The Columbus Crew finally got back into the win column on Wednesday, taking down a floundering LA Galaxy squad 2-1 at home. For 85 minutes, it was Black & Gold domination in terms of possession and control of the game. Daniel Gazdag opened the scoring for the Crew in the first half off a feed from Hugo Picard, then Diego Rossi doubled the advantage in the second half thanks to some nifty footwork and an assist from Max Arfsten. From there, Columbus operated on cruise control, passing circles around the Galaxy and taking the sting out of the game. Then, late in the match, a lackluster defensive effort and poor goalkeeping gave the visitors a foothold to cut the lead in half. Luckily for the home fans in Scotts Miracle-Gro Field in attendance for Star Wars night, the Black & Gold were able to defend well enough from there to escape with all three points.

This is a pivotal victory for Henrik Rydström after a few tough weeks in MLS play. Still, there is a lot of room for improvement from the new manager and the squad. Let’s dive into all the tactics that landed the Crew with a victory.

Improved offense without Wessam Abou Ali

In the two games since DP striker Wessam Abou Ali went down with a season-ending injury, Columbus’ offense has looked – surprisingly – better without him in the lineup. With limited roster options, Rydström resorted to Rossi and Daniel Gazdag to lead the attacking line, and the pair has not disappointed.

Against New England, before momentum shifted and the Crew lost, the attacking pairing of Gazdag and Rossi created many goal-scoring chances. Although neither is a traditional striker, Rydström used them as false no. 9s. This means they began in advanced positions but frequently dropped into midfield to help link play and find space.

The game plan remained the same in this clash with the Galaxy. Both Gazdag and Rossi occupied the dual striker positions, but neither took up the spaces Abou Ali typically tried to. When the Palestinian internation was in the lineup, his main job was to hold up play and be a poacher around the goal. There were times he would drop into the midfield, but those moments were rarer compared to how often Rossi and Gazdag do it.

Abou Ali’s playstyle meant that Rossi had to bear the creative brunt of building the attack through the center of the pitch. This keyed in the defenses on how to defend him, leading the Black & Gold’s attacks to have to come from the flanks. When the focus switched to an approach using the width of the field, Rossi sometimes got lost within the game due to most of the work having to be done by the wingers and fullbacks.

Using two false no. 9s has brought out a balance and creativity in attack that the Crew lacked. Now, both Rossi and Gazdag can drop deep, or one can stay high to push the backline. The variability and creative capacity of both players keep the defense honest, while the wingers and outside backs can take less of the defensive attention.

Now, when either false no. 9 drops in, they either drag a defender with them or pop into a pocket of space to receive the ball. Either choice by the defense opens up possibilities for the rest of Columbus’ attack. If the defense follows, the wingers and fullbacks can make inverted runs into the vacated space. If the defense stays, the false no. 9 can receive the ball and turn, advancing the attack and running at the defense with pace.

Granted, the Galaxy are not exactly world beaters in MLS this season, but this game showed that the Black & Gold have the capacity to control games. Much of that improvement is due to the implementation of the double false no. 9s, which Rydström will look to roll with as the games keep coming.

Fullbacks: Columbus’ double-edged sword

The switch from Wilfried Nancy’s three/five-back system to Rydström’s four-back defensive shape has been a learning experience for the Black & Gold. On one hand, Steven Moreira and Malte Amundsen seem to have figured out the offensive components to bolster a Crew attack that is on the rise, but there are still questions defensively.

Starting on the offensive side of the ball, Columbus has grown from a timid-looking offensive team into one that has hints of Nancy’s free-flowing offense over the past few years. Much of that may have to do with the implementation of false no. 9s and more creative wingers being included in the lineup, but the fullbacks are an integral part of Rydström’s offensive system.

When the Black & Gold push forward, the fullbacks will do one of three things: overlap, operate as a switch midfielder, or tuck inside of the wingers as a shadow striker.

Each of those options can vary depending on the actions of the player on the ball and how the defense is set up, but it offers opportunities for fluidity and creative freedom. The more options in attack, the more the opposing defense has to cover and deal with. With both Amundsen and Moreira being strong, attack-minded fullbacks help as well.

This fluidity and variability of both fullbacks supercharge the Crew’s attacks and give them an advantage in the final third. On the other end of the pitch, though, there is still much-needed room for improvement.

One of Columbus’ weaknesses in defense is covering actions coming in from wide areas. In a five-back system, Moreira and Amundsen – who typically played as outside centerbacks – typically left the wide defending to the recovering wingbacks. Now, in a four-back defensive shape, that responsibility is on their shoulders.

Now, trouble comes for the defense when the fullbacks are called to the side of the pitch to defend against wingers. This draws over the near side center back to cover the striker and leaves a gap behind them. It is in those areas that the Black & Gold fall asleep defensively and concede goals.

Luckily for the Crew, these gaps did not result in the Galaxy’s goal on Wednesday, but the space was still there at times to exploit. For Columbus’ defense to improve, Rydström needs to implore his defenders to better communicate with each other and the midfielders to cover the spaces that the out-of-position defenders leave.

It has been tough sledding so far this season for the Black & Gold, but the improvement on offense and the first win in front of a home crowd are bound to energize the squad. With both tactical advancements and defensive areas to address, now is the time when the Crew must string together victories to start climbing the table, or else later on in the season, Columbus could be staring down the possibility of missing the playoffs.