Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC: What pieces will be key to bounce back from Charlotte loss?
Early in the 2024 season, Crew midfielder Max Arfsten has found himself the one called upon when his team needs a quick, mid-game replacement.
In the Crew's season-opening match against Atlanta FC, it was Arfsten who coach Wilfried Nancy put in the game when right wingback Mohamed Farsi suffered an ankle injury. And in the Crew's most recent match against Charlotte FC, Arfsten replaced forward Christian Ramirez, who suffered a thigh injury.
"I think part of it is because I could play multiple positions," Arfsten said. "The coach sees me in different spots, if I need to be in that spot, to help the team. So, for me, I'll play anywhere."
Being utilized mostly in the right wingback position, splitting playing time with Farsi as his ankle is still recovering, Arfsten jumping into Ramirez' spot last Saturday highlighted his versatility. In his second season with the club, the 22-year-old's ability to be placed in different roles is a skill that Nancy has always preferred his players to have.
Last year, Arfsten recorded 272 minutes across 12 regular season matches with the Crew. With the increased number of opportunities this season, he has already reached 264 minutes of play in four matches.
"I think starting with preseason, my confidence has grown a lot," Arfsten said. "Being called upon, playing in these games definitely helps build my confidence and is something that I carry with me every time I step into the game in the future."
The Crew will be on the road against Nashville SC down four players, with Ramirez, Rudy Camacho and Alex Matan out with injury and Derrick Jones suspended following his red card against Charlotte. This match is set to begin another 15-day stretch in which the club will compete in five games, with CONCACAF Champions Cup play starting up Tuesday with a quarterfinal match against Tigres.
Having younger players such as Arfsten and Jacen Russell-Rowe, who is back from his recent stint with the Canadian national team, performing at an improved level compared to last season, has been key for the Crew. It provides a deeper bench for Nancy to work with.
"I wasn't quite happy with how my play was going last year," Russell-Rowe said. "But the coaches were honest with me about why I wasn't able to be getting on the field or why I wasn't getting opportunities. ... For me to then keep on putting in the work and to have a good preseason and perform and then, for it to show in the season, it means even more."
Crew vs Nashville: 'We expect them to be hungry'
On Saturday, the Crew will be facing a struggling Nashville team that was handed a 5-0 loss by Los Angeles FC last weekend.
"They're coming off a game they're probably not too happy with the results," Arfsten said. "We expect them to be hungry. They're playing at home, difficult place to play. So, we know it's going to be a tough game, especially away so we're just getting ready to match their intensity."
Columbus has a similar mindset going into GEODIS Park, wanting to bounce back from falling 2-0 against Charlotte in its first loss of the season.
Looking at the match on the road last season against Nashville, which the Crew dropped 3-1, the team remembers the upcoming opponent's strong defense and ability on the counterattack.
After missing the Crew's last road game due to illness, Nancy returned to his full coaching duties on Monday. Upon reuniting with the team, the second-year coach opted to steer the focus from what he hopes was an anomaly of a match.
"They were already sad, they were already frustrated, a lot of emotions," Nancy said. "We know that we had an issue with the referee and also the way everything happened. But at the end of the day, my job is to take what we did well and to improve what we need to improve and to move forward."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew vs Nashville SC: Both teams look to bounce back
