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#Post#: 16--------------------------------------------------
Jonathan Mensah details what's behind Columbus Crew SC's
resurgence in 2020
DIR By: The Referee
Date: July 28, 2020, 7:31 pm
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Jonathan Mensah details what's behind Columbus Crew SC's
resurgence in 2020
July 28, 2020
10:27AM EDT
Dylan Butler
Contributor-
Three wins from three games at the MLS is Back Tournament and
top of the Supporter's Shield standings, Columbus Crew SC have
an argument to be the best team in Major League Soccer right
now, which is a far cry from a 2019 season that saw the team
finish 10th in the Eastern Conference and miss the Audi MLS Cup
Playoffs.
It started with a 1-0-1 start back in March and they’ve picked
up where they left off in Orlando. Crew SC are the only team to
secure maximum points and not concede during the group stage and
they did so with the best goal differential (+7) in their three
contests.
So what's behind the resurgence for Columbus, which take on
Minnesota United Tuesday (8 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes in US;
TSN in Canada) in the Round of 16? Caleb Porter has
understandably received a lot of the credit, but there’s also
the new-look midfield led by the dynamic tandem of Darlington
Nagbe and Lucas Zelarayan.
Zelarayan, who arrived from Tigres UANL in December, has three
goals and two assists already, including goals in back-to-back
Group E wins over FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls.
Nagbe, who reunited with his former Portland Timbers boss in
Porter, has completed 98 percent of his passes in Orlando and is
also the only player in the tournament to attempt six or more
dribbles past defenders and complete them all.
“They’re great players on the ball. Sometimes we see most of
their qualities on the ball, but their movements off the ball is
on another level,” Crew SC captain Jonathan Mensah said on
Extratime presented by Continental. “To have these kind of
players on your team, it kind of makes things look easier, but
obviously we’re working all the time in training so we know when
they move here, we play the ball here and they make our job so
easy.”
While Zelarayan and Nagbe are two of the club’s biggest new
additions, Mensah is part of the old guard. Now in his fourth
year in Columbus, the standout center back noted the
differences, and similarities, between some of the other Crew SC
sides he’s played on since arriving ahead of the 2017 season.
“It feels different in terms of the game plan, the coaches
obviously and some of the players,” Mensah said. “But the
objective is the same — to be able to keep possession and do it
in the opponent’s half, create chances and get some goals.”
While Mensah locks things down defensively, Gyasi Zardes has
scored at a regular clip since arriving from the LA Galaxy
before the 2018 season. The USMNT forward has 36 regular-season
goals in 66 games for the Crew.
His strike rate on game day is clear, but Mensah said a big
assist goes to their competitive nature at the training ground.
“I have to make sure I put him in my pocket,” Mensah said with a
laugh. “If he can beat me, then I’m sure he can beat any
defender in the league. I’m the best so I show him in training,
if he can beat me, then he can beat anyone out there. I always
kind of push him and he pushes me as well. It’s always good to
have healthy competition in practice.”
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