Arace: Columbus Crew's Steven Moreira thrives during run in Africa Cup of Nations
The underdog run by Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ended in the quarterfinal round Saturday when the Blue Sharks lost to South Africa in a penalty-kick shootout. Blue Sharks. That’s an awesome nickname.
Crew center back Steven Moreira started four of five matches at right back for Cape Verde. The international experience capped off what was the best year of Moreira's career. He indicated as much to a reporter from Onze Mondial, a French soccer magazine, on the eve of the AFCON tournament.
“Yes,” Moreira said, “but above all on a human level. I feel that the mentality there has made me change a lot. Being away from your family also makes you change. I am at a perfect moment in my career. At the moment, I'm in one of my best forms. I also had these moments, but not in the same way. The love I receive, the atmosphere in the stadiums ... the motivation is increased tenfold. As a player, matches make you dream − against (Paris Saint-Germain or Marseilles). ... But you can go to half-empty stadiums, the motivation is not always the same. Here, all the stadiums are full.”
Moreira played for French national teams as a youth. After turning pro, he played with Ligue 1 teams in Rennes and Toulouse before jumping the pond and signing with the Crew as a free transfer in 2021.
Moreira, whose parents are from Cape Verde, joined the Cape Verde national team last year. The Blue Sharks, surprisingly, came out on top of their group in pool play last month and then beat Mauritania 1-0 in the Round of 16. In the quarters, they played South Africa to a 0-0 draw through regulation and extra time before they were stymied by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who made four saves in the shootout.
Moreira emerged as a team leader for Cape Verde, which is not a surprise to anyone who has been around him in Columbus the past three years. Crew president/general manager Tim Bezbatchenko kept tabs on Moreira and AFCON and said Moreira came away with a minor (undisclosed) injury. The Crew have returned after a week-plus of training in Florida, and they're scheduled to shift their camp to California later this week.
The interview Moreira did with Onze Mondial is an extensive one. Among other things, the French reporter was curious about the Cup celebration in Columbus (“It was really something crazy,” Moreira said.), the state of soccer in the U.S. (“The atmosphere is incredible.") and Lionel Messi (“He seems happier than he was in Paris.”)
On Nancy and the Crew’s system, Moreira said: “The hype around him is normal. He is a very good coach, who is very young, who is still learning too. He is really inclined towards the offensive, which is sometimes complicated in itself. When you arrive, you are asked for results quickly. The difference in MLS is that we give you time to put your game in place. He was Thierry Henry's assistant when he was in Montreal. Humanly, he is great. In the aspect of the game, of the tactics, it is very, very demanding. Not everyone can play the way they want. He is very specific about every detail. I'm very happy for him.”
On MLS, as compared to Europe, Moreira said: “The level surprised me. When I arrived, I told myself it was going to be quiet, but I was surprised by the intensity. There is more intensity than in Ligue 1. Afterward, tactically, it has nothing to do with it. The matches are more open. There is no low block. The difference is there. Teams play to win, whether away or at home, unlike what we see in Europe. Here, everything is for the win. In terms of intensity, it could be closer to England, because it goes in all directions. Above all, the level increases every year.”
Here’s a stat: Behind Riqui Puig of the LA Galaxy – and ahead of Atlanta's Thiago Almada, Houston's Hector Herrera and New England's Carles Gil – Moreira had the second most ball carries in MLS (1,668) last season. And that is one reason his contract was extended through 2025, with a club extension for 2026.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew's Steven Moreira thrives in Africa Cup of Nations run
