Columbus Crew focusing on winning at home, putting pressure on teams ahead of them
The Crew nearly gave away a two-goal lead in stoppage time the last time they faced Atlanta United. Had that happened, it’s possible the Crew wouldn’t be where they are now with 10 games remaining.
"I remember vividly going into that game feeling like that was going to be a massive game,” coach Caleb Porter said. “Hundred percent, looking back, that was a huge moment for us to go on the road and to claw out a win against Atlanta. And ever since that, we've been grinding points.”
The 2-1 win at Mercedes Benz Stadium began an 12-game stretch with just one loss. They’ve climbed to fifth in the East and sit six points out — with two games in hand — of the coveted fourth playoff spot that would give them a home playoff game.
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There’s time for the Crew to catch teams ahead of them. They’re also just five points ahead of Atlanta, who sits in 13th place, and goes to Lower.com Field on Sunday for a nationally televised game at 5:30 p.m.
A playoff berth is far from a guarantee right now for the Crew. To make it a certainty and earn a home playoff game, the Crew need to do something they haven’t been able to do consistently all year: win at home.
“There's one thing that you have to agree on — everybody — is that we've been tough to beat since that (Atlanta) game,” Porter said. “I still want us to put together wins at home."
The Crew have captured only 18 of 36 points at home and haven’t won back-to-back home games this season. On the road they’ve been relatively consistent, but the differences in their play from week to week was illustrated last week in a 1-1 draw at Colorado, following the best win of the year at home against New York City FC.
Against the reigning MLS Cup champions, the Crew pressed well, created plenty of chances for star players Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez, and continued to attack late in the game instead of being pushed back by the opponent. The Crew did the same against Colorado for the first 20 minutes but took their foot off the gas for much of the rest of the game.
This week in training, Porter said Zelarayan, Darlington Nagbe and Jonathan Mensah expressed that they thought the team got better in what Porter called the best week of preparation the Crew have had all season.
Nagbe said they’ve emphasized what worked well against New York City — pressing the opponent and playing higher up the field.
"I think that's something we can take advantage of, pressing the opponent,” Nagbe said.
The Crew must be cautious when pressing against an attack-minded Atlanta team that has weapons across its front five players. Luiz Araujo, Thiago Almada, Marcelino Moreno and Josef Martinez haven’t always been on the same page, but their collective talent rivals the best attacking groups in MLS.
Atlanta is just one of eight teams waiting to gain on the Crew’s mistakes to jump up in the standings.
Porter doesn’t feel his team has reached its peak yet. The win against New York City was the closest performance to that potential. The Crew need more of that to put pressure on others without inviting pressure on themselves.
"We've got to stay with the front-four pace and we can't worry about the teams behind us,” Porter said. “We can't control what happens in the other games. What we can control is just keep moving up ... keep putting pressure on the teams ahead of us."
Columbus Crew
Record: 8-6-10, 34 pts., 5th in East
Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1):
Eloy Room (goalkeeper), Miloš Degenek (center back), Jonathan Mensah (center back), Pedro Santos (left back), Steven Moreira (right back), Darlington Nagbe (central midfielder), Artur (central midfielder), Derrick Etienne Jr. (right winger), Lucas Zelarayan (attacking midfielder), Luis Diaz (winger), Cucho Hernandez (forward).
What to watch: It’ll be important for the Crew to control the attacking prowess of Atlanta. Central midfielders Nagbe and Artur will be vital to slowing down the likes of Araujo, Almada, Moreno and Martinez.
Atlanta United
Record: 7-10-8, 29 pts., 13th in East
Projected Starting XI (4-1-4-1):
Rocco Rios Novo (goalkeeper), Caleb Wiley (left back), Alan Franco (center back), Juan José Sánchez Purata (center back), Brooks Lennon (right back), Santiago Sosa (central midfielder), Luiz Araujo (left midfielder), Thiago Almada (attacking midfielder), Marcelino Moreno (attacking midfielder), Josef Martinez (striker).
Prediction
Columbus 2, Atlanta United 1: As unconvincing as the Crew have been at home this season, Atlanta has been even more inconsistent. The Crew should have enough confidence from their last match at home and a good week of training for a win against a struggling team.
Atlanta at Crew
When: 5:30 p.m. SundayTV: FS1, FOX DeportesRadio: 97.1 FM
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew's Caleb Porter wants to put pressure on top teams
