” Amazing. » “Not just pretty, but effective. » “A complete vision. » “I can’t thank him enough. »
All these compliments and good words are for Wilfried Nancy, head coach of the Columbus Crew. They come as much from members of his team as from those of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), the team he will face in the MLS Cup final this Saturday.
This shows how immediate his impact has been since he set off from Montreal to Ohio, a year ago almost to the day. As soon as he arrived, he perfected his playing philosophy, which involves maintaining possession of the ball, starting offensive sequences from the back and moving up the field quickly in favor of short, lively passes.
The most glowing comments came from LAFC’s legendary and charismatic Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.
“[Columbus] has a fantastic maestro in Nancy,” the 39-year-old veteran said at a press conference Thursday. The reigning MLS and Euro champion, which he won in 2021 with Italy, had a smile on his face. Like always.
“Their style of play is incredible,” he adds. What’s most special is that they are so effective. They don’t just play a nice style of game.”
When Nancy was made aware of these comments on Friday morning, he let out a heartfelt “wow”.
What pleases the former CFM the most is that the “extraordinary” Chiellini has “nuanced” when speaking of the “effectiveness” of his team.
“The idea is always to know why we want to have the ball, how we want to use it, what we want to do with it. I appreciate what he says, because it represents what I want to put in place. »
Bleu-blanc-noir supporters reading this, if you’re still bitter about Nancy’s departure from Montreal, find yourself an anti-stress ball to handle. Because praises about him rained down from all over Columbus in the last days.
Even his counterpart Steve Cherundolo, also one of the great technicians of the league in recent years, did not mince his words.
“It’s beautiful to see their matches, their goals,” said the LAFC pilot on Friday. They do a good job. Their idea is based on possession, but their game model is complete. It’s more than passes, there’s verticality, urgency, and everything is goal-oriented. It’s a complete vision of the offensive organization. »
“I send him my compliments for having installed his principles and these behaviors in his team, as he did in Montreal. »
Cherundolo still notes that “all game systems have their weaknesses” and that his team will make sure to “expose them”.
This is not necessarily what worries the French coach, who says he has “already faced this type of opposition” against Philadelphia and Cincinnati during these series.
“It doesn’t change anything in how we prepare for the match,” he emphasizes. What changes is our management of emotions, how we will manage difficult moments during the meeting. »
Especially since the Angelins, champions last year after a completely crazy final, are ready to experience a roller coaster.
“LAFC won last year. They have players who have more experience. But I also like the freshness that we have. Sometimes you ask yourself a little less questions when you’re a little fresher. »
If there is one who is “fresh”, it is the Crew’s rookie goalkeeper, Patrick Schulte. The rise to the Crew’s first team in 2023 is due to Nancy’s flair, which made her take the place of veteran Eloy Room. The coach also entrusted Evan Bush with the role of mentor for the 22-year-old goalkeeper.
“[Nancy] was essential,” Schulte confirmed Thursday. He supported me all year. I can’t thank him enough for everything he has done for me. He worked with me solo in the middle of the year, and he worked with me solo this week. He does this with everyone. What he does with the team has really brought us closer together. He built our trust, which allows us to trust each other. »
