Diego Rossi played only 75 minutes in the Crew’s 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati in the first game of their playoff series but is optimistic he can put together a full 90 for Game 2 on Nov. 2.
“Let’s see how the game goes, and how I feel,” Rossi said. “Let’s see, but I think I can do it, and obviously it depends on the game and what the coach decide, but I’m good to do that.”
Rossi missed the final game of the regular season after reinjuring his right hamstring during a training session leading up to the matchup against the Red Bulls.
This was the second time in two months the 27-year-old was sidelined due to a hamstring injury, as Rossi first suffered the injury on Sept. 13 and was unavailable for three games.
While Rossi’s latest injury was to a different area of the hamstring, and his absence from the Red Bulls game was precautionary, he was still pulled from the lineup in Cincinnati with the score 0-0. Rossi left the game without getting a shot off.
According to Wilfried Nancy, Rossi was missing a bit of “freshness” during Game 1, though the Crew coach is hopeful Rossi will be in better shape for Game 2.
“We’ll see if he’s good,” Nancy said. “If he’s not good, I will sub him. Diego, he gave what he had the last game, so now, the next game, we’ll see. I cannot predict what’s going to happen.”
Rossi led the Crew in regular-season goals with 16 and added four assists.
Darlington Nagbe’s retirement raises stakes for Columbus Crew in Game 2
Veteran midfielder Darlington Nagbe knows that when he steps on the field for Game 2 it could be the last time if the Crew fail to force a Game 3 in the first-round series.
On Oct. 7, Nagbe, a four-time MLS Cup champion, announced he would retire at the end of 2025 after spending 15 seasons in MLS. However, Nagbe’s mentality for the postseason remains the same despite his decision.
“I think every time you’re in the playoffs I think you approach it the same way,” Nagbe said. “Once we reached the playoffs, I just want to win like any other year.”
But for Nagbe’s teammates, his retirement has raised the stakes of this postseason.
“We want him to retire competing until the end,” Rossi said. “Like he has his whole career. He won so many trophies … so, we are going to push for our team and our captain.”
Columbus Crew set focus on offensive execution in Game 2
When Nancy rewatched Game 1, one of his biggest takeaways was the Crew’s need for focus on the details while attacking.
“The little disappointment that I can have is we unbalanced them a lot, but we were not good on the execution,” Nancy said. “The way we attacked, if we played the pass how we should play, they (Cincinnati’s defense) would be off position.
“We could have had more opportunities to attack the box if we were able to exploit the logical play that we had to make instead of thinking about something else.”
The Crew took just six shots, three on target, with their best opportunity to score coming off an attempt from midfielder Max Arfsten in the first half that hit off Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano’s chest.
Will injured Columbus Crew players be a factor in Game 2 vs FC Cincinnati?
The Crew have been without striker Wessam Abou Ali for more than six weeks and midfielder Mo Farsi since July 12.
Abou Ali suffered a hairline fracture in his right ankle against Toronto FC on Sept. 20 after scoring his third goal in as many games. Farsi, a regular starter for the Crew since 2023, is recovering from a sports hernia surgery.
Nancy said Farsi had returned to limited workouts but that Farsi and Abou Ali are still unavailable for Game 2.
Crew defender Rudy Camacho has returned to the bench after missing the entire regular season with an injury “around the pelvis and the abductor.” Camacho saw no playing time in the postseason matchup.
“To be honest with you, the plan was to give him a few minutes the last game, but it was not possible,” Nancy said. “I try to find a way when it is a good moment, so we’ll see the story of the game … but this is not easy.”
The Crew look to stay alive in the playoffs in Game 2 against Cincinnati on Nov. 2 at Lower.com Field. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Can Crew’s Diego Rossi play all Game 2 vs Cincinnati in Hell is Real playoff series?
Reporting by Brianna Mac Kay, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
