What if I told you the Union were about to face a team that has had two five game losing streaks in 2019 and a -9 goal differential, the third worst in the Eastern Conference?
Now, what if I told you the Union were traveling to an opponent that had only lost once in their last 11 games — and that loss was to conference leaders NYCFC — and hadn’t fallen at home since July 6?
If your answer is, “You’re talking about Columbus Crew,” then you’ve been paying attention. Despite being out of the playoff picture for quite some time, the Crew have found a rhythm and a shape after struggling for months to adapt to Caleb Porter’s style of play. Underperforming winger Pedro Santos has moved inside to become a fairly high-performing attacking midfielder, and new signings Luis Diaz and Youness Mokhtar have provided attacking thrust up the wings that has been missing since Justin Meram lost his Ohio mojo.
The Union know this is not the same Crew side that looked hapless back in March. Porter is a good coach, and he has new weapons at his disposal in front of a newly confident Artur and steady Wil Trapp.
Still, this run of good form since early July has resulted in more draws than wins, and there isn’t enough data to predict how Mokhtar and Diaz will perform as the league adjusts to them. Mokhtar looks like a truly dangerous signing if he keeps up his current shots rate, but thus far there are fewer than 400 minutes as a sample.
One thing Jim Curtin will be focused on is understanding how Gyasi Zardes’ role differs now that he has had a full season with Porter. Under Gregg Berhalter, Zardes was the finishing touch, rarely involved in buildup play. The American has continued scoring under Porter, but he doesn’t have the same responsibilities as he previously did.
The Union and Crew face off at 5:00 p.m. ET on September 29, with the broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on PHL17.
