Injuries are a simple reality in sports. How a given team adapts to them makes a big difference in its ability to remain competitive. Columbus Crew SC players are beginning to find that out. This is particularly the case on the attacking end of the field.
Columbus Crew SC Players Forced To Adjust in 0-0 Draw
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with the Montreal Impact at MAPFRE Stadium was one of the first examples of this adaptability in action. The game saw Ethan Finlay starting at center forward due to regular starter Ola Kamara not fully fit. The Norwegian striker suffered a minor hamstring injury in practice this week. But he did enter the game in the 71st minute.
Another player forced into a different role than what he has normally played for Columbus is Mohammed Saeid. This is due to the announcement on Thursday that Federico Higuaín underwent hernia surgery and will be out for five to seven weeks. Though he’s played the number ten previously in his career, most of Saeid’s time for Crew SC has seen him in a more withdrawn position.
Based on what we saw against the Impact, it seems to be a work in progress. The Black and Gold enjoyed a 61.4-38.4 percent edge in possession. But the lack of purposefulness in it showed in the fact the team just one of their 12 shots was on target.
Will Finlay at Center Forward Continue To Be a Thing?
Though Finlay at center forward isn’t likely a long-term situation, it may be something Crew SC will have to manage as long as Kamara isn’t 100 percent. Head coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter said post-game that it all comes down to the information he receives from team doctors.
“We’re going to have to talk to the medical staff on that one and see where everyone is after this game,” Berhalter told Andrew King of MLSSoccer.com. “Every game, we do a post-game evaluation to see where guys’ fitness levels are and you use that to help guide the next lineup.”
Kamara is well aware that it’s important to take it slowly so that a minor tweak doesn’t become more than that. This is especially true considering a red-hot New York Red Bulls team is coming to town next weekend.
“Or course I wanted to play the whole game,” he told Patrick Murphy of MassiveReport.com. “I couldn’t. But for me I think it is a very small thing and my focus is just to get ready for Saturday.”
Left winger Justin Meram, who had four total shots including one on target in the draw, thinks Finlay acquitted himself well considering the situation. It essentially was an issue of his teammates inability to connect in the final third.
“I think we all have to do a little bit better to find him,” Meram emphasized. “He made good runs. I just think we have to break their lines a little bit quicker.”
Berhalter’s Assessment on Mohammed Saeid in the Ten Role
Saeid, himself not 100 percent due to a back injury, also put in a respectable performance in his advanced attacking midfield role. Berhalter was complimentary of the 85 minutes of game action he put in before being subbed off for Rodrigo Saravia. That said, he did have a tendency to drop deep as he’s used to doing for the Black and Gold.
“Give Mo credit for getting out there and trying to fulfill that role,” Berhalter said. “But that’s something we as coaches need to define more clearly to him. And we want him in the pockets higher and we’re going to work on that this week.”
That decision to exchange Saeid for Saravia and not Emil Larsen who is another attack-minded midfielder could have been looked at as puzzling. But Berhalter noted that in the Crew SC rookie that they were looking for another ball-winner to help get buildup started for a potential late game-winner.
“As that game went on and as they started to come forward, especially during the end of the game, I thought there were some counterattacking moments that we could take advantage (of),” Berhalter told Last Word on Sports. “And the key to counterattacking is first winning the ball. So with ‘Roddy’ in there, we felt that he would give us that balance at winning the ball and then trying to score on a counterattack.”
As the club continues to deal with a frustrating rash of injuries, players being able to adjust to unfamiliar roles will be key. With home points continuing to be dropped and other Eastern Conference teams slowly pulling away, time is of the essence.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Crew SC Communications.
