Extra week before playoffs can benefit Crew
Winning two of its final three regular-season games would indicate that the Crew is trending in the right direction entering a win-or-go-home scenario in the MLS Cup playoffs. But the team would freely admit that its play has not been quite at the level it was when the Crew sat in first place more than halfway through the season.
With additional training sessions and time off before the first-round game against the New York Red Bulls on Nov. 21 at Mapfre Stadium, the Crew could stand to benefit more than other clubs.
“Without a doubt I think it will be good for all of us,” midfielder Lucas Zelarayan said before the Crew’s 2-1 win against Atlanta on Sunday.
“The year itself has been difficult so it’ll be good to recharge and that way we can be at 100% come playoff time.”
The most obvious area in which more training sessions could have the most impact is in getting the offense humming again. Sunday’s game was only the third time the two most important offensive players, Zelarayan and midfielder Darlington Nagbe, started together since Sept. 2. They have missed a combined 15 games with injuries this season.
Coach Caleb Porter has said repeatedly that the chemistry in the attack would grow as they had more time on the field, citing how the Crew had weeks of training before the season restarted in July and the team exited the MLS is Back Tournament as the only club to win all three group-stage games.
The offense showed progress against Atlanta with Zelarayan, Nagbe and midfielder Artur all getting the ball higher up the field and being factors in both goals scored.
“I’ve said it all along, when we get our three center mids together … it really changes everything for us,” Porter said after Sunday’s match.
More practice and some rest away from the facility can help players reset. Porter gave his team days off on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The team’s defensive leader, center back Jonathan Mensah, played well in the waning moments of Sunday’s match and leads the league in clearances and blocks. However, he has made uncharacteristic mistakes lately that could be a symptom of having played every minute of every game this season.
The Crew allowed just five goals through the first 13 games — a feat nearly unmatched in MLS history — with nine shutouts. In the final 10 games, the Crew conceded 16 goals with no shutouts.
Measuring the quality and quantity of chances the Crew allowed, its expected goals allowed average (XGA) through the first 13 games was 0.95, compared to 1.75 in the final 10 games.
Nagbe said for those who have played all season, fatigue can definitely become a factor, but the playoffs tend to add energy to a club.
“You lose and you go home, so I think that mental fatigue and that fatigue you feel in the regular season will be gone,” Nagbe said.
jmyers@dispatch.com; @_jcmyers