Columbus Crew continue being 'a winning team,' advance to Leagues Cup final: Takeaways
260 days.
That's how many that are in between the Crew hosting and defeating Los Angeles FC in the MLS Cup to the Crew hosting LAFC in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday at Lower.com Field.
The Crew's 2-1 victory over LAFC in the MLS Cup final took place on Dec. 9. On Wednesday, Columbus secured its third trip to a tournament final in less than a year by defeating the Philadelphia Union 3-1 in a Leagues Cup semifinal.
"This is something that we try to put (into place) when I took the team, to have a vision," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "To think big and to achieve small things. To write a legacy.
"So, it was confusing in the beginning, because it was about mindset. It was about the way we wanted to play. It was about the day-to-day work. But the small steps that we've been putting in all the time, and we're still doing, this is why I think that we, for the moment, we are a winning team."
From the MLS Cup final to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final to the Leagues Cup final, the Crew have maintained a level of success under Nancy, who still has yet to complete his second full season in Columbus.
Diego Rossi scored two goals Wednesday to help the Crew advance to the final. It was Rossi's third two-goal outing in the Crew's four Leagues Cup matches, putting him at a tournament-leading six goals.
Replay: Columbus Crew advance to Leagues Cup final with 3-1 victory vs Philadelphia Union
Full-circle: Columbus Crew defeat Philadelphia Union to reach third final under Wilfried Nancy
Nancy's first game with Columbus was a 4-1 road loss to the Union, a team Nancy respected from his time at CF Montreal. That match last year adds sentiment to the Crew reaching the Leagues Cup final.
"It's good to see how far we've come," forward Christian Ramirez said. "Especially against a side of that quality, who's been together for a few years and been so dominant in the style of play that they play."
Unable to pick up a victory over Philadelphia last season, with the second Crew-Union meeting ending in a draw, Nancy acknowledged he never allowed the Crew to feel comfortable when taking a lead in the semifinal. Nancy kept in all 11 starters for more than 85 minutes despite a congested schedule and short turnaround from the semifinal to the final, saying that matches against the Union are "fragile" and could change in a moment's notice.
Union coach Jim Curtin said he felt his team needed a "perfect game" to defeat Columbus, and the Crew were seemingly playing with a similar mindset after allowing Philadelphia to tie the game 1-1 in the first half.
"We scored the first goal, and after that it was a bit confusing what we tried to do when we conceded the goal," Nancy said. "But they didn't panic, and they found a way to score another goal and another goal. This is the learning part."
Columbus Crew back line proves to be more valuable than damaging despite goal-costing turnovers
Throughout the Crew's four Leagues Cup matches this year, the back line as a whole has had its share of hiccups that have opened the door for opponents to capitalize and score.
Excluding the Sporting Kansas City game in the round of 32 in which Columbus recorded a shutout, each of the Crew's starting center backs, Rudy Camacho, Yevhen Cheberko and Steven Moreira, has had a turnover that resulted in a goal. On Wednesday, it was Cheberko who mishandled the ball at the top of the box, allowing midfielder Daniel Gazdag to score.
"In the three games, the three center backs, we had a little bit of some mistakes," Moreira said. "We're going to learn, but I like the fact of our reaction all the time. So, give up one goal, but we go again to attack, and that's the mentality that we have here."
Following each of the center back's costly mistakes during the tournament, Nancy kept the player in the game. Their efforts helped Columbus hold opponents to just four goals while the Crew scored 11.
Following Cheberko's turnover at the 32-minute mark, he was credited with a game-high two blocks.
"They showed a lot of resiliency," Nancy said. "They came back from a mistake that we made, but like I told them, they don't take this final for granted. They know what it means for the work and the work ethic that they do every day."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Wilfried Nancy leads Columbus Crew to Leagues Cup final: Takeaways
