Columbus.- Those two hours of rain delay couldn’t wash away Crew SC issues. At least for the first forty-five minutes. In the second half they reacted but it wasn’t enough the damage was already done by a solid performance from the LA Galaxy. And once again two points were stolen from Mapfre Stadium.
Head Coach Gregg Berhalter never likes to talk about streaks, he rather focus on performance. But the reality is that the Black and Gold extended its winless streak to six games because they are not performing up to a level where they can earn three points at home, on the road or anywhere.
There is a pattern throughout these last six games without a victory: If the rival scores first, Crew SC is unable to overcome the difference. Teams also notice that if they put pressure high up on the pitch they disrupt their soccer circuit, and the ball possession becomes innocuous.
The Galaxy deployed five and sometimes six players in Columbus territory. Lleget and Villarreal were so close to Steve Clark and complicated their routes from the back to Higuaín, Finlay, and Meram. The plan for Bruce Arena was clear: shut down their outlets and do not let them switch gears. And they did it based on anticipation and speed.
At the end of the game, the percentage of duels won for the visitors was 58.3%, but at half time it was a staggering 65.2%. They picked and won their battles on the flanks, a high traffic area for Crew SC. Robbie Rogers went above and beyond the speed limits to go deep and complicate Jimenez and Parkhurst; while Ishizaki danced around Francis and Pogatetz. At halftime, they were 1-0 up thanks to Lleget but the lead could be larger, easily.
In the second half, the host woke up and fought back. They realized they had to get rid of the ball quicker and reach the box with two or three touches instead of ten. And that’s when the figure of Ethan Finlay rised. Higuaín is still the most important piece of this team, but if Finlay is not involved or is contained, their offense slows down. The Argentine scored with an assist from the winger. They looked for more, they just couldn’t finish. Kamara was out of sync and seemed tired.
“I think there was a step back in this game, in terms of our production. But look at their team, they have a National team defender(Omar González), one of the best defenders in the MLS. Leonardo is a very experienced center back, Robbie Rogers is in the National team, Dan Gargan very experienced. It was a tough defense to break.And they were playing conservative in the second half, they were sitting back. It wasn’t easy. I think we created enough chances to get two goals in that game, and unfortunately we didn’t” Explained Head Coach Gregg Berhalter at the press conference.
Crew SC is capable to play up to the speed level that earn wins; they just need to improve their soccer clutch movements.
