Columbus Crew complete comeback against FC Cincinnati to host MLS Cup (2024)

By The Athletic Soccer staff

Dec 3, 2023

By Tom Bogert, Pablo Iglesias Maurer and Felipe Cárdenas

Thanks to a memorable comeback, the Columbus Crew beat rivals FC Cincinnati 3-2 after extra time to advance to MLS Cup final. The Crew will host the title game on Dec. 9 and face the LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo winner.

Crew forward Christian Ramirez was the hero, once again, coming off the bench to score the game-winner in the 115th minute, a header from close range assisted by Cucho Hernández.

Advertisem*nt

Benches proved crucial, Crew’s subs were the difference

Ramirez and Julian Gressel were both left out of the Columbus starting line-up again on Saturday. They entered the game in the second half down 2-0 and led the comeback effort.

The pair were involved in the first Crew goal in the second half, with Gressel’s cross aimed for Ramirez resulting in Powell’s own goal. Later, Gressel’s cross to Ramirez started the sequence that ended with Rossi’s 86th-minute equalizer, followed by Ramirez scoring the game-winning goal in extra time.

Cincinnati’s bench couldn’t keep up. Their defensive unit was already severely short-handed to begin with, without MLS defender of the year Matt Miazga, fellow starting center back Nick Hagglund and designated player Obi Nwobodo in the midfield. Particularly, in Miazga and Nwobodo, Cincy was missing two of its three most important defensive anchors. Nwobodo subbed on late in the second half but was inefficient over the final few minutes and extra time.

Advertisem*nt

Acosta, the 2023 MLS MVP, faded away in extra time, as did star wingback Alvaro Barreal. Acosta’s loss of possession also resulted in the Crew’s winning goal.

“There were things that I could have done better to manage that situation where you feel like you could have done better subs, the timing, shape,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said after the game.

Yerson Mosquera, the lone first-choice starter left in the back three, had to slide to a different role (into the middle) and pick up a bigger leadership role that Miazga normally filled. Ian Murphy and Alvas Powell started in central defense on either side of Mosquera. Yuyu Kubo started in central midfield for Nwobodo. Cincy faded as the game went on, while the Crew got stronger.

A closer look at Gressel’s impact

When Julian Gressel arrived in Columbus over the summer, he immediately became a locked-in starter, supplanting second-year Crew defender Mohamed Farsi. Gressel is among the league’s best wingbacks because of his service, and he’s had a bit of a late-career resurgence, playing himself into a semi-regular role with the USMNT and helping push Columbus back into rarefied air.

Gressel’s attacking upside was abundantly clear on Saturday with his team down two goals. From the moment he entered the match midway through the second half, he was involved in every facet of Columbus’ attack. He created the Crew’s first tally of the night with a dangerous cross into the area, one inadvertently touched home for an own goal. He had a handful of other promising moments, as well, on set pieces and during the run of play alike.

“It’s been difficult for (Gressel), obviously he wanted to start like everyone,” Nancy said after the game. “I can tell you the mindset he has is spot on. Spot on. He’s with us, his desire to do something good whether it’s two minutes or 96 minutes.”

Gressel lost his starting spot to Farsi in game three of Columbus’ opening-round playoff tilt against Atlanta, something that came as a bit of a surprise to most observers. Farsi acquitted himself well and has held onto the starting spot ever since.

GO DEEPERJulian Gressel leads Crew in off-ball stats: What happens around the biggest moments

On the surface, Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy played things coy when asked who he’d roll out against Cincinnati. His comments, though, seemed to leave things clear enough.

“It’s all about the moment, the present moment,” Nancy told reporters. “So, I had the feeling the last games that we needed Mo because of the way we wanted to aggress the opposition without the ball and with the ball and we want a bit more speed, I would say. So Julian is a really good player with good qualities technically and also to deliver the ball. But tactically, I wanted to have a different profile. So that’s why I decided to go with Mo.”

Advertisem*nt

Farsi got the nod in the MLS Conference final and promptly got exposed on Cincinnati’s first goal. In fairness, Nancy’s logic here was probably sound, given Cincy’s attacking setup, their speed on the wings, and their technicality. Frankly, it’s not really clear whether Gressel would’ve done any better on that first goal.

“It’s not easy in terms of the decision, but this is my job to do it,” Nancy said on Wednesday of the decision ahead of him. After Farsi’s defensive lapse — and Gressel’s excellent performance off the bench — Nancy’s decision has only gotten more complicated.

—Pablo Iglesias Maurer

Crew equalizer was an organized effort

The Crew’s 86th-minute equalizer was an orchestrated wide-channel attack. Gressel’s service wasn’t a traditional one, instead, he found Ramirez at the top of the box. The forward called for the ball at the 18-yard mark, then broke off from his defender to meet Gressel’s pass. The Crew striker had a decision to make as the ball approached mid-air.

Ramirez could try the difficult one-time volley on goal, which would’ve been very ambitious from that position. He could’ve controlled the ball, which would’ve stalled the play and allowed the Cincinnati backline to push forward. Ramirez chose the unorthodox decision, but one that was very much on brand for the Crew. He spun a soft pass off his shooting foot to Rossi inside the box. The Uruguayan knew where Hernández was and found him with his first touch. It was looking pretty, but Hernandez lost control of the ball. It trickled towards Rossi, who gently passed the ball into the bottom corner.

Something that Nancy’s side does well is attack in an organized manner. Hernández and Rossi are always close to each other. They look for triangles throughout the opponent’s defensive third and combine quickly to break down defenses. This goal was a picturesque example of that.

—Felipe Cárdenas

What does Columbus have to do to win a title with Nancy?

The Crew plays attractive soccer. They have a legitimate No. 9, a killer, in Hernández, Rossi is one of the league’s top game-changers, and Ramirez is a terror when he comes on the pitch. Their central midfield of Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris boasts athleticism and impressive game awareness. Patrick Shulte has emerged as one of the league’s promising young goalkeepers. Overall, the Crew has skilled players in several key positions and a style of play that can win consistently in MLS. So what’s missing?

Advertisem*nt

Defensively, Columbus isn’t a bad team from an individual-player standpoint, but their defensive structure leaves a lot to be desired. Clearly, by design, Nancy has preferred technical players who suit his possession-based system rather than traditional defenders. Yet, the Crew conceded over 50 goals in 2023, including playoffs. Nancy’s desire to push players forward, play with a high line, and leave his defenders in one-versus-one situations were factors this season.

If Columbus want to win MLS Cup on Dec. 9, the defending has to improve. The question is whether Nancy will compromise his attacking tactics in order to do so in a cup final. I’m guessing he won’t.

– Cárdenas

(Photo: Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports)