Which Columbus Crew gamers could make an influence in Sport 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 Japanese Convention semifinals in Sport 3 on Nov. 8.
Forward of Sport 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 stated. “We all know his qualities. We all know what he is capable of 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 attention-grabbing for the longer term. Now he’ll must be constant.”
Although Habroune had no targets in Sport 2, he made an influence along with his passing.
Habroune’s 55 accomplished passes for a 90.2% go accuracy, along with two photographs on aim, helped create house to search out scoring alternatives with Cincinnati down a person resulting from a crimson card violation.
“I used to be type of simply floating behind their midfield line,” Habroune stated. “They usually have been struggling to choose up me, Hugo and Diego, and I feel we simply exploited that very nicely. … 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 Sport 3, Habroune shall 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 constantly solely halfway by way of 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 shall be combating to remain alive in Sport 3.
“It is a new recreation,” Habroune stated. “It is 0-0, and something may occur within the subsequent recreation.”
Listed here are two different gamers who will be key elements for the Crew in Sport 3:
Midfielder Andres Herrera has picked up a few of the offensive load as striker Wessam Abou Ali remains 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 straight in entrance of Cincinnati’s proper aim publish through the sixty fifth minute.
“I’m very pleased about that,” Herrera stated through a translator. “The fashion of play of the group is supposed for the wingbacks. I’m simply very pleased to attain targets.”
Earlier than Herrera scored the Crew’s third aim, it was Herrera that Cincinnati midfielder Yuya Kubo was making an attempt 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 targets throughout 4 video games. With out Zawadzki, the Crew conceded 10 targets 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 Sport 2 helped maintain Cincinnati to only one shot, which was off beam within the 18th minute, and 37.6% possession.
“It is (about) at all times organizing issues once we can,” Zawadzki stated. “Going into Sport 3, we all know what they’re able to. So, utilizing that second half (of Sport 2) to type of actually concentrate on 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
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