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The Crew isn’t likely to get bigger anytime soon, but there's one area of growth that's eating at coach Henrik Rydstrom.
More: Columbus Crew 2026 Leagues Cup kickoff times revealed. See here
He wants his team to be meaner and more “cynical,” as he puts it, and not in the Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David examples of the term.
As a player, Rydstrom was a "cynical" midfielder who got by on defensive toughness and a relentless work ethic. T
The Crew, meanwhile, is loaded with skilled possession players who like to play defense by playing offense. Meanness doesn’t come naturally to most of them, so Rydstrom sees a toughness void that must be addressed before more leads disappear in losses like the one they took May 2 against Minnesota United.
“Can you change a person’s personality?” Rydstrom said May 5 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. “No, probably not, but can you change some behaviors? Yeah, of course.”
Rydstrom used the example of children being told that eating candy is bad for their teeth, which probably won’t do much to quell most kids’ candy consumption. Offer a motivational reward for not eating as much candy, however, and your probability of success goes up.
The equivalent of tooth decay for the Crew are set pieces and their response to adversity.
Each of those struggles contributed to their stunning collapse in the second half against Minnesota after leading 2-0. After allowing the Loons to score their first goal off a throw-in, the Crew crumbled while allowing two more goals off set pieces – a corner kick and another uncontested throw-in.
The loss caused Rydstrom to lose sleep.
“If you know a team is good on set pieces, for example, then you don’t give away throw-ins,” he said. “We give it [up] … we are so nice. We give them throw-ins, like, 'Here, you have it, throw the ball, and then you can score.'"
Rydstrom, whose idea of giving the ball away involves, “standing on their feet,” at minimum, couldn’t contain his astounded laughter.
“I see a little bit of change there, but it’s still … we are too nice,” he said. “So, if we are going to compete for real, we need to understand that. I hope they do understand it a little bit more on a deep level after [a May 5] meeting, but we’ll see in the next game.”
Now, it’s time for that next game.
The Crew have a chance to rebound from their Minnesota meltdown with a challenging road match against New York City FC on May 10 at Yankee Stadium, a 4:30 p.m. kickoff against a squad they’re tied with at 12 points.
Can Rydstrom and his coaching staff get the Crew to eat less candy or is there another root canal in store?
“We can probably, in the organization, train players better,” Rydstrom said. “I know how it is to play on [a team like Minnesota], but I know, also, how it is to be cynical. And just because you have the ball and love to play beautiful [soccer], if you’re going to win something, you need to be cynical.
In other words, tougher to play against.
“So, can we change that?” Rydstrom said. “Yeah, I actually believe you can do it. It’s also about how you compete in every training [session]. We have touched [on] that, also … like, the competitive spirit in training.”
That’s ultimately what the Crew’s coach feels will get them over the hump.
“We should be happy that we can play the way we do in some parts of the game, but we are not there yet that we can play that [way] for 90 minutes,” Rydstrom said. “Right now, what does the game need? Do I need to just stand on my opponent?”
Short answer? Yes. Longer answer, allow Rydstrom to provide a visual explanation.
“I told them in the locker room, ‘I was not big,’” Rydstrom said. “I’m not big, but if I had to win a duel, I [found] a way. It doesn’t matter, then, if it’s trash talking or, like, [dividing] his intention or stand on his feet. Maybe [that’s] not allowed, but yeah, you do need to find a way. We are not there yet.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew coach wants more toughness on defense
Continue reading...
More: Columbus Crew 2026 Leagues Cup kickoff times revealed. See here
He wants his team to be meaner and more “cynical,” as he puts it, and not in the Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David examples of the term.
You must be registered for see images attach
As a player, Rydstrom was a "cynical" midfielder who got by on defensive toughness and a relentless work ethic. T
The Crew, meanwhile, is loaded with skilled possession players who like to play defense by playing offense. Meanness doesn’t come naturally to most of them, so Rydstrom sees a toughness void that must be addressed before more leads disappear in losses like the one they took May 2 against Minnesota United.
“Can you change a person’s personality?” Rydstrom said May 5 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. “No, probably not, but can you change some behaviors? Yeah, of course.”
Rydstrom used the example of children being told that eating candy is bad for their teeth, which probably won’t do much to quell most kids’ candy consumption. Offer a motivational reward for not eating as much candy, however, and your probability of success goes up.
You must be registered for see images
The equivalent of tooth decay for the Crew are set pieces and their response to adversity.
Each of those struggles contributed to their stunning collapse in the second half against Minnesota after leading 2-0. After allowing the Loons to score their first goal off a throw-in, the Crew crumbled while allowing two more goals off set pieces – a corner kick and another uncontested throw-in.
The loss caused Rydstrom to lose sleep.
“If you know a team is good on set pieces, for example, then you don’t give away throw-ins,” he said. “We give it [up] … we are so nice. We give them throw-ins, like, 'Here, you have it, throw the ball, and then you can score.'"
Rydstrom, whose idea of giving the ball away involves, “standing on their feet,” at minimum, couldn’t contain his astounded laughter.
“I see a little bit of change there, but it’s still … we are too nice,” he said. “So, if we are going to compete for real, we need to understand that. I hope they do understand it a little bit more on a deep level after [a May 5] meeting, but we’ll see in the next game.”
Columbus Crew aim for rebound vs New York City FC
Now, it’s time for that next game.
The Crew have a chance to rebound from their Minnesota meltdown with a challenging road match against New York City FC on May 10 at Yankee Stadium, a 4:30 p.m. kickoff against a squad they’re tied with at 12 points.
Can Rydstrom and his coaching staff get the Crew to eat less candy or is there another root canal in store?
“We can probably, in the organization, train players better,” Rydstrom said. “I know how it is to play on [a team like Minnesota], but I know, also, how it is to be cynical. And just because you have the ball and love to play beautiful [soccer], if you’re going to win something, you need to be cynical.
In other words, tougher to play against.
“So, can we change that?” Rydstrom said. “Yeah, I actually believe you can do it. It’s also about how you compete in every training [session]. We have touched [on] that, also … like, the competitive spirit in training.”
You must be registered for see images attach
That’s ultimately what the Crew’s coach feels will get them over the hump.
“We should be happy that we can play the way we do in some parts of the game, but we are not there yet that we can play that [way] for 90 minutes,” Rydstrom said. “Right now, what does the game need? Do I need to just stand on my opponent?”
Short answer? Yes. Longer answer, allow Rydstrom to provide a visual explanation.
“I told them in the locker room, ‘I was not big,’” Rydstrom said. “I’m not big, but if I had to win a duel, I [found] a way. It doesn’t matter, then, if it’s trash talking or, like, [dividing] his intention or stand on his feet. Maybe [that’s] not allowed, but yeah, you do need to find a way. We are not there yet.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew coach wants more toughness on defense
Continue reading...
