The Columbus Crew will begin defence of their MLS Cup on Saturday as they open the 2024 domestic campaign by welcoming Atlanta United to Lower.com Field.
These sides met in a three-game opening-round playoff series last season, with the Crew winning the decisive third match by a 4-2 score.
Match preview
The opening season for Wilfried Nancy in Columbus was a smashing success, with his tactical approach putting the opposition off balance as their width and attacking quality led them to a third MLS Cup.
Nancy inherited a side that had missed the post-season two years in a row before his arrival, with the Crew matching a single-season club record for points (57) in 2023, scoring the most goals in MLS (67).
His ability to put together a game model that can help his side control matches while also developing talent at the same time is not typical, but it is an approach which could be sustainable in the short and long term.
Letting attacking star Lucas Zelarayan move to the Saudi Pro League may have been the best move for the Crew last season, as the team looked a lot more dynamic and balanced across the board following his departure, with 14 different players finding the back of the net.
Plenty of individual creativity was also on display in Columbus over the 2023 campaign, with 16 players collecting at least one assist.
While they take a lot of risks going forward, this team can leave space in behind and often give the ball away, conceding three or more goals in five regular season affairs a year ago.
There will likely be heightened expectations for the Five Stripes in 2024, with the front office adding plenty of experienced talent from MLS and Europe.
After missing the 2022 playoffs, Gonzalo Pineda guided them back into the post-season a year ago, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference, improving by 11 points in 2023.
Like Columbus, they were susceptible to the counter and gave up far too many quality scoring opportunities, conceding 53 goals in the regular season, more than anyone that made the playoffs.
The hope was that moving to a 4-2-3-1 formation a season ago would limit the number of goals they concede, but the Five Stripes struggled to track runners throughout the 2023 campaign.
On the other hand, they were among the highest-scoring sides in MLS, finishing second to Columbus in goals scored during the 2023 regular season (66).
Atlanta have lost three successive matches to Columbus at Lower.com Field, including a 6-1 thumping in the 2023 domestic campaign, with their only triumph at that venue coming in 2021 (3-2).
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Team News
Will Sands missed the majority of the 2023 campaign for the Columbus Crew after suffering a serious cruciate ligament tear.
Columbus added Derrick Jones from Charlotte FC in the off-season and signed Marino Hinestroza from Pachuca, with the Colombian expected to compete for a place in the lineup against Mohamed Farsi.
The contract of Josh Williams expired, Kevin Molino and the club mutually parted ways and Julian Gressel joined Inter Miami in free agency.
Machop Chol missed a good portion of the 2023 campaign for the Five Stripes as he was dealing with a serious hamstring injury.
Bartosz Slisz comes over from Legia Warsaw, helping them capture the Polish Cup and Polish Super Cup last season, Xande Silva joins them from Dijon in Ligue 2, Stian Gregersen was previously with Bordeaux and Josh Cohen could be their goalkeeper of the future, having guided Maccabi Haifa to three successive Israeli Premier League titles.
Santiago Sosa will be with Racing Club in Argentina on loan this season, Matheus Rossetto is back in Brazil, joining Athletico Paranaense, while Miles Robinson signed with the 2023 Supporters' Shield winners, FC Cincinnati.
Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:
Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Amundsen; Hinestroza, Nagbe, Morris, Yeboah; Matan, Hernandez, Rossi
Atlanta United possible starting lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Gregersen, Abram, Wiley; Slisz, Muyumba; Lobzhanidze, Almada, Silva; Giakoumakis
We say: Columbus Crew 3-2 Atlanta United
Both sides play an attractive brand of attacking football, and with the quality of 2023 MLS Cup MVP Cucho Hernandez and Giorgos Giakoumakis on display, we expect the back of the net to bulge a few times.
We are giving the Crew the edge because most of their key players and chance creators have played together in big games, whereas this Atlanta side may need more time to familiarise themselves with one another.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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