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Darlington Nagbe is out for the Crew against the Philadelphia Union The Black & Gold will be without one of their top midfielders for the season opener. Share this story Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images The Columbus Crew opens the 2021 Major League Soccer season this Sunday against the Philadelphia Union but will be missing one of the team’s best players. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe will be out for the first MLS contest of the year with a left hamstring injury he sustained in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 game against Real Esteli. Nagbe was subbed off in the second half of that April 8 match in Nicaragua and was unavailable for the second leg in Columbus this past Thursday from the nagging hamstring. He is currently listed as “questionable” on the team’s injury report for the Union match but head coach Caleb Porter informed the media on Saturday afternoon that Nagbe will not play on Sunday. ....
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Columbus Crew fans received unfortunate news on Saturday morning. The club announced that young midfielder Aidan Morris will be out for 9-12 months with a severe Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his left knee. He will undergo ACL reconstruction and sit out the 2021 season to recover. Morris fell hard to the pitch in pain from a non-contact play in Thursday night’s win against Real Esteli in the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16. He left the match in just the ninth minute and was seen watching in a full leg brace for the duration of the second half. ....
Photo courtesy of CONCACF The Columbus Crew knew the 2021 season would be tough. Not only are the Black & Gold the reigning MLS Cup champions, which puts a target on the team’s back, but winning that title means the Crew is in more competitions than during last year’s run. Because Columbus knew this heading into the season, president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko and head coach Caleb Porter planned in the offseason for more games and match congestion. They stated the team wanted to put more trophies in the trophy case and prepared by adding more quality depth. What they didn’t expect was for that depth to be tested so soon. ....
It was a picture perfect start and then some for the Columbus Crew to start the 2021 season and its journey in the CONCACAF Champions League. The MLS Cup champions dominated Nicaraguan powerhouse Real Esteli in a 4-0 road win to earn the team’s first true road win in more than a year and virtually seal a spot in the CCL quarterfinals. Columbus scored all of its goals in the first half with Gyasi Zardes netting twice, Pedro Santos scoring a penalty and Jonathan Mensah finishing a rare goal. The Crew lineup was nearly at full strength with the most notable eye catcher being Derrick Etienne Jr.’s start at right back. First-choice right back Harrison Afful and backup Marlon Hairston were not available as substitutes, leaving Etienne as the choice by head coach Caleb Porter. Young midfielder Aidan Morris once again was selected to start on the big stage with a similar front four (Luis Diaz, Lucas Zelarayan, Pedro Santos and Gyasi Zardes) that played throughout last season. ....