Columbus Crew overcome a broken record, PKs to advance in Leagues Cup vs NYCFC: Takeaways
Wilfried Nancy made his strategy for a penalty kick shootout clear the last time the Crew faced the situation. There's no set lineup or specific players assigned to take attempts. Nancy lets the players figure it out themselves and learns who's stepping up at the same time everyone else watching the game does.
This method worked in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, when the Crew went to penalty kicks against Tigres, who they defeated 4-3, and it worked again Saturday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals against New York City FC, with Columbus advancing 4-3 on penalty kicks. The Crew will face the Philadelphia Union at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lower.com Field in the semifinals.
"For me, this is a mental exercise," Nancy said. "The players have to decide who wants to take the PK. I am with them, and I want to give good energy because this is a really difficult mental exercise."
Replay: Columbus Crew defeat NYCFC 4-3 in PKs to advance to Leagues Cup semifinals
After finishing regulation tied 1-1, the teams to penalty kicks. Each made its opening two penalty kicks but missed the third.
The opportunity for victory opened when NYCFC's Santiago Rodriguez missed high on his attempt, leaving DeJuan Jones, who joined the Crew 18 days ago, with the final attempt he volunteered to take. Following a few stutter steps, Jones' shot went in the opposite direction goalkeeper Matt Freese dove, and it found the back of the net.
"I always do the stutter steps," Jones said. "I go right or left, usually. And I saw the keeper going the other way, so I switched it up."
In regulation, NYCFC scored in record-breaking fashion. In the first 14 seconds of the match, New York City attacker Alonso Martinez forced Crew defender Rudy Camacho to turn over the ball outside Columbus' box. Collecting the ball quickly, Martinez took a few dribbles with the defense on his back and scored the fastest goal ever recorded against the Crew.
"I don't know if we broke the record in the Guinness Book with the 14-second goal," Nancy said. "We know that we have to go forward and try to finish the action within 20 seconds, but on our side."
Striker Cucho Hernandez scored in the 41st minute with a header off a cross from Max Arfsten. It was behind strong defensive outings from both clubs, and Freese recording four of his five saves in the second half, that the score held to send the match to penalty kicks.
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"It was a good cross, but the header was good too," Hernandez said. "It (the cross) was behind me, so it was difficult. I told him (Arfsten) before the game just to do the cross. I did the cross for Diego (Rossi) in the last game, so we had to try it."
While Hernandez was shut down by New York City in the second half, there was one more opportunity for the striker to contribute to the victory - in penalty kicks.
The last time the Crew went to penalties, against Tigres, Hernandez was the only Columbus player to miss when he took his team's fourth attempt. He was in that same position against NYCFC, and Rossi had already missed for Columbus. Hernandez told his teammates he was using the "Panenka" technique.
"When I go to the penalty, I (was) going to shoot like I do all the time," Hernandez said. "But when I start to turn to shoot, I said, 'Yeah, I am going to do this Panenka.' ... I prefer to shoot the penalty four or five to decide the game. I like this, I like the pressure."
A Panenka, named after Czech soccer player Antonin Panenka, is when a player gives a light touch underneath the ball to lift the shot up toward the center of the goal. And the move was enough to fool Freese to allow Hernandez to redeem himself of the Tigres miss with a make against NYCFC.
Patrick Schulte makes a rollercoaster return for Columbus Crew vs New York City FC
Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte probably would have had his return for Columbus go differently in his ideal scenario.
Going into the match, Nancy considered playing Nicholas Hagen, who was starting in goal since Schulte departed to represent Team USA in the Olympics, but the Crew coach said Schulte needed to get back on the field. In the first 14 seconds of being on the field, Schulte conceded a goal.
"Just a lot of emotions at the start of the game," Schulte said. "I think Rudy (Camacho) would definitely say he would like to have that one back, but things happen."
Following 89-plus minutes of clean play, Schulte found himself tending a penalty shootout to advance in a tournament, like he was against Tigres.
Making a save on Maxi Moralez on New York City's third attempt, Schulte was given a gift when Rodriguez's shot went too high. So, everything rode on Jones, a player Schulte knew well from U.S. Men's National Team camp and trusted.
"We have a good relationship," Schulte said. "So, I just told him, 'I've seen you take penalties, go up there and just bury this thing and let's go home.'"
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew defeat NYCFC in PKs: Takeaways from Leagues Cup matchup
