Under manager Fernando Ortiz, Monterrey are more willing to bend than the Crew. Pushing to finish atop the Liga MX Clausura table, they typically dominate possession in league play. But against ball-heavy teams like Columbus, they’ll likely ease off the gas and adopt a balance between possession and transition in a flexible 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 shape. Between the combined goal threat of Brandon Vazquez and Germán Berterame, and Sergio Canales’ vision and passing range, Monterrey also have more than enough quality to cause problems for the Crew. They’ll be a handful and then some.
How effectively Columbus counter-presses and defends in space deeper downfield will be key.
In their quarterfinal win over Inter Miami CF, Monterrey had real success defending with a narrow block that forced Miami out to the wings. We could see a similar approach from Ortiz and his team against the Crew, who love to find Cucho through the middle or in the halfspaces with low, line-breaking passes. The focus for Columbus, then, will be exactly where Nancy wants it: on his team’s ability to create chances and control the game with the ball.
Expect aggressive outside center backs, pushing into the attack to provide a numerical advantage on the wings, while their more central teammates look for gaps between the lines. Or, even when they’re not pushing forward, expect the Crew’s central defenders to probe for progressive passes after quick ball rotation across the backline. These are the kinds of passes and off-ball runs that can tear even a solid block to shreds:
