Post-match: 2024 Matchday 2: Reigning, Defending, Undisputed Columbus Crew vs MinU Canadian Dollars

We did head the ball better than on past occasions. The closing out of games is still an issue, but it manifested itself differently here with us being unable to control the game and kick the ball.

The kid shot the ball right where he needed to instead of crossing it like you'd expect.

And Sean scored that goal against the revs last year like 3 minutes after the alloted stoppage time?

 

He's young. Give him time.

 

We would've won if Moreira was at RWB.

 

BTW, I liked Minny's jerseys.

 

Cuch with the good messaging

It's just the beginning. We will improve it. you just keep supporting. 👊🏾

— Juan Camilo Hernández (@CuchoHernandez) March 2, 2024

 

I only watched the highlights after having the score spoiled (I went and saw Dune 2, was amazing, more in the what are you watching? thread in NSR section). Interesting that Marino didn’t play again. Arfsten playing didn’t surprise me, Nancy trusts in the youth. Looks like we controlled things and just got unlucky at the end.

Considering Minnesota has a good record against us recently, I’ll take a draw on the road.

 

These were some of the nicest fans I have encountered at an away match. After it ended, one gentleman walked down to my seat, congratulated me on the Crew’s championship, and then we chatted about the game, my trip there, where he is from, etc. I also liked his ‘Minnesota accent’. Others, were very polite.

In addition, I really did like the stadium. Being smaller, it has a more intimate feel as say, compared to FCC or Nashville (though, both of those stadiums are also very nice).

One negative, the supporters group being under the only videoboard, so when they did the tifo, it was blocking the videoboard during the opening introductions of MNUFC.

 

It’s hard not to vent after we (again) coughed up two points late in a match. That said, getting a point on the road is a fair result from the match. We’re a good team, but we’re not in mid season form yet, which isn’t exactly a surprise.

I’ll limit my critical comments to:

- the lack of subs (again) or rotation going into an extremely congested part of the schedule. I just don’t get it.
- just the sense that we’re watching the 2023 team, which was fun in 2023, but I don’t think an as-is approach to the roster will be enough in a very tough East in 2024, where numerous teams have reloaded. The lack of a Hinestroza sighting on the pitch is a bit odd, but I understand that it takes time to grasp the system.
- to steal one of Nancy’s terms, you could describe this performance in various ways, but the word ‘brave’ doesn’t apply, from what I saw. We appeared more defensive and cautious than brave, at least to me.
- Farsi’s absence was evident. He’s so involved in the match, gets so many touches (many of them defensive). Arfsten was invisible for stretches of the match, and I don’t have much confidence that that’ll change in the near term.
- finally, I’ll beat this drum all season until something’s done about it, but you can’t expect to compete for a full season with a 23 man roster. Or maybe it’s 24 now. I see Crew 2 (from last season) player Cole Mrowka is now listed on the team’s roster. Not that that changes the equation much. The club should have both roster and salary budget space to sign at least one starter-quality player. Maybe they have someone in mind who’ll be joining the club during the summer window. Who knows. Not that it matters much when you only make 2-3 subs in a match.

Anyway, sucks to drop those two points. Minnesota played well against us, without having a great roster (hell, they subbed in short term MLSNP player at one point). I’m sure other teams will notice.

 

I lied. One more criticism:

- at list point, I have zero faith that we’ll score a goal off of a corner kick all season. I mean, logically, I assume we will. But, man, we just appear somewhere between toothless and clueless on corners thus far in ‘24.

 

They looked to me like a team that has spent too much time reading their own media. The finely tuned watch, the rapier in Wilfried Nancy's hand that slices and dices opponents with cold fury, audacity and aggression looked like they came there expecting the game to be awarded them in recognition of their awesomeness.

This is a team that used to go entire games with barely a half dozen backpasses. Backpass was a dirty word. They only go forward.Opponent turns over the ball and suddenly it's a five alarm fire, everyone racing to the box like banshees on meth.

Yesterday it looked for long periods like the only idea anyone could come up with was a featival.of backpassing, eventually ending up at Schultes feet where he'd stand there with it for 30 or 40 seconds trying to recall what his job is until an opponent appeared in his face.

Passes were lazy, obvious and telegraphed. The midfield couldn't keep posession. Everybody else stood around and watched. Off ball movement was non existent.

Sure they had their moments, and square and back passes make for terrific posession numbers, but that was a middling opponent missing key players that should have been easy pickings even on the road. No matter. What does matter is that they looked clueless and disinterested.

The Crew looked like it was 2022 all over again. All that was missing was Caleb Porter stalking the touchline looking like he just took a dump in his pants.

I'm not that upset about coughing up 2 points that were in the bag. Shit happens. I'm more puzzled that the entire team, collectively, forgot how to play.

Nancy better figure it out.

 

Once the ball is in the back part of the field, players in this system are supposed to hold onto the ball until the press closes, so as to play against 10 men instead of 11. Schulte did that and drove a ground ball up the field to spark the goal.

 

And when you continue to hold the ball, eventually the opponent takes it from you or forces you to make a desperation pass that gets picked off.

 

Check that it was Camacho who drove that ground ball down the field to start the attack

 

To this last point, in 2023, Nancy had all season to "tell a story" about how he wanted us to play. To come in and spend a few months assesing the existing roster before making serious decisions about what type of new player to bring in. The team, by season's end, played with energy, persistence, confidence, but it didn't start there.

Thing is, in 2024, Nancy can't approach things from that same patient approach. That energy, confidence and commitment needs to be on display next week and the week after, or we'll be on the outside looking in for the CCC.

 

The Jeff Cunningham conundrum.

 

It’s week 2 y’all.

 

But the squad rotation philosophy is going to have to change. We hit congestion Wednesday and if we start the best XI then we have a home game vrs Chicago before the second leg. At some point you got to rest a few guys. Chicago will be fresh and we can’t drop points to the Fire at home nor can we lose the CCL legs vrs Houston. So with Minnesota missing people it’s hard to understand the logic.

We went all in for a win and got a draw so it’s disappointing on top of losing that late which is always a hard truth to swallow.

 

Oh I get that. Completely. No wrist slitting here at Chez Archer.

I was just surprised, even shocked, at how far they strayed from the plan they all -players included - assured us was the model.

It's OK to stink the place up sometimes and this surely isn't the last time the team will be out there stumbling over their own dicks.

What bothered me is that they seemed to have lost the script.

 

Meh… we’re not going 34-0, these things happen. When this happens for two months straight I’ll start asking questions. Nancy has a decent amount of credit in the bank right now, for me at least.