The Columbus Crew finished the team’s preseason and the Carolina Challenge Cup on Friday. Prior to its conclusion, head coach Caleb Porter saw the final match of the tournament as a way to get players prepared for the Major League Soccer regular season. That meant playing a strong starting 11 and giving players as close to 90 minutes as their fitness allowed in order to simulate a league match.
In the 3-0 victory against the Charleston Battery, things looked good for Columbus going into the last 20 minutes of the match. Unfortunately, that’s when center back Josh Williams went to the ground, requiring medical attention.