Columbus Crew Starting Lineup vs. Los Angeles FC: Updated Roster & Starting 11 Information
Contents
Get updated Columbus Crew starting lineup and roster information ahead of the team’s MLS championship match against LAFC this Saturday (12/9/23) at Lower.com Field in Columbus Ohio. The Crew enter the game with +125 odds to win, while LAFC enters with +200 odds to win.
Columbus Crew Starting 11 Vs. LAFC
- GK- Patrick Schulte (United States)
- LB- Malte Amundsen (Denmark)
- CB- Rudy Camacho (France)
- RB- Steven Moreira (Cape Verde)
- LM- Yaw Yeboah (Ghana)
- MF- Aidan Morris (United States)
- MF- Darlington Nagbe (United States)
- RM- Mohamed Farsi (Canada)
- AM- Diego Rossi (Uruguay)
- AM- Alexandru Matan (Romania)
- ST- Juan Hernández (Colombia)
After winning the MLS cup in 2020, the Columbus Crew had an extended championship hangover as they missed the playoffs entirely in both 2021 and 2022. This year, they were back as a vengeance, as they didn’t need the new expanded postseason format to make it; they finished third in the league across the regular season.
The playoffs have been filled with drama, to say the least. It took three high-flying games for the Crew to get out of their first-round matchup with a highly-touted Atlanta team, and they fought to a scoreless draw against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Semifinals before pulling away with a pair of goals in extra time.
Then, madness truly ensued in the Eastern Conference Finals against in-state rivals Cincinnati. After falling behind 2-0 in the first half, the Crew fired back goals in the 75th and 86th minutes to force overtime. Once there, Christian Ramirez became a club hero by sending them through to the MLS Cup Final with a 114th minute strike.
Now, the two-time champs will face the defending the current cup holders, Los Angeles FC. The Crew is favored to lift the trophy once more after coming out of the more challenging Eastern Conference, but this matchup between each conference’s third seed is seen by most as a very close one. Picking the right lineup will be of the utmost importance for Columbus if they want to get back on top of the MLS, so let’s take a look at their stars and how they might line up.
Columbus is versatile enough to play a few different variations built off of a back three, but against Cincinnati in the semifinal, they went with a concise, centered formation based around a strong midfield. After the magical comeback win over top-seeded Cincy, it’s not likely that they’ll change things up too much, but you never quite know what manager Wilfried Nancy has up his sleeve, so stay tuned to see the official team news when it’s announced.
Columbus Crew vs. LAFC Prediction
It’s incredibly hard to pull off a repeat in the MLS cup, especially as the field continues to expand- there’s a reason nobody’s done it since the LA Galaxy back in 2012. Can their cross-town rivals do the same before their first decade of existence is up?
In short, no. The Crew is a battle-tested squad after coming through a brutal Eastern Conference. Just by points, they would have been the top seed in the West even though they were the #3 squad in their own bracket. Of course, the regular season is over, and only one opponent matters. Interestingly enough, these two teams have not clashed at any point this season, so it will be a totally fresh matchup for both fanbases and neutrals alike.
The issue for LA is that their whole case rests on one man; goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who has not allowed a goal in three consecutive sensational performances, across which he has made 17 saves. That kind of shot volume will eventually yield results- as great as Crépeau has been, he can’t keep delivering 1-0 wins forever. Columbus scored an MLS-high 67 goals in the regular season with an explosive attack centered around star attacker Cucho Hernández, and will prove to be too much for Crépeau to manage.
Columbus Crew Full Roster
Goalies:
24- Evan Bush
28- Patrick Schulte
32- Brady Scott
Defenders:
2- Philip Quinton
3- Josh Williams
4- Rudy Camacho
12- Gustavo Vallecilla
18- Malte Amundsen
21- Yevhen Cheberko
23- Mohamed Farsi
30- William Sands
31- Steven Moreira
94- Jimmy Medranda
Midfielders:
7- Julian Gressel
8- Aidan Morris
14- Yaw Yeboah
16- Isaiah Parente
20- Alexandru Matan
25- Sean Zawadzki
39- Thomas Roberts
Forwards:
9- Cucho Hernández
10- Diego Rossi
13- Kevin Molino
17- Christian Ramírez
19- Jacen Russell-Rowe
27- Maximillian Arfsten
37- Gibran Rayo
38- Noah Fuson
52- Taha Habroune
Columbus Crew Starting 11 FAQ
- Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Starting Goalkeeper?
- Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Starting Striker?
- Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Best Player?
Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Starting Goalkeeper?
American youngster Patrick Schulte is the full-time keeper for Columbus. He’s allowed eight goals already this postseason, so after his teammates have picked him up so reliably, he’ll be looking to return the favor with a great performance in the finale.
Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Starting Striker?
The front man for Columbus is Cucho Hernández, who has been undoubtedly the team’s biggest star. In five playoff matches, he has scored four times and assisted the overtime strike to send the Crew to the final. Across the regular season, his total of 16 goals was good for fourth in the league, and he chipped in 11 assists to boot, so it was definitely a season to remember for the Colombian striker.
Who Is the Columbus Crew’s Best Player?
The easy answer is Cucho, who has been the star for Columbus all year long, but to highlight something of an unsung star, Aidan Morris has been a key engine in the midfield for Columbus in these playoffs, as he’s averaged a FotMob match score of 7.83 across the five matches
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