Sports have this uncanny ability to stir emotions – it makes us scream, cheer, gasp and sometimes even laugh at our own misfortune. Just ask Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy, who did just that the last time the team met. There’s little denying that Columbus are going through a pretty strange phase right now. They’ve developed this strange habit of conceding goals ridiculously early, sending their fans on a rollercoaster of despair and ecstasy. But here’s the real question: how much longer can their luck last?

In their last game against New York City FC, they practically gifted the opposition a goal by letting Alonso Martínez score the fastest goal in Leagues Cup history – 12 seconds! Yes, blink and you missed it. The ball barely rolled before it landed in the Crew’s net. Columbus literally started the game by tripping over their own feet. Honestly, it felt like a cruel joke. But then came the comeback. With almost Zen-like patience, the Crew found a way to regroup, equalize, and hold on long enough to win in the shootout.

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But let’s be honest, soccer isn’t a day of luck for the brave. Columbus is testing that theory to its limits. Think of it – every game is like a round of Russian roulette. The team starts shaky, gives the opposition a lead, and then claws its way out of the hole it dug itself into. That’s happened against Inter Miami, New England, and of course NYCFC. The irony? They keep winning. So is it just luck or is there skill behind it? Probably a bit of both. But one thing is for sure: Wilfried Nancy’s approach to coaching is anything but conventional.

Nancy is a brave tactician. His team plays with calculated risks, and yet Columbus always manages to walk the tightrope at the last second and put on a show for its fans. Maybe that’s what makes the Crew so exciting. But how long can this strategy really last? Even the coach seems aware of the danger. After games, Nancy seems calm, almost amused by his team’s blunders, as if these small disasters were part of the master plan. The truth is that his philosophy requires a level of confidence and precision that is not always easy to maintain.

Cucho Hernández’s goal to tie the game against NYCFC was a perfect example of the Crew walking the line between chaos and control. After conceding such a ridiculous goal, the team suddenly played with a ferocity that few opponents can match. And that’s Nancy’s trick. He knows that when his team plays to the limit – pressuring, attacking and creating chances even when they’re on the edge – they’re nearly unbeatable. The problem is that this approach comes at a price. The constant risk of conceding goals, especially in the opening minutes, means the Crew often put themselves in situations that they can’t get out of sooner or later.

Still, it’s hard to criticize a team that’s consistently winning. The Crew has failed to score in just one of their 18 games since May. What they may lack in defensive stability, they more than make up for with their uncanny ability to put the ball in the net even under pressure. But is that a viable strategy in the long run? And more importantly, how will they do it if luck isn’t on their side?

Their game against NYCFC was a prime example of the ups and downs of this approach. New York played smart, cutting off the spaces Columbus likes to exploit and holding onto the ball just long enough to keep the pressure on. It was a thrilling game with chances on both sides, and it easily could have gone either way. In the end, Columbus had to rely on its penalty-killing skills to advance – which, let’s face it, is not the most reliable way to guarantee a win. Penalties are like a lottery.

Nancy stays true to his philosophy and doesn’t interfere with who takes the penalties. He leaves the decision to the players and says it’s more of a mental exercise than a technical one. But how long can Columbus Crew avoid the traps they’ve set for themselves? Eventually, the balls that go in won’t end up in the net and the mistakes they make will cost them dearly. They have more than enough talent to compete with the best, but they need to start the games stronger if they want to secure their place at the top.