The Fire seem to have a habit of drawing extremely good teams in every start and restart of this bizarre 2020 season.
First it was the reigning champs in the 2020 regular season opener back on March 1, then it was Seattle again in the MLS is Back Tournament group stage, now it’s first place Columbus Crew SC in the league’s phase one return to individual markets on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. CT from MAPFRE Stadium (WGN-TV, ESPN+, TUDN WRTO AM 1200).
Head coach Caleb Porter’s group was outstanding in the group stage in Orlando, becoming the only team to win all three games and doing it without conceding a goal. They were undone by a spirited Minnesota United group on penalties in the Round of 16, but - make no mistake about it - Columbus is one of the best teams in MLS.
Raphael Wicky and the Fire will look to be the first team to take down the Crew, as they have yet to lose a regular season game this year and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference on 13 points.
BATTLE FOR THE MIDFIELD
It goes without saying that winning the midfield in a football match is a major step towards winning the game.
Winning the midfield against Columbus takes on new meaning, and is even more important.
Darlington Nagbe is one of the best midfielders in our league. No question. His ability to keep the ball, break lines and - most importantly - establish and maintain a rhythm is invaluable.
The balance in the midfield of Columbus is what allows them to be so successful, though.
A coach of mine once said, “There are piano lifters and there are piano players.”
Both are equally important. You need someone to be on the keys and deliver the product, but the piano player cannot do his job unless the piano lifter gets them where they need to go. The understanding of roles among Crew players is vital, with Artur occupying more of the piano lifter role that allows Nagbe to focus on just “playing.”
In front of those two in Porter’s 4-2-3-1 is any combination of Youness Mouhktar, Lucas Zelarayan, Pedro Santos, Luis Diaz, Chris Cadden and Derrick Etienne. The three in front of Artur and Nagbe are always in a more advanced position and making them defend - like Minnesota did - will prove to be beneficial.
For the Fire, it will be about getting smart pressure on Nagbe and Artur. Nagbe is one of the best in MLS at playing out of pressure and keeping the ball. Condensing the space and finding the moments to truly apply pressure will serve the Fire well, and keep the Crew guessing. We saw Minnesota’s Ozzie Alonso and Jan Gregus go toe-to-toe with Nagbe and Artur despite conceding 65 percent possession. Making sure that possession is not consistently positive is the key, and as we see in football so much in the modern game, hitting on the counter when the opposition has committed numbers can be extremely effective.
ATTACK WITH CONVICTION
Columbus has a pair of experienced Ghanaian defenders on the right side of their back line in Harrison Afful and Jonathan Mensah. Having combined to represent Ghana more than 130 times, Afful and Mensah have plenty of experience both internationally and in MLS and are super solid in possession and defense.
The left side of the defense is a different story. Milton Valenzuela, just 22 years old, tore his ACL last year and missed the entire season. The Argentine is a modern day outside back, as he is very strong in possession and getting forward. One-on-one defending and tactical awareness can still be improved upon for Valenzuela, who earned the starting spot in 2018 having started 29 matches.
Standing next to Valenzuela at left centerback is Aboubacar Keita, a 20-year-old rookie out of Virginia. Keita has represented the United States at the Under-20 level, and is among the most highly-touted defenders in the country for his age. He was originally supposed to be the back-up at the position, but a season-ending ankle injury to Vito Wormgoor saw Keita have to step up. He’s done a respectable job, with the Crew conceding just one goal in their four matches at the MLS is Back Tournament.
KILLER Zs
Gyasi Zardes simply knows how to score goals in MLS.
He is great at making runs off the last defender’s shoulder, and always gives the opposing back line something to think about. He is big, strong, has soft feet, and can hold up play when necessary. Zardes bagged five goals in Orlando, meaning the Fire back line will need to communicate to make sure they don’t lose track of the big man who scored 19 last year. His aerial threat on set pieces also poses a problem for a Fire defensive unit that doesn’t boast a ton of height.
Zelarayán has taken a lot of pressure off of Zardes, and has drawn attention himself. The former Tigres man signed for a club-record transfer fee, and has been worth every dime. He can pick out a devastating pass, as well as finish off moves himself. Between Zelarayán, Nagbe and Zardes, the Crew offer a three-headed monster moving from back to front. This monster can be contained, but switching off on any of these three could prove costly.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s no secret that what happened in MLS is Back was extremely disappointing for the Fire. They exited a tournament that, as we saw, could’ve been won by anyone.
Their first test in phase one of the league’s return to regular season play is a big one, going up against a side that hasn’t lost a game since October 10, 2019.
It will take an extreme amount of focus and a high level of execution to take points from Caleb Porter’s well-oiled Crew side, but it certainly can be done. Returning to Soldier Field five days later for the first time in fifteen years with a point or three under your belt isn’t bad incentive either.
