Columbus Crew were very bad for quite some time. But now they are not, and anybody that takes them lightly will not enjoy their stay in Ohio.
Since early July, Gyasi Zardes and Pedro Santos have jelled into an incredibly productive attacking duo, producing 13 goals and three assists between them. Luis Argudo and Younes Mokhtar don’t look too bad either, and Caleb Porter is finally seeing success from his labors.
Some of the principles Gregg Berhalter espoused remain: Control the game by controlling the ball, defend carefully rather than particularly aggressively, and find Zardes in the box.
The continued success Zardes has had following the coaching change in Columbus has surprised some, but the American is a smart striker and continues to show that when he understands his teammates he can be a dangerous MLS player.
But the USMNT starter at the other end of the pitch from Zardes is no longer with the Crew. Zack Steffen got his move back to Europe, and in his stead the Crew brought in Eloy Room after a stunning World Cup showing for Curacao. Room has been quite good at stopping shots, but the bigger boost to the Crew’s fortunes has come from his organizing. Columbus was never a terrible defensive unit, but with an attack that has relied almost entirely on Santos and Zardes for production, they had to be far more than good to earn points. Now losses have become draws, and there is a belief that next season could see a much improved place in the standings.
For now, Columbus is looking to show they can defend their home turf against one of MLS’ best. The Union have put a lot into their past two games and will need to rest bodies as they prepare for a showdown with NYCFC and the postseason. Players like Haris Medunjanin, Kacper Przybylko, and Jamiro Monteiro could be rested, while Anthony Fontana, Matt Real, and Andrew Wooten will hope more minutes are coming their way.
But this isn’t just 90 minutes to push through, there is a lot riding on Sunday’s result. If the Union win, they could take the Eastern Conference crown if NYCFC loses to New England. October 6 wouldn’t just be the last match of 2019, but the decider of the Eastern Conference crown.
Tune in this Sunday at September 29 at 4:30 p.m. ET to see Philly aim for their record-breaking seventh road win at Columbus, all broadcast live on PHL17.
