Federico Higuain entered the Crew’s first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday and quickly changed the game, carving up the Red Bulls defense to create havoc and, later, a Gyasi Zardes goal in a 1-0 win.
Higuain had the benefit, though, of entering a 0-0 game. Had a weary Crew team, which played 120 minutes in a knockout round game at D.C. United on Thursday, allowed a first-half goal, the Red Bulls might have played more compact down the stretch.
Instead, Higuain had room to work with, a soccer canvas on which to paint. Crew coach Gregg Berhalter rolled out a 4-4-2 lineup to begin the game in hopes that the group might be able to keep New York off the scoreboard long enough to get Higuain in the game.
Mission accomplished. With strong defensive shape and a little mental fortitude to fight its collective fatigue, the Crew managed to keep the ball out of the net.
“What I thought we did extremely well was match the competition. If you look at the game as a whole, you would have never thought that we played 120 minutes three days ago,” midfielder Wil Trapp said. “The effort was amazing, matching their competition because that’s what they do so well. They battle you, they make it hard, they make it difficult and they put you in uncomfortable positions and I thought we did a really good job dealing with that.
“Then you bring Pipa (Higuain) in the game and he makes the difference.”
A scoreless first half was how Berhalter said he “scripted” the game, but it was a risky first act. The Crew appeared vulnerable at least a few times, including a series of corner kicks around the half-hour mark, but did not break.
“It happened to work out today but it might not have worked out. That was a risk that we had to take and thankfully it did work out, ” Berhalter said. “Thankfully we got to halftime in a good position and we could bring a quality player on with full energy, but it happened to work out for us.”
A center back pairing of Jonathan Mensah and Josh Williams held the Red Bulls in check, and goalkeeper Zack Steffen responded when called into action. The first 45 wasn’t mistake free for Crew SC, but free of critical mistakes. It was a positive outcome for Higuain’s sake, but one he understands just as easily could not have happened.
“It’s not gonna happen every time. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Higuain said of a scoreless first half for the Red Bulls. “I think I’m happy because in the last few games, we have a clear understanding of these types of games. We’re playing with heart, with high intensity and that is good.
“This is playoffs. It’s not easy. It’s not about tactics, it’s not about fancy football, it’s about every single ball and we are doing good.”
Steffen saves the day
An improved Crew defense has in some games meant less activity for Steffen.
But in those games, the chances created by the opponent are often game-altering. Sunday was one of those games.
The New York Red Bulls produced just three shots on target over 90 minutes, but two required significant saves from Steffen to keep the Red Bulls off the scoreboard.
The first game in the 27th minute, when Steffen’s head and the post denied what had the makings of a Tim Parker header goal off a corner kick. It marked the third consecutive game in which Steffen was hit in the head in some form. While this contact was, fortunately, not from another player as in previous instances, Steffen admitted that he might be working through some bad “juju” when it comes to head contact.
Good juju, though, has apparently spread to his performance.
After a strong Crew chance on offense, Steffen came well off his line in the 59th minute to deny what had the makings of a Daniel Royer goal. Had Steffen slowed up or had he taken a different angle to the ball, New York might have scored first.
“That’s in my mind. I have to get it,” Steffen said. “That was a risky play and fortunately enough I was able to get the ball. I saw that and I knew that they were going to play it forward and I knew that there was nobody for us back, so I jumped the gun and fortunately enough I made the play.
His saved his best for last. In the dying seconds, New York’s Alejandro Romero Gamarra drove the ball with his right foot, clearing much of the box — and the heads of Crew defenders in the box — before connecting with striker Bradley Wright-Phillips. With his head half-turned, Wright-Phillips headed the ball, skipping it toward the right post. Steffen angled his body to his left and inward toward the goal to tap away what would have been the equalizer.
“It was huge. They get an away goal (if they score), and that’s not too good for us,” Steffen said. “At first, I was gonna come out for (Gamarra’s) cross and then like a half-second later I knew it was too low and I wasn’t gonna have time to win the ball, so I just tried to drop back and get set for the header and I got a good push and fortunately I kept it out.”
They were three moments in 90 minutes, but three monumental moments in determining the likelihood of Crew SC’s postseason chances moving forward.
“To me, that was a different level that he showed he has,” Berhalter said.
Injury update
Winger Niko Hansen was a surprise addition to the injury report this week, listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Hansen subbed on for Justin Meram around the hour mark Thursday’s knockout round game against D.C. United, played 30 minutes of extra time and made a crucial penalty kick but sustained an injury during the game, Berhalter said.
Hansen was not in the 18 and watched Sunday’s game from a players’ suite on the west side of Mapfre Stadium. As he walked through the tunnel toward the locker room post-game, he sported a walking boot.
“We still don’t have official word,” Berhalter said Sunday of Hansen’s injury. “I wish I could tell you more. It’s a walking boot, it doesn’t look great, but we don’t have official word of what’s wrong.”
With Hansen out and Pedro Santos not starting due to his own injury suffered in Thursday’s game, Luis Argudo started on the right wing, opposite Justin Meram. He played 67 minutes before coming off for Santos.
The Hansen injury is a tough one for Crew SC, which in recent weeks has relied on Hansen’s ability to get behind the back line. He delivered the game-winning assist in the Crew’s 3-2 win over Minnesota United on the final day of the regular season.
Around the league
Crew SC was one of two home teams to win a first leg Sunday. In addition to the Crew logging a 1-0 first leg win, Portland defeated Seattle 2-1 and will try to hang on and qualify for the Western Conference finals Thursday in Seattle.
Real Salt Lake took a 1-0 lead on an Albert Rusnak goal in the 51st before Diego Rubio banged in an equalizer in the 60th to secure a 1-1 tie.
Atlanta United was the lone road team to win. Eric Remedi’s 37th minute goal stood as the lone score in a 1-0 Atlanta United victory.
The Crew will have the late game of three Sunday, as it kicks off at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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