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'I take responsibility': Columbus Crew reflect on shortcoming that led to MLS Cup exit
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- 'I take responsibility': Columbus Crew reflect on shortcoming that led to MLS Cup exit
The Crew are less than a week removed from their MLS playoffs first-round exit and emotions are still raw around the locker room. For defender Steven Moreira , there is no telling how long it'll take to move past this season being officially over.
"It's hard. It's hard to come right now and talk to you," Moreira said. "It's tough. I don't know what else to say."
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In the first-round series against the New York Red Bulls , Game 2 came down to a penalty kick shootout when regulation finished in a 2-2 draw. It took seven rounds of kicks for New York to record a 5-4 victory, eliminating the Crew.
Nov 3, 2024; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte (28) in action against the New York Red Bulls during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images
With the format of the first round being a best-of-three series, there were many opportunities for the Crew to avoid being knocked out of the playoffs in this fashion.
"I think that we were missing, not the physical part but the last part, just to close the game or finish the game," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "I think that also the mental aspect was difficult. ... It's a bit of a weird feeling, because if we lose a game and the team plays, dominates us a lot, no problem. But it was not the case, and we could have scored a lot of goals both games, but we didn't do it."
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Following a 1-0 loss in Game 1 at Lower.com Field , the Crew went into Game 2 of the round under pressure.
Columbus struggled throughout series offensively, missing 33 shots, 12 being on goal.
In particular, team-leading scorers Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi fell short of their usual production. Dating back to their final regular-season game against New York, Hernandez and Rossi combined for 18 shots in the final three games, but failed to score.
The Crew willed their way onto the board in Game 2 behind the efforts of substitutions Max Arfsten and Christian Ramirez. Ramirez's goal was scored seven minutes into stoppage and forced the shootout.
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Game 2 could have gone in favor of the Crew, if they avoided two big mistakes that opened the door for New York to score.
Nov 3, 2024; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy on the sidelines during the first half against the New York Red Bulls in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One matchat Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images
The bigger offense was when defender Rudy Camacho fouled midfielder Emil Forsberg inside Columbus' box, setting up a penalty kick for Forsberg to score New York's second goal.
On the first goal, Moreira was the defender making the mistake.
Moreira gave up on a play near midfield that he thought was out of bounds. The referee didn't blew his whistle and New York drove down field to score on a three-pass play.
"I take responsibility for that," Moreira said. "After that, I could see in the eyes of my teammates like, 'Damn, OK, it's going to be hard.' And that's my job to keep them confident. I did one of the big mistakes, and that was just simple. ... I (could have) just cleared ball and that's it."
Jul 17, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira (31) reacts during the second half of the MLS soccer game against Charlotte FC at Lower.com Field. The teams tied 1-1.
The aftermath of being eliminated from the postseason is haunting the whole team, including Nancy. The coach claims it has been difficult to sleep and even watch another MLS Cup match since the loss on Sunday.
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"I don't like the 'should I, should I, should I.' So, with time it's going to be like this," Nancy said. "But the other part is, when I did the postseason (talks) with my staff, quickly, I saw what we achieved and what we did during the season. So, there's balance. But for sure, I'm going to have to prepare myself, if I can watch the next game or not, but for the moment, it's tough."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew reflect on MLS Cup first round elimination vs Red Bulls
