The Columbus Crew find themselves at a critical early-season crossroads, searching for the consistency that has eluded them through the first two months of the MLS campaign. After a promising start, the Black & Gold have hit a rough patch, dropping their last two matches and sliding to 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-6-3 record.
The most recent setback came in humbling fashion—a 3-0 defeat to New York City FC on May 10—and the road doesn't get any easier. Next up is a trip to Harrison, New Jersey, to face the New York Red Bulls on May 13, a team known for its high-pressing style and home-field intensity.
Head coach Henrik Rydstrom is searching for answers as his squad struggles to put together a complete performance. "We haven’t put that solid performance, 90 minutes, week in and week out so far," Rydstrom admitted. "It’s been maybe two games, and then not so good, and you don’t really see it coming."
Rydstrom, a tennis enthusiast, drew an apt analogy from the sport to describe his team's inconsistency. "The not-so-good players, they are good in three sets," he said, comparing his squad to tennis players who can't sustain excellence over five sets. "So, we are still there."
The Crew have shown flashes of brilliance this season, playing the "organized chaos" style that Rydstrom preaches, but those moments have been too often punctuated by stretches of frustration and defensive lapses. The team's box defending has been a particular concern, and Rydstrom acknowledged that finding solutions starts with him.
"Nobody wants to take losses, but maybe you really need that to get the answers and know what to fix later on," he said. The preference, of course, is to find those answers sooner rather than later—and a strong showing against the Red Bulls could be the turning point the Crew desperately need.
With a quick turnaround and a road rematch on May 16, the next week will define whether Columbus can steady the ship or continue to drift. For a team with playoff aspirations, the time to find consistency is now.