New York Soccer Journal spoke with Ty Fisher of Massive Report to learn more about the Columbus Crew, New York City FC's opponent on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Here is your NYCFC vs Columbus Crew preview.
• League Form: L-W-W-L-D
• Record: 3W, 3D, 5L | 12 points, 10th place
• Scoring Leader: Wessam Abou Ali, 5 goals
• Assist Leader: Max Arfsten, 4 assists
1. Columbus fans are down
New York Soccer Journal: In their first season under coach Henrik Rydström, Columbus Crew have found their form after a rocky start, winning three of their last six games. How are Columbus fans feeling about the season so far and Rydström?
Ty Fisher: Fans are feeling let down, quite honestly. And it's not a bad thing, it's just that this fanbase was so spoiled by early, quick success from Wilfried Nancy that they expected it to translate under Rydström. It's a harsh reality that doesn't seem to be liked. It's almost like when Ohio State football lost to Michigan prior to this past year, when they lost four straight. They didn't want to accept the reality. That's what this season is like, but it is what it is.
2. Lacking goals without Wessam Abou Ali
NYSJ: After scoring five goals in seven games, Wessam Abou Ali suffered a season-ending ACL tear. How have the Crew adapted offensively without Abou Ali?
TF: I don't think they've adapted. We are without a true No 9 and it shows. Diego Rossi has gone cold, Dániel Gazdag still hasn't found his footing, and Nariman Akhundzada is playing Open Cup games with hardly any MLS minutes under his belt. It's hard to say where the goals are going to come from without Abou Ali, but they have been scored. Maybe just not as often as people would like.
3. Max Arfsten, bound for Europe?
NYSJ: Tallying three goals and four assists, United States men's national team World Cup-hopeful Max Arfsten has been great for Columbus this season. How important is he to the Crew’s success?
