2017 Columbus Crew SC Report Card: Week 9
Team Grade:
Before we issue the match grade, let’s chat about what led us to our final conclusion.
Back-to-Back L’s:
For the first time in the season, Columbus falls back-to-back. The away match against the Red Bulls was going to be a tough game to win before all of the injuries, but this was their game to win. They could have won, too, if the Crew didn’t pull a 2016 and fall apart at the end of the match.
Fans should not be ready to panic yet, but if we fall to New England next week, they may be singing a different tune.
NYCFC-Lite:
Perhaps less impressive about the loss (if that’s possible?) is that the Crew fell to New York City FC without David Villa. Sure, Columbus didn’t have Artur, but the depth of their roster this season should have compensated.
We are seeing how important some of these key players are to the Crew this season by their absence. When Higuain was absent, the club fell apart, and Artur seems to be a key part of the defense that’s going to hurt to have sidelined for the next month.
Next: MLS Power Rankings: Week 9
Final Grade: C+
A tough match to grade due to the moments of brilliance. We saw some great soccer out of the Black & Yellow in this match, and we saw some awful soccer as well. A loss will never be graded high, but it wasn’t a failing performance by any means.