CREAM RISES
Crew’s top performers come though in the end
It took extra time, but the Crew didn’t deviate from its plan for how to attack Nashville SC, trusting that the quality of its top players would be enough to secure at least one more game in 2020.
Against what coach Caleb Porter called one of the best defenses he has ever had to deal with, the Crew’s three leading scorers — Lucas Zelarayan, Gyasi Zardes and Pedro Santos — finally unlocked Nashville’s defense and combined for goals in the 99th and 103rd minutes in a 2-0 win on Sunday at Mapfre Stadium.
The win advanced the Crew to the MLS Eastern Conference final against the New England Revolution on Sunday in Mapfre Stadium.
“It took a couple special plays out of our special players, and that’s what you need to keep advancing in this tournament,” Porter said.
With the Crew playing primarily through winger Luis
Diaz and Zelarayan on the right wing, Nashville limited them all game, especially Zelarayan. But the Argentinian midfielder showed when it mattered most why he was Porter’s choice to be the face of a club that aspires to contend for championships every year.
With MLS Defender of the Year Walker Zimmerman closing in, Zelarayan hit the ball with the outside of his right foot to curl it into Zardes’s run toward the end line. Zardes then passed to the middle of the box in the perfect spot for a trailing Santos to score. Four minutes later, it was Zardes’ pass to Zelarayan that sprung an attack in transition. Diaz, who replaced Derrick Etienne Jr. in the lineup, had perhaps his best game of the season and finally connected a perfectly weighted ball to Zardes behind the Nashville defense for the assist.
“There were times last year where we executed really well but we couldn’t find a goal,” Porter said. “With those two (Zelarayan and Zardes) we’re going to find a goal.”
After seven Crew players contracted COVID-19, significantly altering preparation for Sunday’s match, Porter expected there to be some rust in the attacking third despite losing just one starter in the front four attackers.
“I knew it wouldn’t be perfect today because we didn’t even touch a ball for two days last week,” Porter said. “When you don’t get reps, then it’s not going to be as clean, cohesive and sharp. I think you saw that a little bit today. But I thought second half you saw our mentality, you saw our game.”
Though he’s criticized often, Zardes is having a career year and was at top form against Nashville. With a goal and an assist on Sunday, Zardes has 14 goals and five assists in 22 games combined in the regular season and playoffs. In 2018, when won MLS comeback player of the year, Zardes scored 19 goals in 33 regularseason games and one goal in three postseason games.
“I’m not going to praise myself, but I just have to make sure I don’t get frustrated if I’m not getting opportunities or if I don’t touch the ball a lot because I know there’s going to be an opportunity in the game and I just have to capitalize on it,” Zardes said.
Beyond the goals and assists, there are elements in his game that are often overlooked.
“I don’t think there’s a better pressing forward in the league,” Porter said. “I don’t believe there’s a forward that runs harder and works harder, covers as much ground as he does, and he’s a guy that finds good spots and finishes a play.”
Santos is another player who had a career year in 2019 and a solid follow-up year. In the playoffs, Santos has scored two goals in two games and has played some of his best soccer. The difference in the postseason often comes down to the best players creating and making the most out of opportunities. Sunday against Nashville, those players gave Porter performances he needs.
“We know we have a very good team and we believe in everybody,” Santos said.