'They were better than us': Columbus Crew reflect on 5-1 loss vs Lionel Messi, Inter Miami

Yahoo

15-06-2025

In over two seasons under Wilfried Nancy, the Crew had never conceded more than four goals in a game. That changed with their 5-1 loss at Inter Miami on May 31.
The Crew entered their meeting with Miami, which marked their seventh game in a 28-day span, already dealing with uncharacteristic defensive struggles. After allowing just 13 goals through the first 14 games of the regular season, Columbus gave up a combined five in their two most recent matchups against Charlotte FC and Nashville SC.
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Replay: Lionel Messi scores twice, Columbus Crew handed 5-1 loss vs Inter Miami
Miami took little time figuring out the holes in the Crew's defense and took advantage in the 13th minute when forward Tadeo Allende received a pass from Lionel Messi on a run to score the first goal of the game.
"They were better than us," Nancy said. "We were reactive, not proactive. We were slow a bit, not only physically but also mentally. After that, they did what the team wanted to do in terms of playing the ball in behind, and we were reactive. ... This season we've been good, but today, we were not good – simple as that."
Miami scored again when Messi capitalized on an error from Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen to record the first of two goals. Messi's second goal occurred 11 minutes after Allende's.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates with midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi after scoring against the Crew on May 31.
The Crew went into halftime down 3-0 but showed their only bit of life in the 58th minute when defender Cesar Ruvalcaba scored his first MLS goal with a header off a corner kick.
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Scoring failed to boosted the Crew's momentum as they went back down three goals six minutes later when striker Luis Suarez scored. Substitution Fafa Picault sent the final dagger with a goal at the 89-minute mark.
The Crew finished this 28-day span with a 1-2-4 record, putting their record at 7-3-7 and dropping their ranking from as high as first in the Eastern Conference on May 10 to fifth.
"It's hard mentally, but it's not the end of the world," Crew midfielder Mo Farsi said. "We're still in the playoffs spot. ... It's a bit of a tough moment, but we have to stay positive and keep working. That's it, just don't forget the beginning of the season that we had. It's not because right now it's hard that we have to have to panic."
Without 2 key defenders, Columbus Crew backline woes reach a low vs Inter Miami
There have been teams that have attempted to break through the Crew's backline with long passes during counterattacks, but no team had as much success as Miami.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi runs for the ball against the Crew on May 31.
Of Miami's five goals, three were assisted by long up-field passes.
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"Usually, we always have pressure on the ball to read that, and if we don't have pressure, we drop and we adjust," Nancy said. "We didn't do it. When the ball was in the air, it was too late, and we should have reacted before. This is something that we didn't do. That's why we got punished."
The Crew were without defender Sean Zawadzki, who was credited with containing Messi in Columbus' 1-0 loss to Miami on April 19, due to a knee injury. Ten minutes into this Miami matchup, the backline also lost Malte Amundsen to a leg injury.
Columbus Crew unable to comeback from first-half collapse vs Inter Miami
The Crew's entire lineup went into halftime knowing they'd been outplayed by Miami.
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Along with the defense allowing two long balls that led to goals, Hagen showed his first signs of struggle since taking over in goal for an injured Patrick Schulte two games earlier. On Messi's first goal, Hagen sent the pass directly to Messi, leading to the shot.
Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko reacts after the game against Inter Miami on May 31.
The Crew only took three shots, none on goal.
"You can imagine at halftime I was not happy," Nancy said. "They were not happy, too. … This is rare that we are like this. That's why I was not happy and I felt it at halftime, I had to ask myself - and also my staff - to think about why we had a lack of personality. Usually, this is not us. This was my message. We had a kind of reaction in the second half, but still the same."
Columbus Crew go into FIFA international break following Inter Miami loss
Due to the FIFA international break, the Crew have nearly two weeks to regroup before returning to the field on June 14 to face the league's top team, the Vancouver Whitecaps.
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Nancy, however, is ready to turn the corner on this loss and Columbus' winless streak.
"I don't want a break," Nancy said. "I want to go back and to work. At the same time, they need a break and everybody needs a break. That's why we're going to take the time to analyze this game. It won't be difficult, to be honest, to analyze this game because we got punished on the same situation."
The Crew host the Whitecaps at Lower.com Field, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew handed 5-1 loss vs Lionel Messi, Inter Miami: Takeaways