Columbus.- It was a premonition. The rain was expected for game time, but when all those massive dark clouds took over the sky above Mapfre stadium the insane amount of water poured was enough to drown the Columbus Crew SC playoff hopes. This team is playing with a soul so fragile that they can’t overcome an own goal, their firepower is harmless and their mindset continues to allow goals in the last quarter of almost every single game. No significant change has been made, its too late. The fans know, that’s why they left the stadium after the third Vancouver goal with eight minutes left on the clock. The season is over.
As always, CrewSC dominated the possession with 60.3% . They also generated 15 shots, but this number is up for debate because only 3 went on target. What is most concerning here is that most of these shots came from Harrison Afful, the defensive right back. The idea of playing a 3-4-3 formation with Tony Tchani as the playmaker didn’t work as planned. The host lacked getting the right angles for shots hurt their offensive attempts.
It is true that they are missing arguably the two most important players in Berhalter’s system (Federico Higuaín and Will Trapp) But it is also true that the team wasn’t performing at its peak when they were on the pitch before. No excuses, no certain explanation either on why there’s no cohesion between the pieces.
Vancouver came to Ohio without a win under their belts in the last eight games. They desperate needed three points, but they didn’t show it. They also didn’t show that hey were capable enough to earn those victory points. The Whitecaps went to the break with zero shots on goal and yet they had a goal (Gastón Sauro own goal). Every time they crossed the center line they committed turnovers that weren’t forced by Columbus, it was just a mere passing inaccuracy on their own.
Soccer has tactics, formulas, and strategies but one play could change the entire course of the game. Columbus is the worst team in the League when it comes to playing the last 15 minutes of a match. The Whitecaps knew it, that’s why they didn’t panic one bit when their shots were not coming, at the end of regulation they got only four, two went in that deadly last stretch and they stole three gigantic points.
The great Jimmy V said: “Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up” Seven games left, twenty-one points in play it’s a lot to fight for, but the question is if they can improve enough to reach that thin red line? Columbus Crew SC Head Coach Gregg Berhalter responded like this:
“That’s a good question. I was thinking about the offense, is this the max that we have? And if it is, it’s not good enough, is this our limit in terms of potential? I don’t believe it is, but we’re not showing much more than that, to be honest. A game like tonight, setting it up as must-win game, we didn’t show enough”
