The Columbus Crew punched their ticket to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final on Wednesday, besting Monterrey 3-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate. The game started off rough for Columbus, conceding in the first ten minutes on a Yevhen Cheberko own goal. From there, it was an uphill battle to get back on the right side of the away-goals tiebreaker. The Black & Gold found the crucial goal on the precipice of halftime when Aidan Morris picked off an errant pass by the Monterrey keeper. Morris drove through the defense and slid the ball into the bottom corner past the out-of-position goalkeeper. Coming out of the half, the Crew found the net again courtesy of Diego Rossi. Columbus would hold firm during the rest of a physical game until Jacen Russell-Rowe sealed the Rayados’ fate in the 89^th minute to bring the score to 3-1.

The Black & Gold had to adjust throughout this game based on what the situation was. After Monterrey scored the first goal, the Crew shifted tactically. They did the same when they came back out at halftime. Let’s dive into the adjustments Wilfried Nancy made to propel Columbus to a massive victory.

First half tactics

The Black & Gold ran out the same lineup as last time against Monterrey except for Russell-Rowe in favor of Marino Hinestroza. The Crew lined up in a 5-2-3, with that classic fluid attacking front three that Nancy favors so much.

Early on, Columbus emphasized defending with seven players and then trying to counter quickly through the front three. Monterrey needed a goal to get ahead in the tie, so the Black & Gold wanted to absorb that pressure and hope the Rayados over-shifted to leave gaps in behind. This was the main reason why Hinestroza was included in the starting lineup. His speed and creative ability would be perfect to go at Monterrey on the counter.

Of course, that game plan would have to change after the Rayados opened the scoring in the 11^th minute. After the goal went in, the Crew shifted to a more attacking approach.

Sean Zawadzki started shifting into midfield alongside Darlington Nagbe and Morris. This change did not yield many great results because Monterrey’s press was plugging up the middle of the pitch. So, after a few possessions in midfield, Zawadzki often moved up into a more advanced position alongside Cucho Hernandez.

Zawadzki would switch back and forth between lining up with Nagbe and Morris and going forward into a higher position. His versatility and ability to pinch inside gave Hinestroza more space on the right wing, and a partner inside to link up with.

Monterrey on the other hand was giving the Black & Gold trouble at times with their pressure and attacking strategy. The Rayados learned from the first game and committed six players in the high press rather than five like they did in Columbus.

The pressuring players would apply pressure onto the Crew’s back three and midfielders while the Rayados’ defensive line would move higher. In the first leg in Columbus, Monterrey’s defense sat deeper, leaving a hole in the midfield for dropping attackers to exploit. In the first half, they pushed up higher to cut down that space, relying on communication to hold the defensive line.

On offense, Monterrey made it a priority to target the wings. They relied on the Black & Gold’s wingbacks to get up the field in the attack, so they wanted to hit the empty space on the counterattack.

When the counter was not on, the Rayados were content to possess the ball and probe at the Crew backline. Columbus had issues holding a consistent defensive line, showcased in the Monterrey goal. Cheberko tracked the Monterrey runner on the goal, keeping him onside rather than letting him run into an offside position. It is a mistake that will happen when the Black & Gold play the style that they do, but it cost the Crew early.

Luckily, a goalkeeping mistake and a moment of brilliance from Morris landed Columbus a vital goal and momentum before halftime. They would go in at half ahead in the tie, with a crucial away goal in the pocket for the second half.

Second half adjustments

The Black & Gold came out in the second half and looked like the better team thanks to their halftime adjustments.

The first big switch they made was to bring on Alexandru Matan for Hinestroza. This gave the Crew another guy who could play in the midfield and allow Hernandez and Rossi to roam around the attacking third with more freedom. Matan slid into that attacking three but played mostly like a no. 10.

The second change was to push back Nagbe to sit deeper in front of the defensive line. Protecting a lead, Columbus wanted to make sure they had defensive security. Letting Nagbe sit deeper and pull the strings from farther back in midfield was a good safety valve for the Black & Gold.

The Crew also learned how to deal with Monterrey’s press and possess the ball in the attacking half. The Rayados liked to press Columbus towards the sideline, cutting off the nearest players so the only options were to play a long switch or a ball into the feet of an attacker. With Monterrey not pressing as high in the second half, this allowed the Black & Gold to move the ball.

Still, the overaggressive nature of the Rayados’ defense to contest forward passes played right into the Crew’s hands. On Columbus’ second goal of the night, Hernandez dropped into midfield and dragged a Monterrey defender with him. This opened space in the middle of the field for Matan, who took the ball and ran at the defense. With a simple slip pass into Rossi, the Black & Gold were 2-1 up on the night and looked to be in complete control of the tie.

That scoring chance came off the Crew baiting Monterrey into pressing them on the right side of the pitch. A quick switch to Yaw Yeboah allowed Columbus to find extra open players and prey on the Rayados’ overshift.

Defensively, the Black & Gold switched to a 5-4-1 on defense, leaving only Hernandez up top to chase down any clearances. They did not park the bus though. Rossi and Matan both still got forward with the wingbacks to join Hernandez and look for more goals.

Pulling nine players back on defense was important to counter Monterrey, who now had three strikers looking to get their heads on the ends of crosses. The Crew was resilient though, refusing every single cross, shot, and chance the Rayados had.

It was a textbook outing from Nancy and the Black & Gold, which has now landed them one game away from a CONCACAF Champions League title and a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup.