Columbus.- It was not intense, not the kind of perfume that leaves you dreaming about it the morning after, but the “Victory potion number five” that Crew SC wore tonight got the job done and that’s all it matters. Forget about the forms, they got the lead, sustained it and closed the game with a Penalty kick from the best player on the pitch: Justin Meram. It is a simple equation that for some reason Columbus hasn’t been able to execute for almost the entire season, they did it against San Jose.
“I think is that period when we really pushed today was really beneficial for the team, gives them confidence. I think when you work on principles of defending, you showed the video when it didn’t go so well and you are looking for improvement and I certainly see some improvement, especially from last game” Gregg Berhalter explained at the post-game press conference.
After a discouraging loss to Philly last Wednesday, Crew SC needed it to bounce back and San Jose represented the perfect opportunity to do so. The Quakes had only one victory on the road and tonight they showed their soft side when they play away from Avaya Stadium: Six shots in ninety minutes and 32% of possession. These numbers were not enough to steal points from a place where many other teams in the League walked away with a smile in 2016.
The visitors stayed compact with a double four formation that merely crossed their own half, their counters were slow and Wondolowsky never had a clear view to do any damage to Steve Clark. In many other games, this strategy frustrated Crew SC offensive attempts and shut them down more often than not. The difference tonight, and it has been for the last month, were Meram and Finlay.
With Higuaín out (inflammation in the surgery area), Meram directed the offense and Finlay scored his third goal in the last four games if these two players perform at their level Columbus would have their win column in the double digits at this point of the season.
“These games are important, we are trying to make a push and we are just trying to stay focused one game at a time and when I’m on the field I’m just trying to execute for the team and help up in areas I can and I think tonight showed a good example of just me playing between the lines and getting everyone involved, keeping it simple” Justin Meram said of his performance.
All year long the last fifteen or twenty minutes of games Columbus has shown its inability to close games. Tonight they had the chance with a penalty kick in the 84th minute and Justin Meram executed it with authority, which is something they been missing: To show who dictates the games when you play at home.
With nine games left on the schedule, and only three more at home (Vancouver, New England, Chicago) and the last three away (Chicago, Red Bulls, NYCFC) the possibility of a sustained surge looks more like a miracle than anything else.
How much do they Believe?
