SDFC vs Columbus Crew: Match Preview

Written by San Diego FC Dmitry

March 14th, 2025

Hello and welcome to the first blog for Life in Chrome and Azul! Thanks so much for taking the time to check out the content. I hope you all enjoy the season-long coverage of our beloved club and keep coming back! Let’s get into it.

San Diego is coming off of a super entertaining, hard fought game in altitude at Salt Lake City where we scored 2 late goals to get the 3 points. We will look to continue the momentum this weekend against a very talented Columbus Crew side.

Media Availability

Mikey Varas praised the Crew in his media presser after training on Thursday afternoon saying that over the last 2 years, “Columbus played the best football in the league.” Despite recognizing the talent of the opponent, Varas made it clear that the game plan will consist of being aggressive on and off the ball and going for the win. It is obvious that SDFC will not play timid and we can all expect a similar game style as we’ve seen in the previous games.

He also gave us an update on Chucky Lozano, saying that he is week-to-week and that the recovery is going well. “It’s all been good news up to now”, Varas commented. This makes me believe that Chucky’s chances have increased to being back at the 4-week mark at the earliest, which would put him in line to face LAFC on 3/29. We will all surely hope for this scenario.

Potential Lineup - SDFC

This brings me to my next topic – SDFC potential lineup on Saturday. We got great news about Paddy McNair, who exited last game with a foot injury but is slated to start this weekend. Also, big congrats to him as he was selected for the Northern Ireland national team. When asked about how the team is dealing with players who get called up to represent their countries on the national stage, Mikey Varas was quick to note that the team is very supportive of that and believe that it is a great accomplishment.

I believe SDFC will go with a similar lineup to that of what we saw in SLC.

Dos Santos, who won Man of the Match last game, gets the much deserved start in goal as he looks to continue his dominant start.

Forwards

I do not foresee much change to this lineup but what I can see Mikey doing is potentially switching Tomas Angel and Ingvartsen. Ing finally netted his first goal, which we were all waiting for. Hopefully that gives him the confidence boost he needs to become the finisher we need him to be. Tomas Angel, on the other hand, now has 2 assists and is better at playing the supportive role. That ball he played to Negri for the header goal was an absolute beauty. He was also the one to play a perfect through ball, splitting the defenders, to assist Anders Dreyer in the second goal of the LA Galaxy match. Speaking of Dreyer, it would only make sense if he was the first SDFC player to score at Snapdragon. His quick start to the season has been nothing short of remarkable. He is the cornerstone of our offense and we need him to continue playing the way he has.

Midfielders

Luca De La Torre almost got himself on the scoring sheet last weekend but was denied by a diving save. I love what he is doing and what he’s been able to bring to our team. He’s distributing the ball, defending, and taking his opportunities to put shots on target. Look for him to get his first goal very soon. Tverskov will need to be the voice of this game as it is crucial that the team stays composed during the aggressive, high press that the Crew will want to play against us. Congrats to Anibal Godoy for being called up to the Panama national team! He will look to continue his good form and physicality in the midfield.

This lineup is designed to control the game and play as a unit in the transition, playing a triangle-type passing style where you have at least 2 options on every part of the pitch. The key to winning this game will be to play mindful soccer as a unit, control possession and minimize the mistakes because Columbus can punish you with the talented players they have by putting away the chances that RSL missed.

Defense

Varas expects his outside backs to support runs and attack when they can, as we’ve seen in the first 3 games, so fitness and the ability to get back to defend will be crucial for Loeffelsend and Negri. Look for them to get subbed in the later part of the game to give way to younger talent like Ian Pilcher and Luca Bombino. Both made small mistakes last game but were able to minimize them while staying composed. I believe they will serve a huge role as we get deeper into the season and the more veteran guys start to show wear and tear.

Columbus Crew

This week’s test is at home against a very solid Columbus Crew team. The Crew currently sit in 3rd place with as many points as SDFC, sporting the same record at 2W-0L-1T. The rain will be gone, the crowd – electric, and the action? Well, the action will definitely be there. This game will look a lot different than the previous home stint against St. Louis FC, who clearly came to San Diego with one intent in mind – Defend. Columbus does not play in the same style. As a matter of fact, the total opposite.

Columbus’ eagerness to get up the field and score matches that of SDFC. As Mikey Varas said in his media availability yesterday, “they play a similar style as us, they are going to be aggressive”. In the game against Houston, the Crew faced a very similar situation as we did against St. Louis. They controlled possession 63% of the time and outshot the Dynamo 11-3 but despite all of that, were not able to break through as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Columbus then faced a solid LAFC squad in the CCC on Tuesday, winning that game 2-1 but losing on aggregate 4-2. Two games in 3 days is surely going to take its toll on the players ahead of this weekend’s match up. Despite the two losses to LAFC and the scoreless draw, Columbus does not shy away from scoring as they’ve netted 7 goals in 5 games, 4 of them coming against Chicago Fire in the home opener.

Columbus Lineup

Comparing the lineups in their last two games, it is clear that they like to play 3 in the back. This allows them to control the midfield and be aggressive pushing numbers in the attack. They went 3-4-3 against the Dynamo and modified to a 3-4-2-1 against LAFC.  

Their main weapon is their skilled no.10 – Diego Rossi who is currently tied for the most goals with their top striker Russell-Rowe at 2 goals each. Russell-Rowe is a quick, elusive front man who finds himself in the right place at the right time and can peel away from the defender at moments notice. Rossi presents danger with his tremendous dribbling and distribution skills. He’s also got a powerful, accurate shot that he likes to take from outside of the box.

On the wings, Farsi gets involved early and often. He is a workhorse with lots of pace who likes to get in the box and create/finish chances. Arfsten, on the other side of the pitch tends to slow up play and help distribute the ball to Diego Rossi or RR.

Weaknesses

Columbus plays 3 in the back and is aggressive in the front, which is a combo for leaving them vulnerable for counter attacks. SDFC has been good at countering teams and creating dangerous chances, we should have plenty of opportunities to do that this weekend.

Tidbits

Ingvartsen is the first player to wear Sketchers cleats in MLS. He noted he was feeling sick leading up the RSL game but toughed it out and got his first goal. When asked about whether he hopes to be called up to the national team, he insisted that his focus is on SDFC first and everything else will come at its own time.

Boateng told the media that the team has been practicing ways to break down defenses with runs and quick passes. He emphasized that the coaches have been doing an excellent job not allowing the team to let complacency set in, a key to their recent success. Mikey Varas called the veteran, Boateng a “great leader on and off the pitch”.

Defender Chris McVey told the media that he has played Columbus “a bunch of times” in the past and knows what they bring. He was quick to point out that the team has been watching film and have identified their weakness points that they will try to exploit on Saturday. In a humorous ending to his media availability, he responded to a question about his high jersey number 97 and why he wears it with, “It is my birth year, otherwise it has no special significance.”

Let’s all cheer on our beloved club this Saturday at 7:30pm and remain undefeated! LFGSDFC!!!!