The Columbus Crew is at the halfway point in the 2023 MLS season. The Black & Gold currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and eighth overall in the league standings. Columbus is five points above the playoff line at the midpoint of the year.

So far this season, the Crew has 8-6-3 and sits on 27 points. In 2022, the Black & Gold were 5-5-7 and had 22 points at the midseason mark.

Let’s take a look at Columbus so far this year through the first 17 games of the season.

Goals

The Crew has scored 35 goals this season, joint-best with Atlanta United. Last year, the Black & Gold scored 20 goals at the midseason mark. It was Erik Hurtado, Miguel Berry and Gyasi Zardes that combined for six goals from the forward position at this point in the calendar but did not contribute a goal by the season’s end. After arriving in July, Cucho Hernandez scored nine goals in the second half of the season as the only forward to find the back of the net. In 2023, forwards Hernandez, Christian Ramirez, Jacen Russell-Rowe and Max Arfsten have scored a total of 13 goals, more than doubling last season’s production from the forwards. 

Playmaker Lucas Zelarayan leads the team with eight goals at the halfway mark, his latest being a midfield game winner against the Chicago Fire last week. Last season, Zelarayan scored four goals in April and then did not score again until the second half of the season. 

It is not just the forwards and Zelarayan scoring. Fourteen goals have come from other positions. Central midfielder Aidan Morris has three goals on the season and is fourth in goals for the Crew this season. Morris had not scored a professional goal until this season. 

Assists

The Black & Gold have seen an increase in assists this season as well, showing that Columbus can score more from open play than last season. In 2022, the Crew had 19 assists halfway through the season with winger Derrick Etienne leading the way. This year, Columbus leads the league in assists with 40 assists on 35 goals, some being secondary assists. The team has 28 primary assists, which would be fifth best in MLS overall.

These assist numbers show that the Crew is outstanding at linking up and scoring from open play as one of the most entertaining MLS teams this season.

Defending

Part of the reason Black & Gold games are so watchable for neutrals is because the team leaks goals as well as scores them. Columbus has given up 25 goals on the season, ninth worst in the MLS. While the Crew does give up on average 1.5 goals per game, the team has been rewarded with wins due to its two goals scored per game. 

Last season goalkeeper Eloy Room played every minute of the first half of the season, recording five clean sheets while giving up 18 goals. This year, Room has dealt with an injury that has led to him playing only three times, giving up three goals and keeping only one clean sheet. Second-pro Patrick Schulte has played the other 14 matches in goal for Columbus, giving up 22 goals and logging three clean sheets. 

There have been reasons for the regression in goals allowed. Long-time captain and center back Jonathan Mensah was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes prior to the season. Additionally, there have been multiple injuries along the backline forcing players to play out of position as well as a very aggressive new playing style that has left the Crew vulnerable at the back.

Final thoughts

Overall, the team has performed better than at the same point last season, increasing the goal differential from +2 to +10. The Black & Gold have three more wins than the midpoint of 2022 and is vastly more exciting to watch. Improvement in the defensive half could see Columbus as a real challenger for a trophy this season. While there have been bumps in the road, the first half of head coach Wilfried Nancy’s first season as head coach has been positive.