Star trio loses second piece this week leaving fans scrambling for answers | OneFootball

And then there was one. With fans still reeling a bit from the Cucho Hernandez move to Real Betis on February 3, another blow was dealt just two days later as the Christian Ramirez to LA Galaxy trade was announced. This leaves Diego Rossi as the lone piece remaining of the star trio that guided Columbus to a MLS Cup title in 2023, a Leagues Cup title and a CONCACAF Champions Cup Runner-up in 2024. These moves have left fans wondering what is the plan for the upcoming season and who will be able to fill the void of the 47 goal contributions Cucho and Ramirez were responsible for in 2024 (regular season). Columbus just lost 37% of their team goals from last season in one week with no rumors of a contingency plan in sight. These adjacent moves have the feel of letting some air out a balloon, leaving fans in shock as the 2025 season rapidly approaches.

In a vacuum the Ramirez trade to the LA Galaxy isn't a bad one. While the numbers may not be overly impressive with the Crew garnering a return of $500k in GAM (General Allocation Money) with $250k of that guaranteed, it seemed to be a win-win for the club and player. Ramirez gets to return home to Southern California and Columbus gets at least something in return for a 33 year old poaching striker. I want to be clear and state that by all accounts Ramirez was a great teammate and his knack for timely goals will surely be missed. Problem here is this move came within days of the Cucho news, and in tandem these moves have left Crew fans a bit deflated.

As Crew fans collectively wonder about the what, why and how for the 2025 season, I think it's a good opportunity to exercise trust in a leadership regime that has proven time and time again along with the dark comes the light. Right now it's easy to be angry, upset, confused, hurt and those are all valid given this recent string of news. My challenge would be to stay "above the line" and start asking the question of "what if"? Perhaps this is the optimist in me, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel on any team led by Wilfried Nancy, who even going back to his time at CF Montreal has been tested time and time again. Remember when the world was ending with the mid-season losses of Lucas Zelerayan in 2023 and Aidan Morris in 2024? I trust in him to get the most out of his players and tap into the potential of the youth this roster has and will need to mature very quickly.

Perhaps this is the opportunity for Max Arfsten (23 years old) to build on his breakout season in 2024 finishing third on the team in Assists. Maybe we'll get to see much more of Jacen Russell-Rowe (22 years old) as we've seen flashes of his technical ability, soccer IQ and composure and who's already received looks from the Canadian national team. Aziel (AZ) Jackson (23 years old) seems primed for a bigger role with his flashes of ability last season. Not to mention the lone member of the trio remaining Diego Rossi who is only 26 years old and seemed comfortable in times last season without Cucho or Ramirez in the lineup. All these players mentioned above embody the term "versatile". Add to that list Sean Zawadzki, who filled in admirably for Morris last season and seems to have a stronghold as running mate with Darlington Nagbe in the central midfield in 2025, but can fill in at Fullback as well. Recent signing Lassi Lappalainen is another player of that archetype who can play the wingback role on either side. I'm not ready to give up on this team and still look forward to getting back to the dot and see these young players hungry for their opportunity to showcase their abilities

It has been a wild start to the MLS transfer window for the Crew there is no doubt. Surely GM Issa Tall and Nancy already have players in mind to target and are taking a calculated approach to fill the void. Nancy has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to getting results, the task for him just seems that much larger for the upcoming season. As far as the person that will surely take the brunt of the fanbase questions in Issa Tall, he's made it clear he wants to prioritize doing right by the players and that's an admirable trait. Unfortunately admiration doesn't show up in box scores or standings, but doing the right things the right way can lead to good fortune. I will look forward to what he does with the current and Summer transfer windows to keep this team at the top of the table. Winning solves a lot of problems and answers a lot of questions in every sport, and that may be the only option for this Crew team who have a passionate fanbase to appease.