Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez lead Crew to 2-0 victory over Nashville SC: 2 takeaways
Wilfried Nancy described the first time he faced Nashville SC as the Crew's coach in 2023 as a "trigger." Losing 3-1 on the road, that matchup 16 games into the season was what Nancy believes offered a wake-up on the road to Columbus' 2023 MLS Cup title.
A season later, that game was in the back of Nancy's mind when the Crew picked up a 2-0 victory over Nashville at Lower.com Field on Wednesday.
Replay: Diego Rossi scores during Red, White & Boom fireworks, Crew defeat Nashville 2-0
"(Last season), it was like we were playing against men and we were kids," Nancy said. "Now, second year, we are able to be in control. It's not easy to play against them because they like put the ball inside the box and cross and so on, but we did a good job of box defending, and not only the center back, but the wingback."
The Crew and Nashville each took seven shots, two on goal, in the first half. The difference was forward Christian Ramirez's header goal that gave the Crew a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, the Crew's defense shut down Nashville's offense, allowing just one shot. Columbus continued to be aggressive, taking 14 shots in the second half, one being Diego Rossi's goal from the left side of Nashville's box for a 2-0 lead.
Lightning in the area caused a delay of more than two hours, pushing the kickoff to 8:45 p.m. With the match taking place during the downtown Red, White & Boom celebration, there were fireworks during more than 20 minutes of play, including when Rossi scored.
"They were loud," Rossi said. "I didn't realize in the moment (when scoring), but I listened (to the fireworks) before, or after, I don't remember. It was just a few seconds I listened."
Christian Ramirez continues to 'make it difficult' for Wilfried Nancy to keep him out of starting lineup
Ramirez is fighting to earn one of the three starting spots in the Crew's front line. The goal for the 33-year-old is to make Nancy make him a regular starter.
"I'm just trying to do my job and make it difficult on him," Ramirez said. "Ensure that the team plays well when I'm in. So, happy to continue to climb the standings and put together some good performances."
With his goal Wednesday, Ramirez has three goals and two assists in the past five games. His four goals this season puts him third on the Crew in goals scored, behind Cucho Hernandez and Rossi.
Nancy said that despite the strong performances from Ramirez, he is willing to change the lineup if needed based on the matchup for each game, but Ramirez has been exhibiting his ability to produce against multiple different matchups. Ramirez is also putting together these outings during a crucial time that the Crew are missing a depth piece from the front line, with Jacen Russell-Rowe away with Canada's national team for Copa America.
"I think the pressure that I put on myself outweighs any pressure that is put on me by whoever," Ramirez said. "My expectations of myself and my standards are high enough, and at the end of the day, I want to win."
Sean Zawadzki plays through injury, displays determination to secure starting center midfield position
Before the 20th minute of Wednesday's match, Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki felt his right knee buckle as he landed on the ground following a mid-air collision with Nashville's Forster Ajago, which "scared" the 24-year-old and caused a panicked reaction from him as he was evaluated by Columbus' medical staff.
Zawadzki was eventually able to get up and walk off the field on his own, and after jogging on the sidelines for a minute determined he was able to stay in the game. Nancy said that throughout the game, he confirmed with Zawadzki twice if he was OK, which Zawadzki proved by playing the full match.
"I want to be out there and fight for the guys," Zawadzki said. "Everyone wants to do what they can for the team, and for me personally, if I know I'm going to be detrimental, if I know if I'm going to let the team down, then I'll step out. ... But I felt good enough to keep going and fighting for the guys."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rossi, Ramirez score in Crew 2-0 victory over Nashville: Takeaways
