Columbus Crew SC may have finally found their man at right back.
After much speculation as to whether or not a move was going to be made to address this need, the club announced Thursday they had signed Ghanaian defender Harrison Afful from Tunisian club Esperance Sportive de Tunis. In his six seasons with one of Africa’s most successful clubs, he scored 16 goals, added 25 assists and helped the club capture the league title four times.
The 29-year-old was part of the 2011 Esperance side that won the African Champions League title and advanced to the Club World Cup in Japan later that year. In fact, it was Afful’s goal that sent them through. He would play 134 minutes in that tournament though the club would fall to defeat in both matches to Qatar’s Al-Sadd (2-1) and Mexico’s Monterrey (3-2).
WATCH: Afful’s game-winner in the 2011 African Champions League Final
Afful has extensive international experience with the Ghanaian national team, having earned 53 caps. He was named to the roster that would participate in last summer’s World Cup in Brazil, where he started and played the entirety of two of their three group games. He did not appear in the Group G opener against the United States.
Harrison Afful: The Crucial Piece in the Crew SC Tactical Puzzle?
If his form against Germany and Portugal at the World Cup is any indication, fans of the Black and Gold have a lot be excited about as to what they’re going to get from this player. He’s the embodiment of what Crew SC head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter is looking for in his outside backs, as he elaborated upon when discussing the signing on Thursday.
“Harrison is an experienced, versatile defender whose playing style will fit well into our system,” Berhalter said. “He has established himself in the highly competitive Ghanaian national team and has participated in both the Africa Cup of Nations and in the World Cup. After an extensive search, we’re happy to welcome Harrison to Columbus and we feel that he is going to be a great addition to our defensive corps.”
Here’s why Berhalter may be right. Much is required of the modern day outside back. To play the position requires energy. It requires precision. Not only do you obviously need good defensive acumen but also a phenomenal technical command of the game from a ball distribution standpoint. Being able to understand transition play is also important in timing one’s overlapping runs down the flanks.
Afful possesses all these skills and they were readily apparent in those two World Cup games he participated in.
He was among the best players in Group G at winning the ball as well as creating chances downfield as the following two charts should illustrate.
T+I/90 – tackles + interceptions per 90 minutes
T+I usage – percentage of player’s tackles + interceptions per 90 in relation to team total.
KeyP/90 – key passes per 90 minutes
What data like this is trying to elaborate upon above all else is overall work rate. It’s something you really want out of your outside backs and it sure looks like Afful possesses such an attribute. He can wrest the ball from the opponent while also pushing downfield creating opportunities from the wings.
And, lest we forget, he did have an assist in the Black Stars 2-2 draw against Germany. You’re probably more or less aware that’s the only match the Germans didn’t win en route to their World Cup title.
The diminutive 5’6″ 128 pound wing back may be just what the doctor ordered after Crew SC’s right back situation was a revolving door of sorts in the wake of Hernan Grana’s departure in early May. Hector Jimenez, Chris Klute and Chad Barson all logged minutes at the position and while acquitting themselves well at times, more was needed.
Given his exploits at club and international level, Afful appears to be the real deal. But if he really wants to impress me, he needs to do something like this.
These are all of Grana’s passes, crosses, etc. in Crew SC’s first win of the season, a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC in the home opener. The yellow arrows indicate key passes which resulted in chances on net. Ultimately, Grana was responsible for nearly 24 percent of Black and Gold chance creation that night while also completing 93 percent of his passes.
Crew SC fans already know what Waylon Francis is capable of on the left side of the back line. It’s what led Colorado Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni to make him a late addition to the MLS All-Star roster after a few players pulled out with injuries. Afful may indeed be the missing piece to the puzzle on the right.
He’s certainly not going to command the amount of hoopla that players such as Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo or Didier Drogba are garnering by signing with MLS clubs. Nevertheless, Afful has the potential to be a potent tactical talisman that could help power Columbus Crew SC to a deep playoff run.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Crew SC Communications.
