Welcome to the Anatomy of a Goal, where each week we dissect one goal (or near goal) from a previous Columbus Crew match. For match 17 of the 2023 MLS season, we take a look at Cucho Hernandez’s 59th minute goal that gave the Crew a 1-0 lead as part of the team’s 2-1 win away to the Chicago Fire.
Here’s a look at the goal, Hernandez’s third in as many matches, from Columbus’ in-form striker.
The Crew took to the road after a successful homestand that saw the Black & Gold grab back-to-back wins after a difficult month of play. Last year, Columbus’ lone match in Chicago spelled the arrival of Hernandez, who scored the game-winner in a 3-2 comeback victory. In 2023, the Crew hoped to avoid the 2-0 deficit that made that comeback win possible and did so, taking a listless match into the half at 0-0. Things stayed knotted at 0s until the 59th minute when Hernandez stepped up to keep his goal-contribution streak alive.
Hernandez’s goal begins with the fire in possession deep within the team’s own half. Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri plays a quick drop pass back to defender Mauricio Pineda.
Pineda lifts up his head and plays a long pass up the field toward former Black & Gold striker Kei Kamara.
Center back Steven Moreira steps to Kamara as he prepares to receive the ball and prevents the forward from turning toward the Crew goal.
Kamara tracks back toward his own goal as center back Malte Amundsen steps up to provide pressure.
Amundsen uses the sideline, and the position of Moreira, to pin Kamara to the sideline and attempt to force a turnover.
Kamara struggles to retain possession as Amundsen looks to dispossess him.
Kamara nearly loses the ball out of bounds but Amundsen is able to get his foot around Kamara and onto the ball just before it fully crosses the line.
The Danish defender wins the ball and sends a path toward midfielder Darlington Nagbe and sets Columbus off on a counter attack.
Nagbe receives the ball with space to work and four options. He can drop the ball toward fellow midfielder Aidan Morris,, carry the ball forward, play a quick pass forward to Hernandez or find wing back Yaw Yeboah up the left flank.
Hernandez drops into position, giving Nagbe the simple passing option forward to the striker.
Chicago’s defense is late to reach as Hernandez finds space to deftly turn Nagbe’s past forward.
Hernandez completes his turn and carries toward the Fire goal with the attack in full swing.
Midfielder Federico Navarro steps toward Hernandez, leaving the striker with five options. He can play a pass into the path of wing back Mohamed Farsi, carry the ball forward, try a shot on goal from distance, hit a pass into the path of forward Christian Ramirez or play a short pass forward to Zelarayan.
Hernandez spots a window of space and hits a shot toward goalkeeper Spencer Richey’s goal.
Navarro turns his body in hopes of blocking the shot and gets what looks like an elbow on the ball. On the TV broadcast (and in the highlight) you can hear the moment the shot makes contact with Navarro.
Hernandez’s shot initially looks like it is tracking to the right of the goalkeeper but the deflection by Navarro sends the ball bouncing just in front of center back Rafael Czichos and toward Richey’s left.
Richey has already begun to shift to his right and sees the deflected ball’s trajectory when it’s too late.
Richey and the Fire are helpless to watch as the ball bounces past the goalkeeper…
…into the back of the net!
Findings:
- Amundsen and Moreira do the hard work in manufacturing this goal. Moreira steps up to Kamara to prevent a breakaway and then Amundsen hangs with the much taller striker and ends up winning the ball back to Nagbe with a perfect pass.
- The rest of the play is all Hernandez. It’s taken him some time to find his way in head coach Wilfried Nancy’s system but Hernandez is popping up in big spots for the team. The Colombian has scored or assisted in a team-record eight straight games now and has thrived playing beside Ramirez
- It’s surprising that Hernandez’s goal wasn’t converted to an own goal. You would be hard-pressed to convince many that the shot is going into the back of the net if it isn’t deflected, but the striker will certainly take it.
MASSIVE REPORT 