At around midseason, sports teams start to realise their mortality. A bad start can no longer be characterised as such, it is now just a bad season. Teams who are out of the playoffs start to realise how difficult it will be to get back above the red line.
That is what seems to be happening in Columbus this week, as the 9th place team in the MLS Eastern Conference kicks off the second half of their season. Words like "must win" have been used to describe today's match, and it might not just be for narrative reasons.