened that fateful day when he was 15. He remembers cruising on his dirt bike at speeds upwards of 70 miles an hour with some friends on the second-to-last day of school before summer break. Hall began climbing over a hill but was unable to see the remaining debris from a demolished bridge at the bottom of the other side. In the next few moments, his life changed. “I started trying to stop,” Hall said. “There just wasn’t enough time to stop. Then I guess I got launched off into it headfirst [and] then I remember waking up off and on.” Hall’s first thought did not go towards his own health, how he could not feel pain or the adrenaline coursing through his body. Instead, he was more worried about the condition of the dirt bike he was riding. “I remember, I asked the medics or somebody at some points ‘how’s my bike?’,” Hall said. “And they [said], ‘don’t worry about that’. I told them, ‘My dad’s going to kill me’.” After an airlift to the hospital, multiple days falling in and out of consciousness and surgery, Hall learned he had a T4 spinal cord injury that put him in a wheelchair. After being discharged from the hospital a week later, he began therapy at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI) . Adjusting to life after his accident was more difficult than Hall thought. He had therapy twice a day, relearning how to move and operate in day-in and day-out life. Through the pain and the hardships, Hall was out of RHI in a month – a much shorter time frame than many of the patients at the hospital. Upon his release from the hospital, Hall went to get measured for a wheelchair. In that moment, a worker planted a seed in Hall’s mind that would change the path of his life. It turns out that the wheelchair representative that helped Hall was the coach for the RHI Racers, the hospital’s adaptive wheelchair basketball team. The Racers compete in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s  [NWBA] varsity and prep divisions, giving kids the opportunity to compete with wheelchair basketball teams around the nation. "And then for a minute, it just took the disability away." Hall did not join right away; in fact, he took a year until he finally decided to go to a practice. That first leap of faith – spurred on by his mother – sent Hall down a path that would change his life. “I was hesitant to go,” Hall said. “I showed up kind of in shock. When I got there [and] in a sports chair, it [was] different. And then for a minute, it just took the disability away.” His step of faith into the unknown had given him new passion, but it was one that required work. During his junior and senior year of high school, Hall picked up the sport and performed well enough to be recruited by colleges that had wheelchair basketball programs. In the end, the sport his mom convinced him to try ended up sending him to Southwest Minnesota State University  [SMSU] to play for the Mustangs. Hall spent six seasons with SMSU before returning to Indiana. Although his college career was over, he found a new angle of the game that piqued his interest: coaching. “I really fell in love with learning the X’s and O’s of the game,” Hall said. “I didn’t have the true athletic ability that other players had. Early on I had a roommate that was really into film, and then I got into that.” His transition from playing into coaching was a gradual slope that began when Hall was still in college. During breaks, Hall would text Jacob Patrick, RHI’s coach at the time, to see if he could come in and stay in shape. Upon his graduation from SMSU, Hall continued joining practices and giving input but was not yet convinced that he should coach. Once Patrick decided to step away from the team, he asked Hall to take over. “At that time, I was only out of school [about] a year,” Hall said. “I was like, I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I knew in my mind at some point I’d like to help more, but I didn’t know if I wanted to fully commit.” One of the problems that arose during Patrick’s exit was the possibility of the team dissolving. Without Patrick, players considered traveling to Cincinnati to play on their team. After Hall talked with the players and their families, a decision was made for all of them to commit to each other and keep the team – along with a merger with Fort Wayne’s wheelchair basketball team. After a brief moment of the Racers possibly collapsing, everyone came together to ensure that this new RHI team had a coach and six total players from both RHI and Fort Wayne. From that moment on, Hall and RHI grew together. The Racers now have 15-20 players showing up to practice on Saturday mornings, led by the man who found his calling in a sports chair on the basketball court. The Racers are now ranked second overall in the nation and recently placed third at the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Virginia. The product of their play is a big testament to their head coach, but the journey and improvement is what Hall loves the most. “I still love competing,” Hall said. “But it’s also just the growth that we’ve had the past few years. Watching the kids get better is big for me.” Beyond the journey, Hall’s end goal is to get his players into a college program like the one at SMSU. He wants them to have the same opportunity he had, a chance to continue chasing their dreams at the next level. “I hope they all go to college and play,” Hall said. “I know that completely changed my life at the time." The Players Lyjah Cox attacks the defense during a game at nationals. Photo courtesy of RHI Racers on Facebook. “I always wanted to play basketball with other people.” For Lyjah Cox, growing up with spina bifida was challenging. The spinal birth defect caused him to be in a wheelchair or on forearm crutches for much of his life, making it increasingly difficult to compete in sports with other kids. “I just couldn’t play a sport as well as everybody else could,” Cox said. “I was on forearm crutches. It just kind of ruined the mood and killed the vibe. Honestly, I was kind of jealous and I wanted to join in on these sports.” Those feelings translated into a desire to get into athletics by whatever means necessary. When Cox’s mother pushed him to find an activity that would get him outside and around others with disabilities, he found his passion. The wheelchair basketball program at RHI was ready and waiting for him when he was just nine years old. In any sport, the first practice of a season or career can be nerve-wracking. There are so many unknowns in the air, but for Cox, he just appreciated the opportunity to get out and participate. “Honestly, it was nice to be able to play a sport that I could actually play,” Cox said. “My first practice was amazing. I met a lot of new people that I never would have thought to have met in my normal school and my regular life.” Finding this new sport gave Cox a new passion to go after, but there was an adjustment period. In the early stages, Cox struggled to get the ball up to the hoop and was frustrated by the obstacles, but the RHI prep team gave him the opportunity to hone his skills. The Racers offer two teams to field the wheelchair basketball athletes. The first is the younger age group of kids under 13, or “prep” team that allows early learners to get into the sport on the ground floor. The prep team focuses on building the skills necessary to excel on the court but also aims to get kids involved. "I get proud looking back on what I used to be and where I am now." In five short years, Cox graduated from the prep team and moved up to varsity. In just his first season with the varsity team, there was a mindset shift that happened in the 14-year-old’s mind. The appreciation for the sport was still there, but deep down he had a desire for more. “I realized I wanted to be good,” Cox said. “I want to start taking this seriously. I want to use this as an outlet to pursue things and be great at something.” His first step was transitioning from a two-handed toss to a traditional shot form with only one hand. This fundamental change required time on the hardwood perfecting his technique, but Cox also began hitting the gym. The combination of lifting and hours of technique training produced growth, only pushing Cox further. “I airballed everything,” Cox said. “Even as close as I could, I couldn’t even hit a layup. But now, I can shoot it from half court almost. I get proud looking back on what I used to be and where I am now.” Now, Cox’s next goal is securing a spot on a college roster when he graduates high school in a few years. Beyond that, the Paralympics are coming up in three years and Cox expects to put in the work to be on the plane to LA with the United States National Team. For now, he continues to ball out with the Racers in a sport that has fueled his passion. “[Wheelchair basketball] gives me a purpose. When I wake up, what am I going to do with my life? What do I look forward to? That’s what I look forward to, getting and reaching that goal in wheelchair basketball. That’s my purpose.” Cole Connelley defends a Cincinnati player at nationals. Photo courtesy of RHI Racers on Facebook. Another player on the Racers has already begun chipping away at goals of his own. Cole Connelley, another RHI Racer with spina bifida, recently announced his commitment to the University of Missouri to play wheelchair basketball. The Fort Wayne native began playing wheelchair basketball when he was around 12 or 13 but joined the Racers during the merger with RHI and Turnstone  his sophomore year. "If I'm feeling stressed, it gives me a purpose to work towards [and] to keep bettering myself and staying active with people I know and care about." Turnstone is a not-for-profit organization in Fort Wayne that addresses the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Much like RHI, Turnstone has different athletic programs that allow people with disabilities to get involved and active. In Connelley’s sophomore year of high school, Turnstone decided to merge their wheelchair basketball team with RHI’s to have a big enough squad to compete. “It was odd,” Connelley said. Going into it, it was just me and one other person from Turnstone [so] I was kind of worried at the beginning. But once we got a few practices in, it was clear that we all bonded really well. Then it grew into the mindset of ‘we can work with this and get better as a team’.” Joining Turnstone’s and RHI’s basketball programs gave Connelley something that is undervalued in sports – a community. Players from all around the nation see each other at tournaments all the time defying the odds and competing in athletics that is ultra-competitive, but they all have each other’s backs. “Just through basketball, it’s given me connections across the US,” Connelley said. “I have friends in Washington, Michigan, Utah, places really far away from me through basketball. So that’s given me an outlet to hear some different experiences from other people and form a lot of different bonds. It’s a big part of who I am.” The additional social aspect allowed more formerly reserved people like Connelley to come out of his shell. Not only were the players given an avenue to compete physically, but they were also given a tight-knit community to fall back on. “The thing about basketball is I probably wouldn’t be as social as I am now without those connections helping me over the years,” Connelley said. “It definitely helped give groundwork to go off of when talking to people, knowing that they’ve been the same places I have. Not many people can say they’ve dealt with a disability for their entire life.” After leading his team to a third-place finish at nationals, Connelley is now off to pursue his college career. After volunteering at his local zoo throughout his time in Fort Wayne, Connelley will major in microbiology and minor in captive wild animal management. His love for animals will take priority in the classroom, but he will stay competitive as a Mizzou Tiger on the court. “I’ve got a lot on my plate,” Connelley said. “I love the competitiveness of [wheelchair basketball]. It gives me a hobby to do. If I’m feeling stressed, it gives me a purpose to work towards [and] to keep bettering myself and staying active with people I know and care about.” The Director and Program The Racers competed at the NWBA Junior Division Championship, placing third. Photo courtesy of RHI Racers on Facebook. Outside of the Racers, there is an entire support system at RHI dedicated to helping people with disabilities do the things they love. At the head of that system, is Director of RHI Sports Karen Lawrence. A recreational therapist by trade, Lawrence oversees the entirety of RHI’s sports program, including the racers, other adaptive teams and camps that RHI puts on. If it was not for an internship though, the leader of RHI’s sports wing may never have found her passion. “When I did my internship at RHI many moons ago, one of the people that I was interning under was one of the people who started the sports program,” Lawrence said. “I got on to going to the meeting there, and then learned all about the amazing things RHI sports was doing. Then, I have stayed on board ever since then.” In a study  supported by the Kelley Adaptive Sports Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, those who participated in adaptive sports who have a disability saw improvements in physical traits like strength and balance that improved their daily lives. On top of the physical advantages, the study also noted that participation reinforced a positive identity and gave the participants more belief in themselves. In short, competing in adaptive athletics is an additive for the mind and body of those who participate. Lawrence saw this firsthand, using sport to help those with disabilities or traumatic injuries get back to daily life. “It is all encompassing and getting people back to sports,” Lawrence said. “Because you have to utilize all those same things to get people doing their recreational aspects, whether it’s typing on a computer or playing cards. So, all those things [are] just getting people back to life.” Helping others became Lawrence’s only goal when she signed on at RHI. Originally planning to do occupational therapy, Lawrence would have likely worked in a nursing home or at day programs for recreational therapists if she had not done the RHI internship. Luckily for her, she took the position at RHI and never looked back. “[Occupational therapy] wasn’t my cup of tea,” Lawrence said. “But when I got to do the rehab aspects and being able to continue with adaptive sports, I found my passion.” Her passion for adaptive athletics and helping others has springboarded RHI into the forefront of opportunities. RHI offers a ton of different adaptive sports for people to try. From organized teams like the Racers wheelchair basketball team, power soccer, sled hockey and beat baseball, to day camps that offer opportunities to play pickleball, waterski, golf, and snow ski, RHI caters to everyone’s dream. To make all these adaptive sports happen though, Lawrence and RHI relies on grants and donations to keep the program running. Adaptive athletics requires highly specialized equipment that can cost much more than people think. “[Sports chairs] can be up to $4,500 per chair,” Lawrence said. “A lot of it comes from corporate sponsors and then just individual donors.” For example, much of the Racers’ funding comes from donations by families, friends and companies to help finance the team’s season hotels and other expenses. Lawrence is incredibly appreciative for the generosity of others and wants to keep campaigning so she and RHI can provide for every athlete’s dream. That drive to provide for her athletes is only spurred on by character of the players, coaches and parents of the Racers, and every team RHI has. “I’m beyond thankful that we have an amazing team and coaches,” Lawrence said. “They do it voluntarily for the most part. [They] step up, understand the game and have made us such an amazing team that people are willing to drive, and the parents are willing to take their kids [on] a two-hour drive just to come to practice.” Despite the Paralympics’ growing popularity  around the globe, programs like RHI still face many challenges when it comes to funding, personnel and finding athletes. It costs approximately $150,000 to $200,000 to run RHI’s sports program every year. That money goes to give opportunities to anyone that has a dream of playing a sport, or doing an activity or an art. In the end, it is up to the kindness of others to make that happen, giving teams like the Racers chances to battle for national championships. For Lawrence though, every hard-fought donation dollar and specialized clinic is worth it if it means she helped someone. “Those are the warm feelings that make you wake up every day and want to do your job,” Lawrence said. “It gives them the passion, the drive to go above and beyond and be able to compete at a high level. It’s the giving back [and] the changing lives.” "Basketball really changed my life." From the top down, RHI and the Racers have given the entirety of Indiana something to cheer about. From every corner of the state, players, parents, coaches and friends have come together to do what many see as unfathomable. In the words of their coach, the Racers have come far from where they once were, but there is still room for growth and improvement. “Basketball really changed my life,” Hall said. “But we’re still working on growing.” If you would like to get involved, donate to or seek more information about the RHI sports program, please contact Karen Lawrence at karen.lawrence@rhin.com .

On Saturday up in gloomy Cleveland, the Columbus Crew had their unbeaten streak ended by MLS’ other unbeaten team, Inter Miami. The Black & Gold began the game with the bulks share of possession but could not convert any meaningful chances into goals. Miami struck first, with Benjamin Cremaschi throwing his body on the line to head the ball past Patrick Schulte and into the back of the net. After what was a promising start, the Crew became incredibly slopped and lethargic in the last 20 minutes of the first half. After halftime, Columbus started biting back, keeping possession and getting multiple sure-fire chances on offense, but they squandered them all. The game would end in a 1-0 loss and Miami moved on as the only unbeaten team remaining in MLS. This game was one of those frustrating outcomes where one simple cool head could have bailed the Black & Gold out. Unfortunately for all the Crew faithful up in Cleveland, a bail out never came. Let’s dive into all the tactics that landed Columbus with their first loss of the season. Differing philosophies This particular matchup featured two great teams in their own rights, but both sides had differing philosophies on offense to take control of the game. Let’s start off with the Crew. Columbus is known throughout the league to play possession-dominant soccer that installs a re-press after the ball is lost. The Black & Gold like to have the ball but will not wait to attack if the moment arises. This hybrid approach of playing controlled with the ball but bold with the re-press and numbers in attack has caught the league by storm. Wilfried Nancy came into the Black & Gold and instantly put his mark on the team, and it was incredibly evident on Saturday afternoon. For much of the opening 20 minutes of the first half, the Crew dominated the ball. Miami struggled to keep possession, but Columbus’ possession numbers did not yield them many scoring chances. On the other side, Inter Miami came in with more of an emphasis on counter attacking the Black & Gold’s recovering backline. Miami was content to defend with eight players while Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi sat up top, waiting to spring a counter chance. Much of the Black & Gold’s possession in the early part of the first half was due to the fact the Miami’s defenders could not find Messi or Suarez, or the former Barcelona teammates could not retain the ball while they were hounded by the Crew’s defenders. Sean Zawadzki nicked the ball off Messi several times before Inter Miami finally figured out how to spring the two attackers. Once Miami started getting the ball to Messi and Suarez though, the gameplan opened up for them. With Messi on the ball holding up play, Miami could get secondary runners screaming down the flanks in spaces that the Columbus wingbacks and outside center backs have not recovered in. Part of the problem for the Black & Gold on offense was actually the layout of the field. The playing surface at Huntington Bank Field was narrower than the pitch at Lower.com Field, limiting the amount of space the wingbacks had on the flanks. This meant that Miami had an easier time plugging up the middle and did not have to worry about the wide players doing any real damage that they usually could have. To account for this, Nancy pushed up the outside centerbacks into midfield roles to try and keep Miami’s defenders honest inside. Despite the scoreline, the Crew’s offensive approach worked for the most part. Columbus had a few really good chances in the first half to take the lead, and in the second half it was almost a miracle they did not score. Jacen Russell-Rowe stared down a few chances that he did not take, Diego Rossi skied a sitter and newcomer Daniel Gazdag had three bites at the apple, whiffing on them all. Saturday was simply a case of having an off game at a bad time. The Black & Gold could have scored three or four goals, but squandering every chance gave Miami the opening they needed. As always, it was a bad day to have a bad day. The “we miss Cucho” game The Crew’s news cycle has been dominated by one central question since the winter: what will Columbus do without Cucho Hernandez? For the most part, the Black & Gold have done alright. Unbeaten in the league up until this matchup with Miami, and a few missed chances away from moving past LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup is not a horrible way to start the year after selling arguably the best player in club history. Saturday was a reminder that there is still a hole though. For as good as the Crew have been this season, there is a feeling around this team that their play could be kicked into another gear. On the offensive side against Miami, Columbus was lacking a greedy, goalscoring killer like Hernandez is. Too often the Black & Gold get a good look on goal but make one too many passes, disrupting the movement and squandering a goal-scoring chance. Ultimately, that job falls to Russell-Rowe to become that killer up top. Many fans want that role to be Rossi’s, but the simple fact of the matter is that the Uruguayan operates better as a playmaker who can be a secondary option than a true goal scorer. Gazdag will likely begin to fill that scoring role, but even then, he still is more of a playmaker like Rossi than a finisher like the Crew needs. To fix this problem, Columbus has two options. The first is relatively simple and will likely happen, and that is to sign a striker this summer. The Black & Gold historically like to do their big business in the summer transfer window. More teams from around the globe are willing to sell in the summer due to their seasons being over. If the Crew can get a hybrid no. 9 with a killer instinct to pair with Gazdag and Rossi, Columbus will become instantly dangerous. The other option is more immediate, and that is to simply tell the attacking players they need to be greedier. Greed as a word has a negative connotation, but in soccer sometimes you have to be greedy to win. Again, look at the case of Hernandez. He took shot after shot in every single game regardless of where he was at. Sure, at times it was arrogant and did not pan out, but he made it work more often than not. Right now, the Black & Gold’s offense is too unselfish. Too many passes in and around the area break down promising attacks that could have resulted in goals if someone had just pulled the trigger. This is where Russell-Rowe and Rossi can both improve their games. Both players have incredible talent but look to pass first too often. If Nancy can get through to his striker or his team’s no. 10 and tell them to let it rip, the goals just might start coming for the Crew. For now, Columbus is nine games into the season and only have one loss. The Black & Gold have a long way to go, but the season is off to a promising start.

The Columbus Crew continued their unbeaten streak on Sunday, taking down St. Lous CITY SC 2-1. St. Louis opened the scoring within 10 minutes off a rebound that came back off the crossbar. A rare case of poor positioning by Patrick Schulte allowed the ball to be headed into the back of the net to put the hosts up 1-0. From there, Columbus responded. Steven Moreira hit a sublime volley at the back post just before halftime to even the game, and Diego Rossi pushed the Black & Gold out in front in the second half with a strike from distance. After some chances from CITY were thwarted by Shulte in the waning moments, the Crew escaped St. Louis with all three points. It was another game of emphasized width from Columbus that also saw the debut of new attacking star Daniel Gazdag. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into the Black & Gold getting the victory. Utilizing width In recent weeks, the Crew have shown more affinity for attacking from wide areas. Early in the season when they had attacking troubles, Columbus went forward with more of a mixed bag of attacks. In the past few games though, the Black & Gold have found a good balance of attacking options but mostly looked to the wide spaces first. This could be for a few reasons. One reason is the return of Moreira into the starting lineup after being injured on and off to start the season. The reigning MLS Defender of the Year is a stalwart on the backline, but also an offensive dynamo. Another reason is the emergence of Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten as serious attacking threats. Both wingbacks showed they have the ability to get in behind the defense and score but also stay wide and rack up assists. By playing from wide areas, the Crew are putting the offensive burden in their hands. The final reason is that it takes the attacking burden off of Rossi and the rest of the front three. One of the biggest gaps in Columbus’ team was Cucho Hernandez’s playmaking ability when he left for Spain. Rossi is magical in his own right, but he has a different skillset than Hernandez. Allowing the wide players to take more of the attacking forefront means that Rossi can be freer to go and hunt goals, rather than worrying about being the team’s sole playmaker. Up to this point the emphasis on the width has worked, and it was especially potent against St. Louis. CITY defended with a narrow midfield of three to four players, meaning that the backside wide channel was always open for the Black & Gold. If the Crew switched the point of attack quick enough, they over rotated St. Louis’ midfield and overloaded the opposing wingback. This is where Moreira comes into play. With the Frenchman flying up into the attack, Columbus could easily get a two-on-one against the CITY wingback. Moreira moving up also allowed Farsi to have more attacking freedom to cut inside. This was one avenue of the attack that the Black & Gold utilized, but there was another passage of play that got the Crew good looks on goal as well. On defense, St. Louis would shift to a back five to match Columbus’ firepower. Since this was the case, the front three often dropped in deep. The space was readily available for them due to CITY pressing with four to five players. This left a midfield gap for Rossi, Jacen Russell-Rowe and AZ Jackson to explore. When they would drop in, the defenders would follow them, leaving a gap between the outside centerback and the wingback. At this point, the wingback had two options: get tight and allow Farsi and Arfsten to have the wide space or go out on an island to cover them. If the opposing wingback tucked in, Columbus’ wingbacks could stay wide and exploit that space. When the wingback decided to go out and cover though, Farsi and Arfsten would make inverted diagonal runs in behind the defense. This passage of play yielded a few opportunities that had chances to score, but it is the adaptability of the Black & Gold’s attack that has grown so much in the recent weeks. After a lackluster offensive start, it seems like the Crew are back on track. The addition of Gazdag is only going to bolster that offensive front. Daniel Gazdag’s role With any new signing that comes through the doors in Columbus, it is always exciting to see just where in Wilfried Nancy’s system they will play. For Gazdag, his first action came on Sunday in the second half against St. Louis. Known primarily as a creative attacking midfielder, Gazdag also has the ability to be versatile. He is much like Rossi in the sense that he can be a no. 9 or no. 10, creating from the midfield but also poaching a goal when needed. On Sunday when he came on for Jackson, Gazdag slotted in as a second no. 10 alongside Rossi. In the fluid front three, he can become a no. 9 or even a half pivot, when necessary, which is exactly what Gazdag did. He essentially took on Jackson’s roaming role but with a bit more emphasis on being involved in the buildup play. The Hungarian attacker would drop in next to Darlington Nagbe and Dylan Chambost at times to cultivate the buildup and then become a secondary runner once the play advanced. While he did not get on the scoresheet due to a tight offsides call late in the match, Gazdag looked comfortable and fit in pretty seamlessly with the team. Not only does he bring a veteran presence with an impeccable MLS pedigree, but he also will free up certain aspects for other players. Gazdag’s inclusion in the lineup takes the buildup burden off of Russell-Rowe’s shoulders. Now the Canadian striker can become a true poacher like Christian Ramirez was, getting into dangerous spaces for Rossi, Dazdag and the wingbacks to find him. It also takes some of the burden off of Chambost. Pushed back into a deeper role alongside Nagbe, the Frenchman has found success at that position. With a trustier ball handler in the buildup with Gazdag on the field, Chambost can feel freer to get forward without worrying the ball will be turned over. Time will tell just how good of a fit Gazdag will be with the Crew, but early signs say that he will be a massive addition to an already great team.

Junior guard Kolby King became the fifth Bulldog to enter the transfer portal. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu Although the men’s basketball season ended in the second round of the College Basketball Crown, the work continues for head coach Thad Matta and staff. Graduating forwards Jahmyl Telfort, Patrick McCaffery and Pierre Brooks, along with center Andre Screen leave significant gaps in Butler’s rotation. Along with the graduates, sophomore forward Augusto Cassia, sophomore center Boden Kapke, junior guard Kolby King, junior guard Landon Moore and first-year guard Ryder Cate have all entered the transfer portal. The transfer portal opened on March 24 and will close on April 22. Eight of Butler’s 15 players on the roster last season were acquired via the transfer portal. With all the departures, the Bulldogs landed some portal players to replace those on the move. The first commitment of the portal season came from former Drexel senior guard Yame Butler. The 6-foot-5 graduate began his career at Fordham before spending three years at Drexel, averaging 13.6 points, 1.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game last season for the Dragons. Butler started 32 of the 33 possible games last year, had the third-highest minutes-per-game on the team and shot a blistering 48.6% from the field. The second addition came from in-state. Former Purdue Fort Wayne junior guard Jalen Jackson committed to Butler after stints with the Mastodons and University of Illinois-Chicago. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 19.2 points on his way to being named a first-team All-Horizon League selection last season. Jackson’s main game will be taking lots of shots and leading the scoring charge, something that will need to be replaced after the departure of Telfort and Brooks. Butler’s third portal addition of the season was senior forward Michael Ajayi. The former Gonzaga forward spent time at Pierce College and Pepperdine before joining the Zags last season. In 2023-24 with Pepperdine, Ajayi led the West Coast Conference in scoring with an average of 17.1 points per game and earned First Team All-Conference honors. Last season with Gonzaga, Ajayi started 13 games averaging 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Although his playing time was diminished at Gonzaga, Ajayi will likely be a routine starter for the Bulldogs come fall. Sophomore center Drayton Jones committed to the Bulldogs on April 15, finally filling a major need for Butler. Up until Jones’ commitment, the Dawgs did not have a center on the roster after the graduation of Screen and transfer of Kapke and Cassia. The 6-foot-11 Houston native averaged 13 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game last season for South Carolina State. Jones now fills a glaring need for Butler and will likely slot into the starting lineup to protect and attack the rim. Butler will also have a new crop of young Dawgs joining the ranks next season, with Azavier Robinson, Jack McCaffery, Jackson Keith and Efeosa Oliogu coming in as first-years. The Bulldogs have one open spot remaining after Jones’ arrival.

The Columbus Crew continued their unbeaten streak to open up the 2025 MLS season with a 2-1 win over CF Montreal on Saturday. The first 30 minutes were a dream for the Black & Gold, netting two goals courtesy of Jacen Russell-Rowe and AZ Jackson to jump out to an early lead. From there though, Montreal showed fight to get back into the game. Prince Owusu bagged a tap in off a shot from Caden Clark that careened off the post and back into his path to get back within a goal. In the end, the Crew weathered the storm and saw out the game to claim a 2-1 victory and add three points. The way Columbus looked was night and day from the first half hour compared to the rest of the game. Part of that was how Montreal adjusted, but the Black & Gold also shot themselves in the foot multiple times in this match. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this 2-1 win for the Crew. Dominant first half-hour The opening chunk of this game could not have gone better for Wilfried Nancy’s side. Jackson opened the scoring within 12 minutes and Russell-Rowe doubled the advantage just 14 minutes later, looking like Columbus would cruise to an easy victory. This first half hour of the Black & Gold onslaught was due to how Nancy set up his team and some crucial mistakes from Montreal. Let’s dive into the mishaps from the visitors first. Montreal came into this game lined up in a 4-3-3 after firing former Crew 2 head coach Laurent Courtois only five games into the season. Marco Donadel stepped into the interim role, opting for a four-back traditional 4-3-3 formation. Teams do not tend to play in four-back formations against the Crew due to Columbus’ immense width. The Black & Gold use their wingbacks to stretch the opposition, leaving the middle undermanned if the outside backs in a back four need to go outside. That is exactly what sunk Montreal early on in this game. The fullbacks had to decide to stay narrow and allow the Crew to take the wide areas or go out and meet them – risking an internal overload. There is a quick fix if Montreal was set on pushing their fullbacks wider to mark Columbus’ wingbacks. If the visitors dropped their defensive midfielders deeper – bolstering and adding manpower to the backline – Montreal could have gotten wide coverage and defensive stability in the midfield at the cost of numbers up top. Instead, Montreal decided to gamble. The visitors did not drop their defensive midfielders into the backline and actually pushed them up to attempt to press the Black & Gold. This gave Max Arfsten and Mo Farsi acres of space out wide to go one-on-one with the opposing fullbacks. The second mistake for Montreal was how much they overcommitted to the press without buying into their backline. The reason Nancy’s press for the Crew works so well is because the entire team pressures, not just an allotment of attackers with the defense sitting back conservatively. Montreal learned this lesson the hard way. The pressure from the opposing attackers and midfielders pushed Columbus back, but the defense did not follow the Black & Gold’s dropping attackers. This meant that Diego Rossi, Jackson, and Russell-Rowe had a major gap in the midfield to run into, get the ball, and turn upfield. When this easy release happened, Arfsten and Faris were flying up the wings with the Crew holding a five-on-four advantage against Montreal’s recovering defense. Sucking the opposition into overcommitting and attacking their weakness is what caused Columbus to have the dominant opening half that they did. Now, what did the Black & Gold do that was so potent? Simple – they took what Montreal gave them and played clean, smart soccer. The buildup play out of the back in the first 30 minutes is some of the best combinations the Crew have done all season. Yes, Montreal’s pressure was not very well-thought-out, but it was still up to Columbus to exploit the weaknesses. The Black & Gold recognized early on that they had opportunities to break the opposition’s broken press, wide mismatch opportunities, and a numerical advantage against a recovering defense. They saw these chances and they took them, to the tune of two goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game. How did Montreal get back into the game? After the opening phase of the game resulted in a lot of Crew possession and offensive changes, Montreal started to show signs of life. The visitors made a few key changes that changed the game and forced Columbus to really compete and see the game out. The first thing Montreal did was slow down the game. If they could keep possession and get more comfortable on the ball, they could try to break down the Black & Gold defense while keeping possession away from the Crew. This also allowed Montreal to get into Columbus’ attacking third and actually engage their repress, which in the first 30 minutes was broken. Luckily for the Canadian side, they adjusted that press to make the Black & Gold uncomfortable. The primary thing Montreal had to do to fix their press was take care of the Crew’s dropping attackers. Cutting off the droppers would force Columbus to build out of the back without a long-release option. Instead of pressing all-out with six to seven players like they did in the first half, Montreal pressed with four to five and dropped two players to take care of the dropping attackers. That may seem easier to break given that the Black & Gold could still create overloads, but Montreal only pressed on certain cues. When the Crew possessed the ball in the middle of the pitch, the visitors employed a resisted press and aimed to keep Columbus in front of them. When the point of possession switched to a side of the field though, Montreal would cut off switch options and force the Black & Gold towards the sideline. With the droppers covered and the switch points virtually taken out of play, the Crew’s only options were to go long and hope the attackers could hold up the play or combine through the pressure. Combining through the pressure was not a problem for Columbus in the first half, but in the second half, the Black & Gold were sloppy. Misplaced passes, poor touches, and uncharacteristic turnovers high up the field gave Montreal ample opportunity to bear down on Patrick Shulte. In making the press less aggressive and more intentional, Montreal’s pressure became incredibly effective in getting back into the game. Despite Montreal’s efforts to get back into the game, Nancy’s savvy side saw out the three points at home. In the last ten minutes, the Crew slowed the game down, kept possession, and milked the clock to get the victory. It was not an emphatic win, but three points is three points. Columbus remains unbeaten in MLS competition for at least another week.

Butler gave up a season-high 100 points in the loss to Boise State. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team’s season came to an end in the second round of the College Basketball Crown, falling to Boise State 100-93. It was an offensive clinic from both teams, shooting well over 55% on the game and combining for 193 total points. The difference in the game was turnovers and rebounding, both categories won by Boise State. In Butler’s final game of the 2024-25 season, let’s go beyond the box score. Same old story The main gripe around this Bulldogs squad this season has been the inability to play tough defense. Butler has the firepower to match most teams on the offensive end, but that advantage fades as soon as the Dawgs turn to play defense. This reality was incredibly evident in this game. The Bulldogs gave up 100 points on 60.3% shooting by Boise State. The Broncos also hit on 45.8% of their shots from beyond the arc. Part of that is due to a hot shooting night, but the defense is also questionable. Butler was able to keep pace offensively, pouring in 93 points on the night. The blemish on the Dawgs offensive performance was the 10 giveaways – eight in the first half – that contributed to Boise State’s 17 points off of turnovers. The bright spot on the night was the play of sophomore guard Finley Bizjack and first-year guard Evan Haywood. Bizjack blew up for 30 points – beating his season best 19 points – on 8-12 shooting and tallied seven assists. Haywood added 14 points, two rebounds and a steal to the Bulldogs’ effort. Despite the stellar play from the young Dawgs, Butler’s defense and turnovers ended the season. The issues that were on display in early losses to North Dakota State and Austin Peay reared their ugly head to set the Bulldogs final record at 15-20. Where does Butler go from here? Although the transfer portal has been open since March 24, portal season can now truly begin for Butler. First-year guard Ryder Cate is the only Bulldog who has entered the portal so far, but it is safe to say that he will not be the last. Although they have seen a lack of exits, the Dawgs have already been busy getting portal acquisitions. Purdue Fort Wayne guard Jalen Jackson and Drexel guard Yame Butler already announced their commitment to Butler earlier this week. Jackson, a first team All-Horizon League selection, averaged 19.2 points per game for the Mastodons last season. Butler averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this past year for Drexel. Both players coming in will be expected to instantly contribute to the Bulldogs success next season. The incoming guard pair will partner with Bizjack, who confirmed he will also be returning next season in a post on X after the win over Utah on March 31. The rest of the team’s decisions will likely be coming in the next few weeks, with Butler’s staff still working on other transfers. For now the Bulldogs will end their season with this loss to Boise State, polishing off a disappointing campaign.