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Columbus Crew: Wilfried Nancy focuses on team culture amid Cucho Hernandez absence
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- Columbus Crew: Wilfried Nancy focuses on team culture amid Cucho Hernandez absence
Crew coach Wilfried Nancy has finally provided a little bit of insight into the absence of striker Cucho Hernandez .
Although Nancy has continually refused to disclose details, including the status of Hernandez's availability for the Crew's home match against D.C. United on Saturday, the second-year coach did offer on Thursday that the situation is "not about Cucho," but rather the big picture.
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"You have to nurture the culture," Nancy said. "So most important for me is to be aligned with the club, is to be aligned about what we want to do, and the way you want to do things. But there is no drama. Everything has been clear with Cucho, with the club."
Mar 16, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez (9) celebrates a goal with midfielder Darlington Nagbe (6) during the first half of the MLS soccer match against the New York Red Bulls at Lower.com Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
If Hernandez is left off the roster against D.C., it would be the third straight game he has missed, following matches against Nashville SC and then Tigres in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals .
There has yet to be clarification on whether Hernandez's benching is linked to one specific incident, but the striker has been training with the team throughout the week.
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Stating that he wants to handle the situation internally, Nancy explained that he views how he has publicly addressed the situation as part of his job to protect his players.
"It could have been another player, it would have been the same," Nancy said.
Jul 23, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy walks across the sideline prior to the Leagues Cup matchup against the St. Louis City at Lower.com Field.
This is not necessarily setting a precedent. That's because, according to Nancy, building the culture is based on intuition.
"It's really important also to work in a good place," Nancy said. "And what does it mean a good place, is good people. What is the deficient definition of good people? It's individual, but for me, I would say to be aligned about your thoughts, your values and your actions."
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While Hernandez's status remains unknown for Saturday, Nancy has confirmed that midfielder/defender Sean Zawadzki has been ruled out, likely due to the head injury he sustained against Nashville SC on March 30.
Both defender Rudy Camacho and forward Alex Matan have returned to training with the team as they look to return from their own injuries. Nancy seemed optimistic that Camacho would be an option against D.C. United.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLS: Columbus Crew coach Wilfried Nancy on Cucho Hernandez's status
