They were heavily favored, yes, but the Crew showed during an impressive 4-1 victory over One Knoxville SC on April 29 how they can manage without their top scorer.
Losing striker Wessam Abou Ali and his team-high five goals to a season-ending knee injury April 12 dealt the Crew a daunting challenge, but it also forced coach Henrik Rydstrom to learn more about his roster.
It’s been only five matches with the injury void, including comfortable wins over two Tier 3 USL League One squads in the U.S. Open Cup, but early returns are intriguing for the Crew (3-4-3) as they prepare for an MLS match against Minnesota United FC (5-3-2) on May 2 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (7:30 p.m.).
Hugo Picard, a 22-year old midfielder, notched his second two-goal performance against a Tier 3 team by scoring twice in the first half against Knoxville, and the Crew got two more in the second half from Daniel Gazdag and teenage rookie Chase Adams.
The last of those goals was the first of Adams’ career with the Crew in just his second game dressing. It pushed their lead to 4-1 shortly after Gazdag made it 3-1, giving Columbus a chance to breathe easier in the game’s final 20 minutes.
“It’s a thing we have talked about, my subs or our subs, that we haven’t done them early enough in some games,” Rydstrom said. “This game is also a good reminder for me and my coaching staff that we have players that can compete,” Rydstrom said. “It’s a good reminder for me, but it’s also a good boost for the squad. It’s a team we are supposed to beat, but the way we did it and many players showed from that side, [so] that builds some trust, I would say, in the group.”
Rydstrom mentioned defender Owen Presthus, midfielder Amar Sejdic and midfielder Sekou Bangoura as standout performers against Knoxville while noting that Picard’s biggest challenge remains at the MLS level.
“Hugo was very good in trapping them on their right side, our left side,” Rydstrom said. “What I really like is that he challenges his opponent. He missed some situations in the beginning [against Knoxville], but he just keeps going. For him, now it’s to take that step into the MLS because he’s so good [that] he can do it no matter the opponent.”
It was also good to see Gazdag score, hitting his target inside the right post from the top left corner of the box before subbing out for Adams. In all, Rydstrom rested seven regulars during a busy stretch on the schedule and got a closer look at quite a few little-used reserves during game action.
They left a good impression.
“It is important,” Rydstrom said. “[April 28], when we trained, we had more or less this starting [eleven]. That’s also good for those players that are not always in the starting lineup, that they get the focus. … I think it’s very good for team spirit. That’s very important.”
Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew find scoring depth after Wessam Abou Ali injury
Reporting by Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
