Which Columbus Crew gamers could make an impression in Recreation 3 vs FC Cincinnati – The Columbus Dispatch

The Crew saved their postseason marketing campaign alive with a 4-0 victory over rival FC Cincinnati in Game 2 of their first-round MLS playoff collection and have an opportunity to advance to the Jap Convention semifinals in Recreation 3 on Nov. 8.
Forward of Recreation 2, coach Wilfried Nancy made only one change to the beginning lineup from the Crew’s 1-0 loss in Game 1.
As an alternative of veteran Lassi Lappalainen, 19-year-old Taha Habroune began on the frontline alongside Diego Rossi and Hugo Picard.
“Taha Habroune has been excellent,” Nancy mentioned. “We all know his qualities. We all know what he is in a position to do. To have the ability to have a efficiency like this at a younger age like that in a do-or-die recreation, that is fascinating for the longer term. Now he’ll should be constant.”
Although Habroune had no objectives in Recreation 2, he made an impression together with his passing.
Habroune’s 55 accomplished passes for a 90.2% move accuracy, along with two photographs on aim, helped create area to seek out scoring alternatives with Cincinnati down a person because of a pink card violation.
“I used to be type of simply floating behind their midfield line,” Habroune mentioned. “And so they had been struggling to select up me, Hugo and Diego, and I feel we simply exploited that very effectively. … There wasn’t actually particular positions and I feel that is what actually helped us as a result of I really feel prefer it type of threw them off.”
Going into Recreation 3, Habroune might be leaning on the event and expertise he is had all through the season. Habroune was signed to a first-team contract in 2024 however began taking part in persistently solely halfway by this season.
On July 12, Habroune scored his first MLS aim in a 4-2 victory over Cincinnati at TQL Stadium, the place the Crew might be preventing to remain alive in Recreation 3.
“It is a new recreation,” Habroune mentioned. “It is 0-0, and something might occur within the subsequent recreation.”
Listed here are two different gamers who might be key elements for the Crew in Recreation 3:
Midfielder Andres Herrera has picked up a number of the offensive load as striker Wessam Abou Ali continues to be recovering from an ankle harm and team-leading scorer Rossi has been restricted with a hamstring harm.
Herrera has scored three goals in the past four games, his newest being a one-touch shot from instantly in entrance of Cincinnati’s proper aim submit through the sixty fifth minute.
“I’m very joyful about that,” Herrera mentioned through a translator. “The fashion of play of the workforce is supposed for the wingbacks. I’m simply very joyful to attain objectives.”
Earlier than Herrera scored the Crew’s third aim, it was Herrera that Cincinnati midfielder Yuya Kubo was trying to cease when he committed the red-card violation that put Cincinnati down a participant for over half the matchup.
Since defender Sean Zawadzki returned from a knee harm, the Crew have allowed solely three objectives throughout 4 video games. With out Zawadzki, the Crew conceded 10 objectives in 4 video games.
Whereas Zawadzki has supplied a way of cohesiveness on the backline, the Crew noticed how one second of dysfunction led to the lone aim from striker Kevin Denkey in Game 1.
The protection’s efficiency in Recreation 2 helped maintain Cincinnati to only one shot, which was astray within the 18th minute, and 37.6% possession.
“It is (about) all the time organizing issues once we can,” Zawadzki mentioned. “Going into Recreation 3, we all know what they’re able to. So, utilizing that second half (of Recreation 2) to type of actually give attention to that and honing in on that.”
The Crew kick off against Cincinnati at 6 p.m. at TQL Stadium on Nov. 8.
bmackay@dispatch.com
@brimackay15

source