For the first seven matches of the Major League Soccer season, predicting the starting 11 for the Columbus Crew was relatively easy. Outside of one swap at forward and the occasional switch at the winger role, head coach Caleb Porter kept close to the same starting group on the field.
After an injury to midfielder Lucas Zelarayán and the Black & Gold trading forward Gyasi Zardes to the Colorado Rapids, it’s become a bit more difficult. In the last two matches, Columbus switched from the team’s usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3, adding more of a presence in the midfield and removing Zelarayán’s role of offensive facilitator.