Columbus Crew's refusal to score on display once again, who will step up? | OneFootball

I miss the days when..... I miss the days when Columbus was making a mockery of opposing defenses on their way to finishing with the second highest goal count in the league last season. I miss when getting shut out was a feather in the cap of the opposing teams and consecutive shut-outs were unheard of (happened only once last season). I miss the first game of the season where Diego Rossi and Jacen Russell-Rowe made us feel like we may be ok. Seems true colors are starting to show however and my how ugly they are.

It's not about getting dog-walked by LAFC out on the West Coast in a weeknight game that bothers me. We don't have the horses this year to compete in those competitions the way we once did. This year should be about league play as that's our best chance to keep the train moving forward as opposed to coming to a screeching halt. Which seeems to be the case with our scoring touch. There's no shame in losing 3-0 to a team who is on a mission to prove to the league and teams others outside of the league they are for real, hats off to them. It has everything to do with following that up with a scoreless draw against a Houston team that was in search of their first point of the season. We are one great striker finish by Russell-Rowe away from being blanked for 3 consecutive games. Let that sink in. We are all aware some grace was needed with expectations coming into the year, but this most recent result is an ultimate test of patience.

This most recent display against Houston is the most concerning. Russell-Rowe has quickly become a name opposing coaches know and will hone in on and that was evident on Saturday. Seemingly everytime the ball found his feet he was met with a defender right on his back. Teams now know if given any space Russell-Rowe is good enough to pick his spots. On a team with limited strikers it's not difficult to hone in on the one that's been the most productive. This means we would need others to step up and prove they can do it, unfortunately that's yet to happen. Let's take a look at the players who have the opportunity to potentially fix the offensive woes:

Max Arfsten

A player I had so much hope for coming into the season, Max Arfsten, has struggled early. He's clearly pressing mentally, trying too hard and looks to be trying to force the ball in the net instead of shooting it. He has the talent, he has the ability, he just needs to relax a little bit, let the game come to him and trust in his abilities. He needs to be what the great Bruce Lee said and "Be like water". I trust once he relaxes and finds his confidence again he will regain form.

Diego Rossi

His brace in the season opener feels like a lifetime ago at this point. There are times Rossi just seems disinterested, tentative when going forward. There were hopes he could fill in (not replace) some of the role of being "the guy". Each game it seems more evident he just doesn't have that in him. He will surprise with a brace now and then, he can finish. He's capped by his limited 1v1 abilities and his lack of power behind his outside shots. He did have a nice free kick on Saturday against Houston, but the power behind the kick allowed the keeper to make a rather comfortable save. It feels like what we see of Rossi right now is just what we're going to get. A guy that can sometimes score, but needs help doing so. He is playing hard defensively so this is not intended to be a knock on him, as a player he does have something to offer. At the moment we just need more.

Dylan Chambost

I was hoping for more early in the season out of Dylan Chambost. He came in with a bit of hype surrounding his attacking abilities, but it feels like he's yet to unleash any of it. He's had opportunities to go forward, but seems content in either going backward or laterally and letting someone else be assertive. He just seems to be kind of riding the wave, the kid in the group who doesn't participate but still wants the A in the group project. I believe in his ability to attack, just want to see more of it. Especially in a situation where it seems everyone is in the same boat of waiting for someone else to do it. Now is the time for Dylan to show us what he can do, impact the game and leave his mark on it. He feels to me like he needs a bit of fire out there. I'm certainly not ready to give up on him yet, but I can say if he doesn't show more very soon those days are fast approaching like dark clouds rolling in before a storm.

Jacen Russell-Rowe

I included him in this list even as our most adept striker simply because I feel this is the time for his next evolution as a player. He's already proven his great finishing ability that comes so naturally to him. His composure on the ball, his vision, he has all the tools you'd want out of a target. His first touch will need to improve, a couple of times the ball came in from the defense and a sloppy trap allowed the opposing team to clean it up. Overall though, he's our best option right now and I do believe this "on-the-job" training will be very good for his evolution. Once he can improve his first touch, become more assertive in demanding the ball, I believe he can turn into a very solid option going forward. He's a developing striker who's learning but needs more time to become seasoned.

So there we have it, the four archetypes of our attack right now. A promising talent trying to force a square into a circle, a veteran player with capped potential, a promising signing from last year still waiting to make his presence known and a young striker still in development. That's how we arrive at back to back shutouts.

I want to shoutout the Columbus defense before wrapping this up. Herrera played very admirably in his spot start and loved his ambitions of getting forward into the attack. He did very well in filling in for Moreira, I liked his game a lot. Malte Amundsen had his best game of his season in my eyes. He looked very intentional defensively, flying around the field to provide pressures. His long ball distribution was on point, it's just unfortunate those seeking long balls were immediately diffused by an unimaginative attack. Not all is lost here, it's still early and we still got a point at home. Nancy ball is still working in creating opportunities. Concern only grows as it feels like nobody on the current roster is ready to grab the bull by the horns. It's there for the taking, somebody just has to step up and want it.