Welcome to the Anatomy of a Goal, where each week we dissect one goal (or near goal) from a previous Columbus Crew match. For the final match of the 2023 MLS season, the MLS Cup Final, we take a look at Yaw Yeboah’s 37th minute goal that gave the Crew a 2-0 lead against LAFC during Saturday’s 2-1 championship win.
Here’s a look at Yeboah’s MLS Cup-winning goal.
Columbus welcomed LAFC to Lower.com Field to cap off the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs with everything on the line. The Crew mostly played the same lineup throughout the playoffs but settled on Mohamed Farsi as the preferred right wing back over Julian Gressel at the end of the Atlanta United series. LAFC also, mostly, maintained the same starting lineup, sticking with Carlos Vela in the False 9 role despite a multi-game goal drought.
After a nervy first 15 minutes, the Black & Gold grabbed control of the match. Finally, in the 31st minute, Yeboah played a ball from the LAFC end line back toward forward Diego Rossi near the 18-yard box. Rossi took a touch, the ball struck defender Diego Palacios’ hand, and forward Cucho Hernandez scored the subsequent penalty kick.
The Crew kept up the pressure after the opening goal.
Fullback Ryan Hollingshead picked the ball deep in his own half while the Black & Gold brought immediate pressure. Yeboah bore down while midfielder Aidan Morris moved to cut off a passing lane, leaving Hollingshead with three options. He could play a quick drop to Jesus Murillo, try a square pass to Ilie Sanchez or hit a diagonal pass forward to midfielder Timothy Tillman.
Hollingshead attempted to move the ball forward by hitting a pass toward Tillman. Morris spotted the pass and jumped forward in an effort to intercept the ball.
Morris easily intercepted the ball, setting off the Crew attack deep in LAFC territory.
Morris took a few steps forward before quickly playing the ball ahead to Rossi.
Rossi received the ball with center back Giorgio Chiellini on his back. Tillman and midfielder Kellyn Acosta shited their pressure toward Rossi while Morris moved into space to provide a passing option.
Rossi had nowhere to go so he played a quick drop back to Morris.
LAFC’s midfield recovered and defended behind the ball, forcing Morris to carry toward the sideline. Farsi stepped toward Morris to provide a passing option.
Farsi arrived and Morris immediately played a ball his way.
The right wing back turned with the ball and quickly played it toward center back Rudy Camacho.
Vela stepped toward Camacho as he received the pass while Farsi dropped back to provide an outlet.
Camacho briefly paused and played the ball back to Farsi.
Farsi turned forward and played a long diagonal pass to Rossi. Center back Steven Moreira made a run up the sideline, looking for a quick first- or second-touch pass from Rossi.
Rossi turned but wasn’t able to complete the quick pass forward to Moreira. As he carried the ball forward, Rossi had three options. He could hit a square pass to midfielder Alexandru Matan, attempt to beat Sanchez off the dribble or play the ball forward to Moreira as he tracks back.
Moreira stopped his run, and Rossi played the ball forward to the right center back.
Rossi then made his own run forward around Moreira, occupying both his and Moreira’s defenders.
Moreira then had time to lift his head up and survey his options. He could play a pass forward to Rossi, hit a square pass to Hernandez or attempt to carry the ball toward the middle of the field.
Moreira let the ball do the work for him and played a square pass to Hernandez.
Hernandez used his first touch to play the ball back to midfielder Darlington Nagbe near midfield.
Nagbe received the ball with space ahead of him, and took a few touches forward.
Tillman stepped to Nagbe who then slid a quick pass toward left center back Malte Amundsen.
To this point, most of the activity in the possession had been on the attacking right side of the field. The Crew’s possession play shifted LAFC toward the right, leaving open on the left flank.
Amundsen received the ball and has four options. He could play a drop pass to Camacho, try a long pass forward into the path of Yeboah, attempt to carry the ball around forward Denis Bouanga or play a short touch to Matan.
Amundsen eyed Yeboah preparing to make a run behind Hollingshead and teed up a long pass forward. Hollingshead shifted toward Yeboah but had his head forward and was unaware that the left wing back started to make his attacking run.
With Hollingshead caught flat-footed, Amunsden hit a left-footed pass on the ground out in front of Yeboah and in the space between Hollingshead and Murillo.
Note the arrow at the top right of the image point to Palacios. This image represents the moment the ball leaves Amundsen’s foot. You can clearly see here that Palacios (and Chiellini in the middle of the field) both played Yeboah onside.
Yeboah ran into the path of Amundsen’s pass as Hollingshead just began to turn his head toward the Columbus attacker.
Hollingshead turned his head as the ball continues to roll into the path of Yeboah.
Amundsen’s pass beat four defenders, leaving Yeboah to run onto the pass with no defenders between him and Maxime Crepeau’s goal.
The wing back picked up the ball in the penalty box and could either attempt a shot as Crepeau sprints forward to cut down the angle or play a square pass into the path of Hernandez.
Yeboah seized the moment and hit a quick shot with the outside of his left foot.
Crepeau got down to the ground but not before the ball rolled under him…
…into the back of the net!
Findings:
- Columbus’ press was spectacular here. The pressure on Hollingshead forced him to make a difficult pass forward that was easy for Morris to intercept.
- This goal is the culmination of everything that head coach Wilfried Nancy has worked on this season. The Crew completed 11 passes during this build up with everyone but goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and Matan touching the ball. After working up the right side of the field, the Black & Gold quickly moved the ball left and immediately played a direct ball in behind the unbalanced LAFC defense for the goal.
- Amundsen’s pass was spectacular, but it is one that the team has worked on in training. In fact, it was not the first time they attempted the exact same movement in this game.
- Still, that pass by Amundsen immediately goes down as one of the greatest passes in Crew history.
- Yeboah started this season as a player who looked to be on the way out at some point soon and finished the year as a regular starter at left wing back. He played one of his best games in black and gold on Saturday, and the difficulty of his finish should not be overlooked. Yeboah took the time to collect the ball and hit a difficult, outside-the-boot shot on the ground in the pouring rain.
MASSIVE REPORT 