Columbus Crew's Steven Moreira challenged by coach Wilfried Nancy to learn new position
Steven Moreira is fine with flying under the radar.
The right back, who played his first full season with the Crew last year after being signed as a free agent in August 2021, tied a franchise record for assists by a defender with eight and scored one of the most dramatic goals of the season, a stoppage-time equalizer at FC Cincinnati. Moreira played 2,783 minutes across 32 games, the second-most of any field player for the Crew behind midfielder Darlington Nagbe's 3,036.
As an everyday starter at right back, the role the Crew hoped he'd be able to take after what was essentially an eight-game audition at the end of the 2021 season, Moreira was a major contributor, recording 32 key passes, the second-most on the team and most by a defender. His speed enables him to cover himself defensively when he pushes high up the field, meaning he wasn't often beaten on the counter-attack.
But despite the impact Moreira made on the field for the Crew, his play didn't garner the attention that might have been expected. Moreira agrees with the idea that he flew under the radar, but he isn't bothered by it.
"I keep working," Moreira said. "This league is very, very hard. I like it. It’s not simple to come from France, to play in MLS. There are a lot of guys from France that come here and they go back because they don’t play too good. For me, I keep working. Here is very good for me. I like it a lot."
Under new coach Wilfried Nancy, who shares a connection with Moreira as a fellow French international, the work has risen to another level for Moreira. In addition to his role as a fullback, Nancy believes Moreira can also play center back this season — a position Moreira has never played for more than a handful of games on sporadic occasions.
"It’s been good since the beginning," Nancy said. "What I like about him is I told him that I can see him on the pitch playing two positions. He can play as a center back and he can play also as a fullback, and he can play also in the middle of these two positions. This is something that we’ve been working on. He’s really open for that. Technically, he has the quality as a defender to play under pressure. Also, he has, defensively, a really good understanding of the game.
"Now the idea is to challenge him, because he has to be consistent in terms of focusing, I would say, when he plays. But he’s able to accept the challenge, so this is what I like about him."
Using Moreira as a center back would help with the Crew's depth questions, particularly if Nancy plays with three center backs as he did the vast majority of the time in Montreal. The Crew have just three center backs on the roster — Jonathan Mensah, Miloš Degenek and Josh Williams — who have first-team experience.
Nancy and his players have steered clear of providing any insight into formations or tactics; Mo Farsi recently declined to tell RDS in Montreal even what position he's working at in preseason. Moreira at center back, even though it isn't going to be a full-time switch, is the first hint that Nancy is re-imagining the roles for some of his players — though Moreira wouldn't confirm anything about Nancy's thought processes.
"I don’t know why," Moreira said. "Maybe he needs me in this position. It’s OK for me."
It's certainly an adjustment for Moreira, but he's approaching learning the center back position with his typical low-key attitude.
"I like to play forward," Moreira said. "I like to attack. Now I need to defend a lot. It’s OK. I like it. ... It’s new for me, but I’ll keep working."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Steven Moreira, Crew right back, learning to play center back
