Previewing Houston Dynamo at Columbus Crew with Massive Report
(image via Columbus Crew)
The Houston Dynamo face their first away match of the 2025 season tomorrow when they take on the Columbus Crew. We talked to our friend Tyler Fisher from Massive Report to get some insight on the Crew ahead of Saturday’s match.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): With the Crew losing 3-0 to LAFC midweek in Concacaf Champions Cup and the second leg in Columbus on Tuesday, how do you see Wilfried Nancy prioritizing this league match while also keeping an eye on the second leg?
Massive Report (MR): The 3-0 loss was a tough one to swallow. The lineup was rotated for that match, so throwing AZ Jackson and DeJuan Jones into a crucial matchup like that didn't help. For this match, the priority is there. Nancy will put his strongest lineup out to get three points, but I think he will substitute players to give them rest for the return leg against LAFC the following Tuesday.
BCS: Cucho Hernandez left for Spain in a big January transfer. With Hernandez and Cristian Ramirez now gone, do you think the Crew can contend for trophies with Jacen Russell-Rowe as the starting striker or do they need a DP replacement up front?
MR: Jacen Russell-Rowe is starting to prove that he can be relied on to score goals. He's getting more significant minutes and taking advantage of them. However, I feel like the weight of goal-scoring is heavy on Diego Rossi, as he is the next-best DP on the team. However, combining JRR, Rossi, and if the Crew can find a solid DP No. 9, it would be a great thing to look forward to. But as of now, I think JRR is doing very well and he's proving to everyone that he can be the next-man up to fill Cucho's shoes.
BCS: How good has Sean Zawadzki been as a replacement to Aidan Morris in the midfield, alongside Darlington Nagbe, and is this also a position that could need upgrading?
MR: That is a position that could use a minor face-lift if I'm being honest. Sean Zawadzki is good, don't get me wrong. However, he doesn't have that grit or bite that Aidan Morris had. Morris is the one who will go into challenges to fight for the ball back. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty and get into some physical altercations, either. Zawadzki, on the other hand, is a bit more timid when it comes to tackling. I am not saying he doesn't go for a challenge, but he is a bit more tedious and chooses the moments; Whereas Morris would go into a challenge right from the jump. A depth piece would certainly work, but I don't see anybody dethroning the midfield of Darlington Nagbe and Zawadzki.
BCS: Houston and Columbus are two of the highest possession teams in MLS. How do you see this clash playing out and do you think Nancy could throw in anything different as far as tactics or the style of play we see from the Crew in this match?
MR: I don't see anything different in Nancy's approach to this game. If anything, there could be a minor tweak in when our outside center backs go into attack mode. I think Columbus dominates possession and dictates the game but will allow Houston to play their game with the momentum that Columbus sets forward if that makes sense.
BCS: New Dynamo captain Artur previously spent time in Columbus. What memories do you have of him and did you see him growing into the midfield anchor that he is today?
MR: Artur was incredibly loved by everyone in Columbus. He made himself a household name. We knew in Columbus that he could be a great midfield presence. It sucks it couldn't be in Columbus, but I'm happy he has been able to be a great asset to a team. I would say my favorite memory of his time in Columbus was his goal in the 2020 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final which helped the Crew beat a red-hot New England Revolution side.
BCS: Are there any notable injuries for Columbus and what is your best guess at a lineup prediction?
MR: As far as I know, Lassi Lappalainen is still questionable. Nicholas Hagen is out with a broken finger. We won't know any more updates until the injury report gets sent out, but those are two that I know of off the top of my head.
PROJECTED LINEUP (3-4-2-1)
GK: Schulte
DEF: Amundsen -- Cheberko -- Moreira
MID: Arfsten -- Zawadzki -- Nagbe (c) -- Farsi
FWD: Chambost -- JRR -- Rossi
———
We want to thank Tyler for his time and wish our friends in Columbus the best of luck Saturday afternoon. Be sure to check out our responses to Tyler’s questions tomorrow at Massive Report.
