Columbus Crew vs Charlotte FC: 1 v 1 battles to watch
- Brian Maurer
- May 2
- 4 min read
By Brian Maurer
Charlotte FC hit the road to take on the Columbus Crew. This is the first of a four-game road trip, and it will be a good test to highlight how far the Crown has truly progressed this season. Columbus hasn't been their true attacking selves since they transferred Cucho Hernandez during preseason, but they have continued to find ways to get results.
Both clubs view themselves as teams that should finish near the top of the Eastern Conference, adding more tension, excitement, and importance to this matchup. We asked Blake Eshelman of MLS Gone Wild to help provide some insight into the key Crew players in this game. Here are our three 1 v 1 battles within the game to keep an eye on:
Daniel Gazdag vs Ashley Westwood
Blake: Daniel Gazdag's transition from Philly's against-the-ball approach to the Crew's possession style has been seamless. He's popping up all over the place for the Crew. Just watch this clip from last weekend:
Wilfried Nancy has given him the license to find the game, and he's done everything right but find the back of the net. The goals are coming, I'm not worried about that, and they could come as soon as this week versus a Charlotte team who allows the most shot-creating actions per match (27.6), and each of their last 4 goals allowed have come from opposition midfielders (Gil, Mukhtar, Mihailovic x2).
Brian: Ashley Westwood will be charged with guarding Gazdag along with Brandt Bronico. The value of Westwood is that he has also been great recently, getting forward and supporting Charlotte's attack near the top of the box. If Charlotte cannot contain Gazdag and he can roam freely, Charlotte's captain won't be able to get forward the way the team needs him to help find goals of their own. The Charlotte midfielder's creativity will be even more crucial if Pep Biel is out. Westwood will need to match up well defensively against Gazdag and still find his way forward in possession to provide the entry passes into the final third and create a few chances, which he has done in bunches the last two weeks.
Mo Farsi vs Wilfried Zaha
Blake: Mo Farsi, former Canadian Futsal Player of the Year, has become one of the best wing-backs in MLS. He mixes creative wide play in possession with untraditional runs into the final 3rd off the ball to get in behind the opposing backline. He's nearly impossible to track, and he's got the speed to blow by a defense as well. The most intriguing part about this matchup, however, is how his positioning this weekend will influence Zaha. Columbus is going to dominate the ball, and with Farsi playing so high up, his positioning could force Zaha into more of a defensive posture, disconnecting him and Patrick Agyemang. Look for Farsi to have a big impact on both sides of the ball this weekend.
Brian: Wilfried Zaha will need to get on the ball early and impose some respect on Farsi during this game. He will need to use his footballing IQ as well to set traps to bait Farsi out of position so that he can operate in space behind which the Crew will for sure leave as they push forward. Charlotte's talisman winger cannot get stuck playing defense the whole game, so he needs to find a way to push Farsi back a bit. The best way for Zaha to do this is to take advantage of a 1 v 1 near the box when on the counter. Charlotte needs to try and find that moment early to help make that stick in Farsi and the Crew defense's mind.
Sean Zawadzki vs Patrick Agyemang
Blake: Sean Zawadzki has been the Columbus Crew's Swiss Army knife over the last 2 seasons. He's played everywhere from CDM, to wingback, to goalkeeper, yes, I said goalkeeper, and he's taken over as the Crew's preferred center back over the last 3 games. The Crew homegrown has excellent passing range, recovery speed, and the soccer IQ made for Wilfried Nancy's system. He's played every minute this season for this Columbus side who lead the league in possession and allows the fewest shot-creating actions per match (14.5). Columbus has allowed a goal to opposing strikers in 5 straight games, so the Zawadzki versus Agyemang matchup, both of whom are in contention for a USMNT Gold Cup Call-Up, is certainly an intriguing one to watch.
Brian: This matchup is going to be about how Charlotte takes advantage of the moments when the Columbus Crew are pushed forward and the Crown have space to attack directly in behind. Patrick Agyemang attacking players 1 v 1 in space is a big part of his game. When those moments arise this weekend, he will need to take advantage. Last season he was able to find the equalizer on the road against the Crew, and this matchup sets up to where he will likely be needed for a big-time goal again for Charlotte to get a result.
Summary
The Columbus Crew leads the league in possession (58.8%), and the expectation is that they will dominate the ball again this weekend. The keys to this game will be how well Charlotte controls the danger of the Crew's possession and whether they can take advantage of the space that Columbus leaves behind their build-up. Zaha, Agyemang, and Abada will all need to use their explosiveness and 1 v 1 abilities to earn some respect from Columbus and give themselves an opportunity to grab some points on the road.
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