After being appointed as the Columbus Crew coach on New Year’s Eve, former Malmo FF manager Henrik Rydstrom shared his vision for the MLS in a Swedish newspaper.
“I want a team that feels like a rock band,” Rydstrom stated.
The Crew (14-8-12, 54 points last season) aim to perform well when they kick off their season Saturday at Portland (11-12-11, 44 points).
Last season, the Crew faced challenges after losing standout Juan “Cucho” Hernandez to Real Betis in Spain’s La Liga shortly before the season began. This led to a seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference and an early playoff exit.
Designated players Diego Rossi, Daniel Gazdag, and Wessam Abou Ali played together for only 150 minutes last year but managed five goals and three assists in that time, offering optimism for the upcoming season.
“It’s great that we started the season together and have had a full preseason together,” Rossi noted.
The Crew will need to fill the gap left by retired Darlington Nagbe, who was a key figure in the midfield for six seasons in Columbus after beginning his career in Portland and spending two seasons in Atlanta.
The Timbers finished eighth in the Western Conference last season and won a wild-card game before being eliminated by top-seeded San Diego in the playoffs.
Portland has made some roster changes, trading midfielder David Ayala to MLS Cup champions Inter Miami and releasing injured forward Jonathan Rodriguez. They also acquired midfielder Cole Bassett from Colorado, but most of the team remains unchanged.
Midfielder David Da Costa is recovering from shoulder surgery and will miss the start of the season.
“This is my third year, and I believe it’s a year where we have to deliver,” said Timbers coach Phil Neville. “I’m really excited.”