Columbus.- Valencia CF is the highest quality opponent the Crew SC has ever faced at Mapfre Stadium. And they proved it tonight.
Los Che arrived at Columbus from Spain three days after they qualified for the UEFA Champions League and controlled the game at every level. Alvaro Negredo scored the lone goal, he could score a few more, but Crew keeper Brad Stuver was enormous. If there is one thing Columbus (and the League) learned was that the gap between the MLS and the first world of soccer is still big.
Crew SC is one of the top teams in the country, and its possession style of soccer has become a trademark. Tonight they tried their best, but it wasn’t enough; their rival is in a different weight class with a speed on and off the ball that is just in a higher gear.
“For me the most interesting thing is the way they change the tempo. They go from standstill to full speed in no time. That’s the major difference, if you look at the two teams they’re able to really change their tempo and be effective, and that was good to see.
“I think that’s something we are lacking, ” explained Gregg Berhalter, Crew SC Head Coach.
It wasn’t only the tempo. The distribution in the final third was also crucial. Valencia always stepped into the box with their three offensive men (Negredo, Rodrigo and Piatti) and with one or two passes they left the hosts wandering where did the ball go. It’s something they are not use to. There’s no team in the MLS that switches attacking flanks the way Valencia did tonight.
As they announced prior to the game, Crew SC used a different lineup for each half. The only one who played the full 90 was Brad Stuver. With his performance, the goalkeeper showed the depth in that position is well covered. He had solid saves and even tried to score. In the last corner for Crew SC, he went to the box and put a foot on the ball but his shot was blocked. He was the man of the match.
In the end, it was an International friendly, nothing relevant was a stake. It was a lab test that came up with positive results for Crew SC. They are on the right path and according to Alvaro Negredo they have the right mindset also:
“The truth is that they tried to play all the time. They were shameless in that sense. They tried to pass the ball and ..well, we managed the possession and forced turnovers. We could score more goals from counter attacks, but I liked them. They were shameless and never gave up, even after they made mistakes they kept playing in the same way and that tells you this team has a solid character.”
