Columbus Crew: The good, the bad and the ugly through first six games | OneFootball

Yes! No! What?! How?! These are all exclamations that can be heard early on in almost any Columbus Crew game you've watched this season. It's been an absolute roller coaster and each game seems to add a little bit of gray hair to all fans watching. Whether it be Diego Rossi missing an A+ chance early in the game, only to see the opposing team go down and score to take a lead, to then Rossi scoring an equalizer minutes later on a solid finish, finally ending on a shot deflection that finds it's way into the back of the net for the go-ahead goal in the second half that seemed to be guided by an angel. That's just the latest in the 2025 Columbus Crew lore after earning yet another tough road victory Saturday night in DC. It's a weird feeling watching this team, it's like we are being gaslit. Are expectations supposed to be low given the talent loss during the off-season? Well how can they be when the results keep telling us different? To make sense of this walk with me on this journey of observations in the early going so far this season:

- Six games played, zero losses. Makes this Crew one of only two teams in the league to still be undefeated (Inter Miami being the other). They've now risen to number two in the MLS power rankings.

- Road warriors. This season Columbus is 2-1-0 in their first three road games with a +2 goal differential. For comparison, in their first three road games in 2024 they went 0-2-1 recording a -2 goal differential. Going back one more season in 2023 the record through their first three road games was 0-1-2 with a goal differential of -4. Has this team finally figured out how to close out road games?

- Defensive prowess. Through the first six games the Crew have allowed four goals, which is good enough for third in the league behind only St Louis and Austin FC. Last season through six games Columbus conceded six goals. This may seem insignificant, but it's very clear the defense is carrying the results so far. What makes this defense even more impressive is the number of different players that have taken a turn working the back line.

- Wilfried Nancy. He continues his masterclass in appealing to his players, getting the most out of their talent and desire. In this early point in the season he has to be considered the leader in the clubhouse for coach of the year. He has this team believing, regardless of who's on the pitch.

- Youth movement. This team continues to collect points while giving meaningful playing time to develop their young players. Cesar Ruvalcaba (23) has now started two games earning a first team contract due to his admirable play. Taha Habroune (19) earned playing time as a sub to come on and help close out the victory against DC on Saturday. Jacen Russell-Rowe (22) is now the primary target at forward, getting valuable experience to help his game get to the next level. AZ Jackson (23) is somewhat of a super sub, providing a ton of energy off the bench to help give the team a late boost. These players are getting exposure early on in their careers which will only help develop them going forward.

The Bad

- Jacen Russell-Rowe. He sure did start the season on fire and looked primed to make his mark as the target forward on this team. Things since the New England game (last time he scored) seemed to have fallen off a bit for him. His touch has failed him, leading into turnovers and lost opportunities. He is very young and deserves grace, the only concern is how well he started and his current trajectory. I remain confident at some point he'll regain form, but right now he has to work through it.

- Who's the alpha? How many times do you find yourself watching this team and yelling "Somebody shoot!"? Let's just say for me if it was a drinking game no chance I'd make it to the end of the match. Herein lies the problem, this team is nice. They all seem like good guys, don't want to create issues or offend anyone. A team full of midfielders, which, is what provides Nancy the versatility he holds dear to his heart so I get it. That approach can and has definitely worked, when there is at least one alpha forward. We are all tired of hearing about Cucho being gone, but he gave us the clear, unquestioned alpha in the attack we needed and gave this team an edge. We now need someone to step into that role or bring in some one who can. We need someone with an edge, who attacks the game, demands the ball, shows passion after big plays, attacks the ball defensively with aggression. We are getting beat up by every team we play. At some point, we need to fight back.

- Rossi's Jekyll/Hyde approach. Each game that starts I wonder, "Which Rossi will we get today?" and sometimes that answer is both within the same game (on Saturday it was within minutes). Rossi is looked at as the leader of the attack, we will go as he goes when it comes to getting forward and creating chances. Sometimes he looks very engaged, and sometimes he just....doesn't. He has scored four goals, which is great. Issue is he's scored in two games. He has the talent and ability there is no doubt. Everyone is entitled to a bad game here and there just like everyone else. If he can just improve his consistency there's no doubt in this system Rossi can find himself toward the top of the league in scoring.

The Ugly

- Scoring, or lack thereof. Columbus has scored eight goals through six games which ties them for ninth in the Eastern Conference. They are the only team in the top five of the East to be in the single digits scoring wise. Issue is that half of the scoring output (four goals) came in the season opener, which means they've now scored four goals across the last five games. They've been shutout twice in the last four games. Last season the Crew scored nine goals through their first six and were shutout once for comparison purposes.

- Home draws. As each game week passes the early home draws (both 0-0) to a bad Houston team and a less than impressive NYCFC team look increasingly worse. Perhaps this point is tied to the one regarding this team needing an edge. Yes teams will pack the box against us when we're at home as they try to bleed out a road point, but we need someone on the pitch who will absolutely not accept a 0-0 home draw. This may seem nitpicky, but if this symptom continues as the season goes it's what will separate us from the teams that can get it done. We are getting by right now where these results don't hurt us too much, but we need to get it resolved if we have ambitions of being there in the end. I'm confident in Issa Tall and Nancy to bring in talent over the summer to help, until then I sure hope this kind of grind at home doesn't become the norm.

Overall, I'm very happy with where things stand at the moment. These players are giving everything they have and it shows. We all knew this season would look different and were unsure of what exactly that meant. Through six games I'm still unsure of what it means, all I know is what I've always believed. So long as Nancy is here leading the charge we are going to be a contender. I look forward to how this team evolves and develops, good news is we are still undefeated as we figure all that out. What jumps out at me is the stark need for a player who can come in here and impose his will. Galvanize the troops on the field through passion. We still have the engine and on-field ringleader who can help keep his players balanced in Darlington Nagbe. Maybe we just need to bring in someone with the kind of fire that Nagbe needs to help contain.