Three Players to Watch: Columbus Crew

(image via Columbus Crew)

Each week we’ll be looking more into the Houston Dynamo’s opponent, talking to media that covers the team, digging into what we can expect from that squad, and in this series, taking a look at three players to watch from the upcoming opponent. The Dynamo now hit the road for a meeting with the always dangerous Columbus Crew. The MLS original has certainly gotten weaker thanks to the departure of their star Cucho Hernandez, however Wilfred Nancy’s men should never be counted out.

Diego Rossi

Rossi has been an MLS staple since his days at LAFC and returned to MLS with Columbus after a spell in Turkey. Last year, we saw the best version of Rossi. He is a quick and technically gifted attacker who now has all eyes on him thanks to Cucho's departure. Rossi already has two goals in his two first MLS games this season, and Houston needs to be aware of Rossi being giveb the creative space to cut inside and create some magic within the box. Rossi has torched Houston before, scoring in a July 2019 match with LAFC, so there’s no reason he can’t do it again.

Darlington Nagbe

4-time MLS Cup winner, 2-time Open Cup winner, and 400 MLS appearances (and counting). Darlington Nagbe has a strong case to be known as the greatest midfielder in the history of MLS. He is a high-IQ, physically gifted player who genuinely has it all regarding his abilities on the field. I wanted to highlight a player with a more interesting case for your attention, however, Nagbe has flat-out done it all. Never count out the greats.

Mohamed Farsi

Farsi was one of the best players in Columbus’s 2024 Leagues Cup run, and he is a player that can cause trouble for either of Houston’s wingers. He’s quick, physical, and often quickly pushes the ball into a more advanced position. For a team that has severely lacked good performances from their wing positions, going up against a player like Farsi has the potential to cause havoc and potentially hit Houston where they are weakest.