Three things we learned from the Columbus Crew's 4-0 rout of Real Salt Lake
The Crew were expected to beat Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Columbus was flying high after a six-goal outburst against Atlanta United and facing a team that had lost 4-0 the week before, but MLS is often unpredictable.
In this case, things played out as expected. The Crew rolled to a 4-0 win, behind two goals from midfielder Aidan Morris and one apiece from midfielder Lucas Zelarayán and forward Yaw Yeboah. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, making his third MLS start, recorded his first clean sheet, stopping all five of Real Salt Lake's shots on goal.
And with ten goals in the last two games, the Crew have set a franchise record for most goals in a two-game span. On top of that, never before in franchise history had they won back-to-back games by four goals or more. Real Salt Lake has struggled this season, but the Crew's ability to cruise past them is nonetheless an early sign of how coach Wilfried Nancy's messages have taken root.
Here are three things we learned from Saturday's game.
Columbus Crew's mentality changing under Wilfried Nancy
In each of the last two games, the Crew have added a goal to their commanding lead in second-half stoppage time. Against Atlanta, it was forward Max Arfsten who iced the 6-1 win with a goal in the 91st minute, and against Real Salt Lake, Yeboah's goal came in the 93rd minute, just seconds before the full-time whistle.
"This is something that every day, in every way, we push the players for that, to stay on the task all the time," Nancy said. "They’ve been really good on that, in terms of, ‘Don’t think about the score. Think about what we have to do offensively and defensively.’
"I’m happy also because it was not easy to put that in place. For the moment, this is something that — I would say they are aware of that and they want to do better."
Last season, the Crew dropped more points from winning positions than any team in MLS history. It was often the result of sitting back in a defensive shell and just trying to cling to their lead. It became somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy; the more anxious the Crew were about potentially allowing another game-changing goal, the more tension seeped into their play and the more likely they were to make a mistake that led to a goal.
Their late-game collapses ultimately kept them out of the playoffs.
So far this year, even in the games the Crew have lost, they've played with an intent to score from start to finish, and the number on the scoreboard hasn't influenced the way they play.
"I’m really happy because the more it’s going to be difficult, the more we have to stay focused on the task and also to get good emotional control," Nancy said. "They are able to do it for the moment."
Aidan Morris is taking the next step for the Crew
It took 40 games for Morris to score his first goal in MLS, a diving header against Atlanta. He needed just one more game to triple his career tally with a brace against Real Salt Lake.
In early January, Morris made it clear that he wanted to get on the scoresheet this season.
"I want to get some goals this year, that’s what I’m going to do," Morris said. "I’m going to get some goals and some assists. That’s what I’m going for. ... I’ll change my mentality on it. Just a sense of calmness. I can get the ball in the middle of the field and have three guys around me and be calm. But you put me in front of the goal, (I) get kind of happy feet. I think just when you get up there, be calm."
Morris' strike on his first goal epitomized the calmness he was seeking during the preseason. As Zelarayán ran onto a pass from center back Steven Moreira, Morris stepped into a space that opened at the top of the 18-yard box. Zelarayán hit a one-touch backheel pass into Morris' path, and all Morris had to do was shoot the ball into the far corner of the net.
"The coach has done such a good job of instilling (principles with) the ball in the front half," Morris said. "When you have that, it kind of gives you an easier picture of when to arrive in the box and when to make better runs. It’s a collective."
As a central midfielder, winning the ball and distributing it to the players ahead of him is Morris' main role, but he's been more involved in the attack this season — while still performing at a high level in his defensive responsibilities. He's tied for the league lead in tackles won with 18, and he's also the Crew's most accurate passer at 92.8% completion.
Morris is increasingly blending his trademark relentless work rate with an ability to control the game in the middle of the field. In his first year as a full-time starter for the Crew, he's raising his level of play under Nancy's instruction.
"What I like about Aidan is that he was not happy about his game," Nancy said. "This is Aidan. He likes to, all the time, challenge himself. This is the learning curve. He’s spot-on on it, because he’s processing a lot of things. This is Aidan. He was good also defensively, to win a lot of balls high on the pitch and to anticipate all the balls also defensively.
"Offensively, today was not his best game, but he scored, so good for him. The fact that he scored, I’m going to be more demanding with him."
Rookie goalkeeper Patrick Schulte shows rising comfort level
In the season opener at Philadelphia, Schulte started in goal because regular starter Eloy Room missed a week of training while in the Netherlands to secure a green card. The Crew were overwhelmed by the Union, and Schulte was no exception as he allowed four goals, two on penalty kicks, in his first career start.
Against Atlanta, Schulte started again while Room was with Curacao on international duty. He picked up his first win despite not making a save; Atlanta scored on its one shot on target.
On Saturday, Schulte stopped the five shots he faced and was visibly more comfortable in goal. Real Salt Lake wasn't consistently threatening, but when they did create chances, it was often on a quick counter-attack from a Crew turnover, forcing Schulte to make a handful of challenging saves.
He recorded his first clean sheet in the win.
"It feels amazing," Schulte said. "Obviously, when you play every game, your goal as a goalkeeper is to keep a clean sheet and give your team the best chance to win."
Nancy has often said that the age of a player doesn't matter to him; he cares only about their quality and the way they perform day-to-day. He strives to create what he calls a "safe environment", where players feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes, and Schulte's growing comfort level in the early stages of his MLS career is proof of Nancy's work so far.
"I believe in my group," Nancy said. "I believe in my players. For me, this is really important that when we train, everybody’s involved. They have to know what we want to do with the ball and without the ball. Pat was ready for that. I’m happy for him. He gets minutes and this is the best way for him to learn, and to make mistakes."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLS analysis: Columbus Crew beat Real Salt Lake 4-0
