Throughout the Columbus Crew SC off-season, the common narrative has been the need to add depth at certain positions. This has been particularly true on the back line, where it is hoped that two key signings are able to further the direction head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter wants the club to go as he enters year two at the helm.
Chris Klute came to the side as part of a SuperDraft coup that saw the Black and Gold swap first round picks with Colorado while acquiring the talented left back from the Rapids as part of the “future considerations” part of the deal. One week later, it was announced that Argentinian defender Hernan Grana was joining the team after spending 2014 with South American giants Boca Juniors.
Both of these players epitomize what Berhalter is trying to establish on the outside from a defensive standpoint. His 4-2-3-1 formation is predicated upon having speedy, high-energy wing backs able to be opportunistic in pushing forward and creating chances in the attacking third. At the same time, you want those players to have the discipline to be able to pull back and maintain shape within the back four when the opposition has possession.
As the preseason has progressed, Klute has gradually become more familiar with the style of play Crew SC wants to implement and utilizing his talents within it.
“Chris is a very dynamic, attack-minded outside back and he’s learning the system now and learning his responsibilities within our system,” Berhalter noted on a recent conference call with the media.
Similarly, Grana has showcased his capabilities down the right flank in the three games he has played for Columbus so far.
“What we like about (Grana) is that he’s adapted very quickly, you know, on how we want to play. When we saw him in Boca Juniors he was more defensive orientated and we knew he had some offensive quality in him but he was a very good defender,” Berhalter said.
Much of this was on display in Crew SC’s opening match of the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic down in Bradenton, FL. This was the club’s second preseason event after having previously played in Austin, TX at the ATX Pro Challenge the week before with their USL affiliate Austin Aztex along with F.C. Dallas and D.C. United.
In a 7-0 rout of London United last Wednesday, a squad comprised entirely of unsigned players, both defenders demonstrated their potential in terms of what the coaching staff is looking for. Grana had two goals and two assists, all in the first half. One of those assists was to Klute himself, who closed out a six-goal first half for the Black and Gold with a 45th minute tally.
What’s promising going into the regular season is the fact that the addition of Klute and Grana by no means indicates the club is lacking in wing backs of this mold. Waylon Francis impressed mightily in his first season with Crew SC in 2014, notching six assists at left back which led all MLS defenders. The 24-year-old Costa Rican helped open the scoring in the second match of the tournament on Saturday against his nation’s under-23 team with a magnificent one-time cross into the box (off a diagonal ball from none other than Wil Trapp) that was promptly headed into the net by another new arrival to the team for 2015, forward Kei Kamara.
It will be interesting to see how Francis and Klute are utilized over the course of the season given that they both do their damage at left back. Against London United, Klute got the start and was replaced by Francis at halftime. In the win over the Costa Rica U-23s, Klute came into the game as a 62nd minute substitution for Francis. Both swapped starting roles in Austin as well. I guess having two capable players at the position whom you can use interchangeably is a good problem to have. After all, if it’s depth Berhalter and the coaching staff want, it’s depth they’re getting with these two guys.
Discussing defense isn’t necessarily the sexiest thing in the world when you’re trying to elaborate on how a given team will realize success. However, for Crew SC it’s livelier than most when you have two defensive wingers the likes of Klute and Grana. With three goals and two assists between them so far in the preseason, the potential is there for these players to have their names regularly appear on the score sheet this year especially assist-wise. Either way, both players will be critical as it relates to the identity Berhalter and company want to continue to implement when the team takes the field for real in a few short weeks.
Closing Notes:
- Crew SC’s final group game of the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic takes place Wednesday at 5 PM when they take on the Philadelphia Union. Both teams are tied on points in the group after two matches. The game will be streamed live and you can watch here.
- Having already clinched no worse than second in their group, Crew SC are guaranteed either a spot in the consolation match or tournament title game depending on the result Wednesday. Those take place at 5 PM and 7:30 PM respectively on Saturday.
- Midfielder Romain Gall, who helped the United States under-20s qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Jamaica last month, has not seen any action in Florida due to a knee injury sustained in training.
- Hernan Grana was excused from the club late last week to be able to return to Argentina for the birth of his son.
Main Photo courtesy Columbus Crew SC
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