Christian Ramirez has season-best performance vs LAFC: 2 takeaways from Crew's 5-1 victory
It has been nearly a month since the Crew lost to Inter Miami 2-1 on the road. Since that game, Columbus has bounced back by going on a dominant scoring streak. On Saturday, the Crew kept that momentum going against the top Western Conference club, Los Angeles FC in a rematch of the 2023 MLS Cup final.
On the road, the Crew handed LAFC its first home loss of the season and snapped its 13-game unbeaten streak with a 5-1 victory. Columbus increased its scoring differential to 20-2 in the past five games.
Replay: Crew defeat LAFC 5-1 behind two goals from Christian Ramirez:
"I don't believe in expectations, I believe in standard," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said after the win. "We have a standard performance and that is what we did. We knew that they (LAFC) would come out really hard, and I'm really proud of my guys. ... I'm really proud of that because of the way they did it. They were composed but also really aggressive. This is something I like."
A consistent factor across this five-game winning streak has been the front line trio of Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi and Christian Ramirez producing a majority of the offense, with 15 goals and 14 assists during this stretch.
Ramirez scored two goals against LAFC, the club he was with for two seasons in 2018-2019. Hailing from 30-minutes away in Santa Ana, Ramirez had more than 30 family members and friends at the game, but his performance felt even more special to him because it was a day after his daughter Nova's fourth birthday.
"It was the first one that I got to be with her, I'd been gone for the first three," Ramirez said. "It was nice to be able to celebrate with them. I was back and forth between celebrating and not celebrating because of the respect I have from LAFC, but being that my family was right there, I couldn't help it."
Christian Ramirez's performance is a reminder of his game evolution since joining Columbus Crew
In 15 games this season, Ramirez has more goals than he had during his whole time with LAFC. With seven goals on the year, despite missing a stretch of seven games due to a hamstring injury, he is on track to have his best season since he was a rookie with Minnesota United in 2017.
Ramirez has been open since arriving in Columbus in 2023 about the highs and lows of his career and how they have affected his mental health, but he has always spoken highly of his time with LAFC. His performance on Saturday reminded him of the strides he's taken since playing for Los Angeles.
"I'm a completely different person, different player," Ramirez said. "I grew so much in my short time here, it taught me a lot about myself. And I think it's come full circle. I'm so comfortable in my game and I know how to use my strengths."
Playing with Rossi and former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela during that time with LAFC, the chemistry Ramirez had with that front line matched the chemistry he has with Rossi and Hernandez this season.
"We know what we are," Ramirez said. "We just continue to stay grounded and stay level and continue to try and get better and find ways to exploit defenses. And the more we're out there, the more we're comfortable with each other, I think you saw a good display of that tonight."
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California connection between Columbus Crew players Christian Ramirez and Max Arfsten is put on display vs LAFC
There was another player in the Crew's starting lineup against LAFC from California - midfielder Max Arfsten.
Arfsten, who is from Fresno, also had family and friends in the crowd to watch him play his first professional game in California since being a part of the San Jose Earthquakes organization. This was also Arfsten's first time on the field during a Columbus-LAFC match.
Since the beginning of the 2024 season, Arfsten has seen an increase in playing time. He has gone from seeing just one minute of action in the 2023 playoffs to now making five consecutive starts.
On Saturday, Arfsten was credited with an assist on a cross to Ramirez, marking the first time this season there was a "California-connection" goal for Columbus.
"I just keep trying to tell him to take every opportunity that he gets because he has immense talent," Ramirez said. "The more consistent he is, the more he's going to find himself out on the pitch. So, I'm proud of him, and he might be annoyed at me, but I keep being in his ear to continue to push the boundaries and to keep fighting to earn more time and to make that spot his."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Christian Ramirez scores 2 goals, Columbus Crew defeat LAFC 5-1
