Columbus Crew SC rebuilt part of its roster for the 2017 Major League Soccer season, adding as many as 11 players to its squad, including a Designated Player in Jonathan Mensah and five new faces from overseas. However, the Black & Gold are getting valuable help from names many wouldn’t have expected.
Rookies Alex Crognale and Niko Hansen, 21-year-old midfielder Artur and 22-year-old goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who was signed last year but didn’t see any MLS action before March, are all having key roles on the Eastern Conference leaders.
“Without those guys contributing, our team wouldn’t be as good,” Crew SC’s head coach Gregg Berhalter said after last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC.