Since the beginning of the season, Crew coach Wilfried Nancy has emphasized that building the Crew into what he wants from them would be a process. And for the most part, Nancy has been pleased with the Crew’s overall performances, even as they’ve struggled to get wins.
But remaining committed to the process often requires positive results, and after losing 3-1 at Nashville SC on Sunday, the Crew have lost three games in a row and have won just one of their last seven MLS games.
Columbus Crew analysis: What we learned from the Crew’s 3-1 loss to Nashville SC
“I have no doubt in terms of the desire to compete,” Nancy said. “Now the challenge that I have with them, and together, is the adversity that we’re going to face. This is going to happen, and it’s happening right now. The idea is to sort it out, to find ways to sort it out. We need to add the extra 1%, everyone, to be able to compete with that. In terms of attitude, in terms of what we want to do, in terms of desire to compete, yes, (they have it).
“But now it’s fragile because when you want something and you don’t have it, it’s normal that you ask yourself questions. I expect that. It’s normal. But now I want them, and what we are trying to create is, we have to sort it out and we have to act. This is the next step.”
The Crew return to action Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids, their first home game since beating the LA Galaxy 2-0 on May 17 for their last MLS win. Here’s what to watch for in the matchup, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
Can the Crew get back on track at home?
Playing away from Lower.com Field has been a problem for the Crew this year, with just one win, one draw and five losses. But the Crew now play four of their next six games at home, beginning with two straight home games this week. The Crew’s recent poor form has slid them to 10th place in the Eastern Conference, and while there is still quite a bit of time left in the season, they’re looking to get back to picking up points as soon as possible.
“We obviously feel like we deserve more,” midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. “In my opinion, we do deserve more. I would say it’s just a little bit disappointing. At this point, just continue doing what you’re doing and results will follow.”
Nagbe and Nancy were both emphatic Tuesday that while the Crew are on the right track in terms of their overall performances, they must be better in certain moments of the games to translate those performances into results.
“I am upset,” Nancy said. “I am frustrated about this. But my mind is telling me to look forward, because we had good moments against a really difficult team to play against. We were able to control a lot of good things. That’s why I need to look forward and we need to look forward, knowing that this is painful.
“A lot of times, when I sit here (with the media), I’m talking about good performance, but this is not enough. This is where we are for the moment. We have to be better at certain things. This is something that we’re going to work on.”
Added Nagbe: “When you watch the games back, you see all the positive things that are happening. But it’s a game of moments. We’ve had games we dominated but just a moment or two, we just weren’t at our best for whatever reason and got punished for it. It’s tough to keep saying that and repeating ourselves, but it will happen. … I think it’s time we start putting whole performances together. I think we’re close.”
Against Nashville, the Crew were specifically punished on set pieces, conceding both the tying and go-ahead goals from corner kicks. Colorado often relies on set pieces to score goals, so the Crew will be immediately tested on their ability to solve the defensive problems from Sunday.
“On the two goals that we conceded, in terms of decision-making, it was not good,” Nancy said. “That’s why we were not able to avoid the corner. But like I told them, at the end of the day, we cannot compete if we concede goals on corners when the ball ended up in our six-yard (box). Simple as that. This is not about tactic. This is not about physique. The ball has to be cleared.”
Who are the Crew going to use at center back?
When Gustavo Vallecilla left Sunday’s game with an apparent hamstring injury, the Crew’s depth issues at center back went from bad to worse. Already without Josh Williams and Miloš Degenek — neither of whom is close to returning — Vallecilla’s injury means that the Crew are now missing three center backs.
“Memorial Day yesterday, so we were not able to get an answer. We’ll see today,” Nancy said. “But for sure, (Vallecilla is) going to be out for a few weeks.”
Depth at the position was already a question mark for the Crew heading into the season, as they transitioned to Nancy’s preferred setup with three center backs from former coach Caleb Porter, whose first-choice structure used two center backs. The Crew traded center back Jonathan Mensah to San Jose during the preseason, when it became clear that the profile of Nancy’s ideal center back and Mensah’s strengths weren’t in alignment.
At the time, the Crew had a potential replacement for Mensah lined up, but an earthquake in Turkey prevented that signing from being completed. General manager Tim Bezbatchenko extended an offer for a different center back in early April, but that signing also did not come to fruition before the close of the transfer window on April 25.
Williams suffered a stress fracture in his foot after the Mensah trade that has proven challenging to heal, though he is progressing and has returned to training, while Degenek injured his Achilles tendon against Inter Miami on April 29; Nancy said May 15 that Degenek would be out between three and six weeks.
Vallecilla’s injury is the latest blow to an already thin group, and Nancy has few options for Vallecilla’s replacement. Malte Amundsen, brought in as a wingback after Will Sands tore his ACL, has played as the left-side center back on occasion for the Crew, so he’s likely Nancy’s top choice.
Beyond Amundsen, Jake Morris and Keegan Hughes are the only healthy center backs signed to first-team contracts. Morris generally plays on the left side with Crew 2, so he’s presumably the next player up — and would be playing his first MLS minutes if he did enter the lineup on Wednesday.
“Sometimes, football, soccer is cruel,” Nancy said. “We have many positions, and it happens to the center backs. The center back for me, the way I play, is really important. Yes, I want them to defend, but I want them to play in a certain way. I have to face adversity like the players, and I’m going to figure out something.”
Columbus Crew lineup
Record (W-L-T): 5-6-3, 10th in East
Projected Starting XI (3-4-1-2):
Patrick Schulte (goalkeeper); Malte Amundsen (left center back), Philip Quinton (center back), Steven Moreira (right center back); Yaw Yeboah (left wingback), Darlington Nagbe (central midfielder), Aidan Morris (central midfielder), Mo Farsi (right wingback); Lucas Zelarayán (attacking midfielder); Cucho Hernandez (forward), Christian Ramírez (forward).
Injured: Alex Mățan (questionable, thigh), Kevin Molino (questionable, knee), Eloy Room (questionable, knee); Miloš Degenek (out, ankle), Luis Diaz (out, back), Will Sands (out, torn ACL), Gustavo Vallecilla (out, thigh), Josh Williams (out, ankle)
Colorado Rapids lineup
Record (W-L-T): 2-7-6, 13th in East
Previous Starting XI (3-5-2):
William Yarbrough (goalkeeper); Danny Wilson (left center back), Andreas Maxsø (center back), Lalas Abubakar (right center back); Anthony Markanich (left wingback), Danny Leyva (midfielder), Connor Ronan (midfielder), Kevin Cabral (midfielder), Keegan Rosenberry (right wingback); Calvin Harris (forward), Jonathan Lewis (forward).
Columbus Crew vs. Colorado Rapids prediction
Columbus 2, Colorado 0: The Crew are playing on one less day of rest than the Rapids are, but the Rapids also had to travel to Columbus, so the wear and tear is about equal for both sides. Colorado has won just twice in league play this year, and as the Crew look to get back on track, their home form will give them the edge to take the win.
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Crew vs. Rapids
When: 7:30 p.m. WednesdayWatch: Apple TV Radio: 97.1 FM (English) 103.1 FM (Spanish)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew host Colorado Rapids: Preview, prediction, analysis
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