OBETZ – Columbus Crew SC will look to parlay a huge 4-1 home victory against Montreal Impact FC into another victory over recent foe Atlanta United FC on Saturday, July 1 at MAPFRE Stadium.
The excitement was palpable at the EAS Training Center at Obetz on Tuesday as the Black & Gold looked to build on their recent momentum ahead of the match against Atlanta.
A ‘lethal’ Atlanta
Crew SC midfielder Federico Higuain netted a goal against Atlanta just 10 days ago during in the teams’ first pairing of the season. The veteran took time on Tuesday to describe what type of animal Atlanta is and what it will take to defeat them in Columbus.
“I believe they are very good, on offense especially,” Higuain said. “I think that they press very well. So, we know that if we want to win this game we need to move the ball quick, to make a lot of movements, and to find the space and bring the ball from our back line to their back line quick. And especially, if we have chances to score, if we score first, the game is going to be open and then maybe we can hurt them a little bit more.”
Another unique look at the incoming Atlanta team came from Crew SC goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Steffen saw the highly-ranked Atlanta attack both in the June 17 match and during the Major League Soccer preseason.
“Their attackers are lethal,” Steffen said. “And when they press, they go all out. So, we have to be smart to pick and choose when we want to build out and when we want to play in their end and just organizing after we move the ball up into their end.”
The Nordecke awaits
Columbus owns a 6-2-1 record at home this season at MAPFRE Stadium while Atlanta owns a 2-3-5 record in their road matches thus far.
Steffen said Tuesday that the home crowd needs to be a big factor in the match.
“I think we need to get our fans into it,” Steffen said. “I think our fans need to get us into it. Because their fans really helped them out (in the match on June 17). And I think we have to stick together as a team and work together. It has to be a 90-minute plus performance and focus and we can’t tune out for a second because they’re a dangerous team.”
Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter agreed with Steffen’s remarks and sees the value in playing on the pitch in Columbus.
“I think we’re very strong at home,” Berhalter said. “We have a great belief at home. I think now as the belief grows that it doesn’t have to happen in the first 15 minutes to still get a win, no matter how long it takes, we’re going to be dangerous. We want to keep trying to win games a home.”
Fresh legs
When the Black & Gold and Atlanta faced off earlier this month, Crew SC was coming off a tough match against FC Cincinnati just three days earlier. This time around, Atlanta will deal with the same, facing off against Miami FC in U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday, June 28 before heading to Columbus.
“When we played there I felt that we were a little bit tired,” Higuain said. “Maybe now, they will play tomorrow, maybe they will feel a little bit tired (on Saturday). They are good, we respect them. We will try to play our game and gather three points.”
Back to one-week long breaks in MLS play in this current stretch of matches, Crew SC has felt the extra energy that they have been allotted.
“I noticed it in the Montreal game for sure,” Steffen said. “They were tired and we had that extra spark and we kind of just killed them in the end and the guys did great.”
Crew SC defender Josh Williams felt energized as well against Montreal, even late into the match.
“That’s the best I’ve felt all year,” Williams said. “I remember looking up and seeing the 85th minute and I still felt pretty lively.”
Williams seems to revel in the longer periods of rest and has found benefits on more than one front.
“Fresh legs, fresh minds. When you’re traveling and when you’re playing games so close together it’s hard to get a good week of training in. You know, my girlfriend was in town and wanted me to take the dog out. I told her I was trying to save my legs," Williams said jokingly. "Not only does it help here, but it helps out in your personal life as well.”
‘It’s easier with these guys’
Crew SC forward and newcomer Kekuta Manneh scored his first goal and notched his first assist since joining the Black & Gold during last Saturday’s match against Montreal. After entering as a substitution late in the match, Manneh received a backheel pass from forward Ola Kamara and found the net.
Manneh said Tuesday that his new Columbus teammates have impressed him and played a large part in his success last Saturday.
“It’s easier with these guys,” Manneh said. ‘So many qualities around. Look at Ola (Kamara)’s pass, a lot of forwards would try to score that. And he was very unselfish. That’s just the qualities that we possess in this team, so much talent. If we can put that together week in and week out I think we’re exciting to watch and we’ll get a lot of results week in and week out. It’s exciting though. I come into the games to create chances and help the team win.”
They said it…
Higuain is entering this weekend’s match coming off a brace against Montreal and has scored in four straight matches. The latter has only been done by six other members in Crew SC history. Approaching 50 career goals, one member of the Black & Gold likened Higuain’s current form to another Ohio sports star.
“He’s drinking whatever LeBron is drinking I guess. It’s almost like the older he gets, the better he gets.”
-Crew SC Defender Josh Williams
Crew SC next hosts MLS-expansion side Atlanta United FC on July 1 at MAPFRE Stadium. The match will celebrate Military Appreciation Night while featuring post-match fireworks in honor of the upcoming July 4 holiday.
The Black & Gold welcome German Bundesliga-side and DFB Pokal-finalist Eintracht Frankfurt to MAPFRE Stadium for an international friendly on Monday, July 17. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.