Columbus Crew's bench advances team to MLS Cup Final; Gressel and Ramirez play key roles

CINCINNATI - Substitutions are limited in Major League Soccer. Coaches, as a result, have to be smart when it comes to switching players during a match.

The Crew's Wilfried Nancy made the tactical decision to use two of his five permitted substitutions in the 65th minute of the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final, bringing in Julian Gressel and Christian Ramirez for Mo Farsi and Aidan Morris. While admittedly a hard decision, it paid off.

Gressel and Ramirez played key roles in two of the three goals the Crew scored to rally and defeat FC Cincinnati 3-2 in extra time.

Gressel's cross 10 minutes after entering the game led to the first Crew goal when it hit off the foot of Cincinnati's Alvas Powell for an own goal. With time running out in extra time, Ramirez netted what would be the game-winning score for the second match in a row.

Nancy inserted the two players to generate momentum with the Crew down 2-0, something they would have no trouble doing.

"We define player roles during the year, and everything was dynamic," Nancy said. "So, we show them a picture that is guys coming from the bench got to be able to help us win. The idea was to create this 'we not me' to convince everyone that they're going to be able to do something for the team."

At different points throughout the regular season, both Gressel and Ramirez found themselves among the starting 11 for the Crew. That has not been the case recently, for Gressel in particular. With Farsi starting at right wing back, Gressel didn't play in the 4-2 series-clinching victory over Atlanta or in a Eastern Conference semifinal in Orlando, which the Crew won 2-0.

Acknowledging that this has been difficult for the midseason acquisition, Nancy said that Gressel's kept a "spot-on" mindset.

Ramirez thinks similarly.

"It's special to see the rewards for my hard work, showing everyone there's a moment where you put your ego aside and you trust the coach," Ramirez said. "At this point in the season, it's not about starts, it's about the impact in the game."

Ramirez admits that a younger version of himself would be questioning his current role but that now it's about just believing in himself. His belief in himself allowed him to score a game-winning goal in the postseason the same week his wife gave birth to their newborn son, whom he honored by keeping his hospital bracelet on throughout the game.

Along with Ramirez and Gressel, Nancy trusted multiple other subs to put into the "do or die" Hell is Real playoff match. Sean Zawadzki, Yevhen Cheberko and Kevin Molino all saw significant time in the game, and Molino was credited with an assist on the Ramirez goal.

"That changed the game today, changed the last game," Malte Amundsen said of the bench players' performances. "That is what's unbelievable in this group. People that set the standard every day, helping each other to raise the level ... that is why we sit here today."

The Crew will host the MLS Cup Final at 4 p.m. Saturday against Los Angeles FC.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew propelled to MLS Cup Final by key bench contributions