It is never about a midfielder stepping up to be the goalkeeper in the match, whenever we think about soccer; however, that's exactly what happened with Sean Zawadzki, the Columbus Crew player who was summoned onto the field to counter the Seattle Sounders. The concept of Zawadzki playing goalie, at one moment, pretty much felt like an inside joke on the team and much more humorous than realistic. But all that changed when goalkeeper Abraham Romero saw red early in the first half.
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The unlikely hero
Zawadzki, the one who had always been counted on in the field because of his versatility, was indeed summoned for the rather unpredictable task: guarding the Crew's goal. Having expelled Romero and with other keepers out on their respective international duties, the Crew was desperate. At once, the Ohio native buckled under the gloves and the responsibility in the full glare of the fans.
I just wanted to do whatever I could whenever the ball got near me," Zawadzki said after the game. It was a simple statement, but it summed up the attitude of a player who, even out of his comfort zone, showed whole-hearted eagerness for the challenge. Even with Zawadzki's effort, the game resulted in a 4-0 loss to Seattle, but the plot of that night had long been etched into memory-the midfielder who became a goalkeeper.
Absences and adversity
Saturday's game demonstrated not just how thin the Crew were in goalkeeping options but a wider context of adversity. Coach Wilfried Nancy claimed the circumstance had been exacerbated by key men absent on international duty. The missing goalkeepers included Patrick Schulte, absent with USMNT, and Nicholas Hagen, absent with Guatemala.
"I'm really proud of all the players who went with their national teams," Nancy said. He was resigned, but even he couldn't hide the issue of the squad having a lack of viable alternatives. To make things even worse, Nancy also pointed to the inflexible rules of the league, which didn't allow the Crew to call up one more goalkeeper from the reserve team.
The cruel reality of league rules
The big problem was a MLS rule that puts a limit on how many times players from the reserve team can be called up into a match without a professional contract. As for the Crew, they had already used all their call-ups, and the request to give them an extra call-up for a goalkeeper was denied.
Nancy didn't mince words on how he approached this decision: "You know the problem we've had with the goalkeepers. We tried to plan ahead and negotiated to add a fourth goalkeeper, knowing we might have a situation like this." He was frustrated by those stringent rules and how they hit at perhaps the most crucial juncture of the season.
Upcoming match: Hell is Real
With the Seattle game now in the rearview mirror, the real challenge for the Columbus Crew is an even bigger test: the "Hell is Real" derby against FC Cincinnati. This is already one of the hottest rivalries in American soccer, and these teams often display fervent intensity on and off the pitch. If that wasn't enough, the context is a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Final, building the anticipation even further into this match.
The showdown between Crew and Cincinnati at TQL Stadium will have huge implications for the standings. A win would slide the Crew into second place in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of rival Cincinnati. With players now back from international duty, the Crew will be more complete and ready to fight for the victory.