Nicole: Wait, hold on. Did you see that stoppage-time winner against Miami? One moment the Crew were staring down a loss, and the next, Jamal Thiaré is lifting the city off its feet. But now we’re sitting at twenty-fifth in the league with a record that just doesn’t add up to that kind of magic. How do you reconcile a late-season heroics story with a season-long identity crisis?
Kevin: It’s the classic Columbus paradox, Nicole. You have moments of absolute brilliance—like Thiaré’s eighth-minute stoppage time strike—but then you look at the standings, and it’s brutal. Twenty-fifth place. Nine wins, five losses, fifteen draws. It’s a team that can stun Inter Miami one week and get outplayed by Portland the next.
Nicole: Welcome to the Beatline Podcast Network! I’m Nicole, and this is your daily dose of MLS analysis. Joining me as always is our lead analyst, Kevin. We are diving deep into the Columbus Crew mailbag today. If you’ve been confused by our standing, or frustrated by our defensive line, or just wondering what happened to Federico Higuain, we have answers for all of you.
Kevin: That’s right. Today we’re looking at the current roster picture, the implications of that recent loss to Portland, and whether those creative midfield gaps we talked about last week have finally cost us any real playoff hope. We’ve got three major topics coming up.
Nicole: First, we’re tackling the biggest question from the fans: Is this team actually good enough to make noise, or is this a lost season? Second, we’re breaking down the tactical issues from the Portland game—specifically why Rudy Camacho had so many touches but we still couldn’t secure possession. And third, we’re addressing the elephant in the room: the firing of Federico Higuain and what that means for the academy pipeline. Let’s get into it.
Kevin: And remember, if you haven’t listened to our breakdown of the Thiaré goal yet, go back and check that. It was special. But today, we need to talk about consistency. Because one win over the league leaders doesn’t fix a twenty-fifth place ranking.
Nicole: Alright, let’s open the mailbag. First question comes from @CrewFan98. He writes: 'Kevin and Nicole, everyone keeps talking about Jamal Thiaré being the savior, but how does a 9-5-15 record justify him as the face of the franchise when we’re dead last in terms of points per game?' What’s your take?
Kevin: Well, first off, we aren’t dead last, but we are twenty-fifth, which is effectively dead last in the conversation. Thiaré is undoubtedly the spark. That goal against Miami was pure instinct. But the issue is volume. You can’t rely on one player to carry the xG load every single match. When Thiaré isn’t finding space behind the defensive line, the attack stalls completely.
Nicole: Right. And it’s not just Thiaré. Look at Wessam Abou Ali. In the Portland game, he led us with three total shots. That’s good, but it’s not enough when you’re facing a high press. @CrewFan98 is right—we need more than just flashes of genius. We need a system that creates chances without relying on individual brilliance.
Kevin: Exactly. And that brings us to the second question, this one from Sarah in Columbus. She asks: 'Why did we lose to Portland? They only won 3-2, but they had Cole Bassett with 68 accurate passes and Felipe Mora with 3 shots. We had Rudy Camacho with 74 accurate passes. Why did we lose possession battles but still lose the game?'
Nicole: This is such a great question because it highlights the difference between sterile possession and dangerous possession. Rudy Camacho, our center-back, had 74 accurate passes. That sounds impressive, but where were those passes going? Mostly sideways to clear lines. Meanwhile, Portland’s Cole Bassett was dictating play in the final third.
Kevin: I’d add that Patrick Schulte, our goalkeeper, made three saves. That tells you everything. We weren’t keeping the ball; we were surviving it. The defensive line was too low, which allowed Portland to control the midfield zone. We didn’t lose because we passed poorly; we lost because we lacked verticality. We needed a creative midfielder to break those lines, and we didn’t have one.
Nicole: Which circles back to our prediction from last week. We said we needed an external acquisition. It feels like that window is closing fast with the standings where they are.
Kevin: It does. And speaking of things falling apart, we have to address the organizational side. Marcus in Denver asks: 'What is the status of the coaching staff after the Higuain situation? Does that affect the first team?'
Nicole: Great question, Marcus. For clarity, Federico Higuain was fired from Crew 2, not the first team. He was suspended by MLS NEXT Pro following an incident of misconduct towards a female referee. The Crew announced his termination effective immediately. While this is a separate entity from the MLS squad, it reflects badly on the club’s culture during a tough season.
Kevin: It’s a distraction we don’t need. Ten games into October, and you’re dealing with headlines about administrative firings instead of tactical adjustments. It undermines the locker room. But let’s move on to the roster battles.
Nicole: Before we jump into Segment Two, I want to pause for a second. We know this season has been a rollercoaster—from stunning Miami to slipping in the rankings. Our job here is to keep you informed, grounded, and engaged, no matter the result. If you value honest, daily analysis that cuts through the noise, please consider supporting the show. It helps us keep this network free and running every day. Just head to the link in the episode description. Thank you for listening.
Nicole: Welcome back. Let’s talk depth chart. James in Cincinnati writes: 'Is Patrick Schulte still the permanent starter? Or should we be worried about the backup?' Given that he had three saves against Portland, is he holding the fort?
Kevin: Schulte is absolutely the starter. We confirmed this last week. He’s been solid. Three saves against Portland isn’t a bad stat, especially considering the quality of chances they created. He kept us in that game until the very end. The defense around him is the problem, not the man between the posts.
Nicole: Agreed. But what about the attack? @SoccerDad_OH asks: 'Where does Wessam Abou Ali fit in? He had three shots in Portland, but he seems inconsistent. Do we start someone else?'
Kevin: Abou Ali is getting the opportunities. Three shots is actually a decent number for a single game if you’re not creating much else. The issue is efficiency. He needs support. If we had another creative outlet, he wouldn’t have to carry the entire offensive burden. But with the current roster, he’s the primary option outside of Thiaré.
Nicole: It’s frustrating because we saw what happened against Orlando. Iván Angulo scored in the 89th minute to beat us. Maxime Crépeau had twelve saves. We were chasing the game. Against Portland, it was similar. We couldn’t close out matches.
Kevin: And that’s the mental toll of a 9-5-15 record. You’re tired. You’re frustrated. Every draw feels like a loss because you know you’re dropping points. Against Portland, Felipe Mora led them with three shots. We didn’t match that intensity in the final third. We parked the bus, and eventually, the wheels fell off.
Nicole: Let’s bring in one more question from @ColumbusCritique. He says: 'James Pantemis had two saves for Portland. Why did we struggle to test him compared to how we tested Crépeao against Orlando?'
Kevin: Because Portland sat deeper. They protected their box better. Against Orlando, we pushed higher up the pitch. Against Portland, we got pinned back. It’s a tactical adjustment by their manager, but it exposes our lack of width. We didn’t stretch their defense, so they could crowd the middle. Simple as that.
Nicole: So, no width, no creativity, and a goalkeeper who’s doing his best. That’s the formula for twenty-fifth place.
Nicole: Okay, let’s lighten it up. Hypothetical time. If the Crew could acquire ONE player before the trade deadline to fix the creative void, who do you pick, Kevin? Based on the current landscape.
Kevin: I’d say a dynamic attacking midfielder who can operate in the half-spaces. Someone who can receive the ball between the lines, like Cole Bassett showed he could do against us. We need that distribution. We need someone who can hit the 68-pass accuracy rate but also create chances.
Nicole: I agree. We need playmaking. Now, lightning round. Quick takes. First: Is the playoff dream over?
Kevin: Mathematically? Maybe not. Practically? Yes. Unless we go on a ten-game winning streak, we’re not catching anyone. We predicted a first-round exit earlier, and it looks like we might miss the bracket entirely.
Nicole: Second: Was the Higuain firing justified?
Kevin: Absolutely. Misconduct towards a referee is unacceptable. Zero tolerance. It sends a message about standards.
Nicole: Third: Best moment of the season so far?
Kevin: Thiaré’s goal against Miami. No contest. A golazo in stoppage time. Pure emotion.
Nicole: Fourth: Worst moment?
Kevin: The 89th-minute goal against Orlando. Watching that slip away hurts more than the Portland loss because it felt preventable.
Nicole: Final prediction: Will we finish in the top half of the table?
Kevin: No. Twenty-fifth suggests we’re trending downward. I think we finish in the bottom third.
Nicole: There you have it. From Thiaré’s heroics to the harsh reality of the standings, we covered it all. Thanks for tuning into the Beatline Podcast Network. If you enjoyed this deep dive, please subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen. Share this episode with a fellow Crew fan who needs some perspective. Until next time, stay loud, stay proud, and keep the faith. Go Crew!