The Columbus Crew’s comeback victory over FC Cincinnati in last weekend’s Eastern Conference final will be remembered as one of the most thrilling playoff matches in Major League Soccer history. It was a game that highlighted the incredible work Wilfried Nancy has done at the club since taking over before the 2023 season.
Columbus have earned a reputation as the most entertaining and best coached team in MLS with Nancy at the helm. His high-energy, high-risk approach has been absorbed by everyone at the club which has been re-energised by the ideas of the French coach who is now considered something of a trailblazer within the league.
Nancy already had a strong reputation as a manager after leading CF Montreal to their best-ever season in MLS history last year. His coaching blueprint was established over two seasons at Stade Saputo and its this blueprint that the Columbus Crew have used to become MLS Cup contenders.
Everyone at the Columbus Crew is clear in what Nancy wants from them. “I want my players to be brave,” said the French coach when asked to describe his approach and what he demands from his players. “We know they are going to play long, but we don’t want to drop. We stay high. Do not drop. Stay high and be brave.
“For me it’s all about concepts, it’s all about trying to simplify as often as we can what we want to do on the pitch and also to give them the ownership to express themselves. Yes, there is a clear structure. But within that structure there is also freedom. It’s all about knowing the person behind the players, which helps us know how to better connect with them.”
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the way Columbus play is the self-assurance they have. This was evident in the Eastern Conference final against FC Cincinnati. Even when trailing 2-0, the Crew never looked panicked. They knew they would have opportunities to get back in the game and when they arrived, they took them, ultimately winning 3-2 in extra time.
This will stand the Columbus Crew in good stead against LAFC in MLS Cup this weekend. As the higher seeds and home team, Nancy’s side are expected to get the job done against last season’s defending champions, but there’s no sense that the pressure will crush Columbus. They’ll be able to handle the occasion.
Columbus have a number of key players, but they are much more than the sum of their parts. Cucho Hernandez has flourished for the Crew since joining from Watford last year, scoring 17 goals and assisting seven more this season. Aidan Morris and Darlington Nagbe also give Columbus a strong midfield platform in the centre of the pitch.
The introduction of Julian Gressel and Christian Ramirez off the bench gave Columbus a different dimension in the second half against FC Cincinnati, with the pair playing a key role in the comeback from 2-0 down. The Crew might not have the same squad depth as LAFC, but they do have a number of different options.
Nancy’s approach, however, is about the team as a whole. There was immediate buy-in from the Columbus Crew squad following his appointment for the 2023 season and Nancy has continued to mould the group of players around himself even as the campaign has progressed. This was highlighted by the loss of Lucas Zelarayan.
Any other MLS club would have struggled to absorb the departure of a player as good as Zelarayan midway through a campaign, but Nancy used it as an opportunity to retool his squad with Diego Rossi added for the second half of the season. It could be argued that the Crew are stronger now than they were before Zelarayan’s exit.
Victory over LAFC on Saturday would be the culmination of a special season for Nancy and the Columbus Crew. It would mark him out as the best coach in MLS, if that hasn’t already happened, and would set a new standard at the top of the league. Clubs across MLS are probably pointing at Nancy and seeking to find their own version of the innovative Frenchman.
