It was never going to be easy for the Black & Gold, but that was a painful performance.
Sometimes when you play with fire, you get burned. That’s what happened to Gregg Berhalter and Columbus Crew SC on Saturday night in a 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy.
Both teams entered the match with players absent. Whether to international duty or injury, Crew SC and the Galaxy dealt with similar issues, yet it was how the teams handled the situation that made the difference.
Berhalter, always true to his system, promises a typical attacking style. He lined up in the usual formation but not with typical personnel and didn’t display the usual system of play
Center-back Nicolai Næss was deployed in the midfield where he didn’t look comfortable in his 45 minutes before switching back to his natural position.