The Columbus Crew knew July was going to be a difficult month. There was near certainty that Gyasi Zardes, Eloy Room, Kevin Molino and Derrick Etienne Jr. would be called up to their various national teams to play in the Gold Cup. Luis Diaz was another possibility.
President and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko and head coach Caleb Porter planned for this period, adding depth last offseason to make sure that when players did get called up, there would be options available.
What Bezbatchenko and Porter didn’t plan for was the rash of injuries the 2021 Crew has endured that tested that depth earlier than anticipated.