After record-breaking regular season, Columbus Crew set to defend 2023 MLS Cup title
It has been a record-breaking season for the Crew.
Columbus returned a majority of its roster from the squad that won the 2023 MLS Cup and opened MLS regular-season play with a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United. Then the Crew started a run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
The 3-0 loss to CF Pachuca in the final left a sour taste in the Crew's mouth, but the quick turnaround back to regular-season play forced Columbus to move past the defeat. From the end of their Champions Cup run to the Leagues Cup break, the Crew had a 6-2-1 record.
The Leagues Cup led to even more tournament success for the Crew, and this time they brought home the trophy. Deep runs in both tournaments added 12 games to Columbus' 34 scheduled for the MLS regular season, leading to schedule congestion and limited time off.
"It’s not only physically, it’s mentally also," Crew defender Rudy Camacho said. "You don’t have time to enjoy, time to realize what’s happening. So, it’s a bit weird, but it’s good things. Big season for us, good games, a lot of games but emotionally, mentally, it’s not always easy."
After 48 games, the Crew finished the regular season with a club-record 66 points and 19 victories. Additionally, Columbus scored 72 goals, five more than the previous club-record set last year.
Despite etching new entries in the franchise record books, Columbus failed to capture the Supporter's Shield.
Winning the trophy awarded with the best the regular season record has been a goal for coach Wilfried Nancy since joining Columbus at the beginning of 2023, but the Crew fell short of Inter Miami.
With a record of 22-4-8, Miami broke the league-record for points with 74. Columbus finished second.
"I would like, like my players, like anyone, to win one day the Supporter’s Shield because this is the consistency," Nancy said. "But we’ve been consistent. Miami was on fire. We were close to getting there. But last year, if I talk about ranking, we finished third. This year we finished second. So, hopefully next year we’re going to be first, but I don’t know. For me, this is all about improvement."
A 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the final regular-season game set up the Crew's first round matchup against New York in the MLS Cup playoffs.
This season, the Crew are 2-0 against the Red Bulls, and are entering as the playoffs as reigning champions of both last year's postseason and the league's most recent tournament. But none of that matters to Columbus.
"One thing that’s very important is that we don’t think of last year," Crew defender Malte Amundsen said. "Last year is gone. We have a new year. We play a little bit different this year. Teams play us different and know us more. So, for me, the most important thing is right now, having a clean slate. Anything that we have done, doesn’t matter."
Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls: What to expect in MLS Cup first round based on last meeting
In the regular-season finale, Columbus was in control for 85 minutes after scoring first against the Red Bulls. The goal came at the 2-minute mark. A second goal in the 14th minute gave the Crew a 2-0 cushion.
There was a stretch, however, in which Columbus allowed New York to crawl back into the game. New York midfielder Emil Forsberg scored behind two goals in less than 10 minutes. His second goal came off a penalty kick following a foul from Camacho inside the Crew's box.
"It was two different halves," Nancy said. "The first one was they tried to press, but not too much, and we brought the press. Second half, they were more aggressive and we were able to break the press, but it was more Red Bulls’ style, I would say, in second half. And after that, we had a maybe five, 10 minutes where, it was not that we were not good, but we were not well organized defensively."
A goal from Amundsen in stoppage time gave Columbus the victory.
Although that allowed the Crew to sweep the season series, having allowed New York to nearly make a comeback, earlier this month reminded Columbus' players that anything could happen in a best-of-three series against the Red Bulls.
"It’s going to be a different game, a different mindset," Nancy said. "We know that. But as we’re going to focus on a few details.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew set to start MLS Cup playoffs vs New York Red Bulls
