After what feels like forever, the Columbus Crew are back in action in a competitive match tonight as they face Sporting Kansas City in the round of 32 in Leagues Cup. The Crew earned a bye into the round of 32 thanks to their MLS Cup victory in 2023. SKC advanced into the knockout stage of the competition after defeating the Chicago Fire and losing to Toluca in the group stage.

The two sides met not too long ago in Columbus in a match that was dominated by the Crew before seeing them run out as 4-0 winners. Columbus will be eager to put on a similar performance in this match, but if Leagues Cup has taught us anything it’s that league form doesn’t always translate to this competition. Here is everything you need to get ready for some Friday night Fútbol in Columbus.

Sporting Kansas City at a glance:

Form: L-W-D-L-W

Leading Scorer: William Agada (11 goals)

Assist Leader: Memo Rodriguez (5 assists)

Player to watch: William Agada

Agada is the leading scorer for SKC this season and has been an impactful striker when he has been healthy. Agada was brought in to be a complimentary player to Designated Player Alan Pulido. However, with Pulido often struggling for fitness, Agada has been thrust into a starring role for Peter Vermes. Agada has the ability to play both up top as a striker and as a winger who crashes into the box. This versatility has led him to feature in 59 matches over the course of two and a half seasons in MLS. Agada has made the most of his time on the pitch as he has contributed 23 goals in those 59 matches. He is adept at putting pressure on the opponents backline with and without the ball. The direct nature of his attacking play with the ball is a constant worry for opponents. Without the ball, he is a direct runner often looking to run in behind opponents back lines. Agada is the type of forward that can cause problems for Columbus who, at times, have had difficulty dealing with big, direct and aggressive types of attackers.

How Sporting Kansas City Plays:

Vermes is MLS’s longest tenured coach with 14 seasons at the helm in Kansas City. Despite the slow start for SKC, there remains faith in Vermes and the team in large part due to their remarkable turnaround last season which saw them sneak into the playoffs and upset the number one seeded St. Louis City. Vermes almost exclusively plays with a back four in either a 4-2-3-1 formation or a 4-3-3 depending on personnel. However, in the last match, Vermes threw a little sprinkle of a back five when playing without the ball.

The Crew will have the vast majority of possession in this match, as they did when these two sides previously met in June. SKC have one of the lowest PPDA (Passes per Defensive Action) in the league and will likely be happy to defend deep and try to hit the Crew on the counter. However, when they are in possession they usually operate in a 4-2-3-1 shape that is a bit unique to other similar formations in MLS. Instead of pushing their outside backs high, SKC prefers to keep them a little bit deeper in build up instead. This is likely to draw opponents out of their defensive half and towards the ball to create space for their pacy attackers to run into. SKC is a little bit slower paced and deliberate like Columbus, however they won’t hesitate to play a ball in behind to their attackers. I expect to see more of this than normal tonight given the amount of players the Crew will push up the field and therefore, a lack of cover the Crew will have at the back. 

Defensively, SKC typically shift into a 4-4-2 shape. In the last match between these sides, SKC used a back five and played more of a 5-4-1. In June, SKC were happy to defend in a low block to try and frustrate the Crew. This didn’t work for them to well, so they may try and press high out of their shape and try to create turnovers. When pressing high, their center backs will follow attacking players into the midfield when the ball is played into them. 

How the Crew can win:

The Crew have another chance at a trophy in Leagues Cup and will be looking to get their feet under them in this match. SKC have been playing in the group stage, so they may have some fatigue. However, we have seen the Crew be rusty after long breaks of play this season. There are a few important things for the Black & Gold to do to advance on Friday night.

1. Be Patient in Possession: The Crew are generally very good at this, but they will need to be again on Friday. SKC’s game plan will likely be to slow down the game and frustrate the Crew. This could lead to impatient play from the Crew who will be looking to attack and likely be excited to play in a competitive match for the first time in a while. The Crew need to be patient in moving the ball from side to side in possession and drawing out the SKC defense.
2. Find the Front Three: No matter which combination of players makes up the front three on Friday, the Crew need to get them involved. SKC will allow their backline to step and pressure these players when they receive the ball in midfield. This will create space for Columbus to attack behind the backline, the more that they can create that space the better.
3. Defend Set Pieces: SKC are near the top of the league in goals off set pieces. The Crew gave up two identical goals off set pieces to Atlanta in their last competitive match. It’s a safe bet that Vermes and SKC will be licking their chops when given the chance to use a set piece on Friday.