Columbus Crew: Rising MLS on the pitch; unraveling off it

The Columbus Crew, who are plagued by several issues off the field, have continued to win games on it and are rising up the MLS standings. The dichotomy of the club’s fortunes in and out of the white lines is utterly fascinating.

The 2018 season was always going to be tough for the Columbus Crew. After news broke that the team would be moved to Austin at the end of last year, the club has been haunted by a dark cloud. They accepted the fact that this would be the final season in Columbus, and fans did as well — depleted attendance numbers prove as much. However, while there are many problems off the field, the results on it have been much better.

The Crew are currently tied for second in the Supporters Shield race and are only one point away from Atlanta United. Some may have expected this, as the team made a deep run the year prior, just barely losing to Toronto FC in the conference finals. However, most assumed the problems off the field would have their effect on the field. That certainly seemed to be the case in the offseason when stars Ola Kamara and Justin Metal demanded trades away from the club. Both were shipped out, and many thought the club wouldn’t be able to recover.

To the surprise of many, though, Columbus got off to a dream start, beating reigning champions Toronto FC away from home on the first weekend of the season. They followed this up with more impressive results, beating Montreal and DC United while picking up a point in a draw away to Philadelphia. The early season high came crashing down quickly, as the Crew went on to lose three straight, scoring only one during that stretch.

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It seemed like this would be the begging of the end for the club. But Columbus did remarkably well to bounce back. A key turning point took place in Seattle, where the Crew were down to ten men after only fifteen minutes. The team came together to bunker down and frustrate their opponents. It worked, as Columbus was able to keep a clean sheet and earn a crucial point on the road.

Since then, the Crew have won three games in a row and have shot up many people’s MLS power rankings. It started with a win on the road, as Columbus was able to pick up all three points in Philadelphia. Next was a demolition of their biggest rivals, the Chicago Fire, winning by a 3-0 scoreline that could’ve easily been more. Finally, the Crew went to New England to face an in-form Revolution side. It was a tight affair, but the away side managed to grab a late goal from a set piece to hold on for the win.

The defense has been a key component in this run of good form. Columbus has only conceded once in their last five matches and have only given up ten goals throughout the entire season, which is the best in the entire league. A shaky unit the year before, coach Gregg Berhalter has done a great job of improving the back four and making the Crew a much more stable team.

The center-back pairing of Lalas Abubakar and Jonathan Mensah has been dominant. Both players are tall and strong, with a fair amount of pace, making it difficult for any striker to get by them. The defense has its help, as defensive midfielder Wil Trapp is able to track back and make challenges when need be, while Zack Steffen has made the big saves to further cement himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the league.

Further up the field, it’s been offseason acquisition Gyasi Zardes leading the attack. Coming in from LA in the trade that saw Ola Kamara go the other way, the former US international has made a phenomenal start to his Crew career. Zardes has scored eight goals this year, which has him tied for first in the Golden Boot race. He has been clinical, finishing off any chances that fall to him in the penalty area, and has evolved into a sublime poacher, hanging around the penalty area, waiting to slam home any loose balls that fall his way.

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The Columbus Crew may be in the headlines for everything happening off the field, but it’s time people start taking notice of what the players are doing on the field. If they can keep this run going, there’s a chance the Crew can end their final season in Columbus by raising the MLS Cup one last time.

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