Columbus Crew coach Wilfried Nancy has put his players through an intensive altitude training course as they prepare to face Mexican side Pachuca nearly 2,500 meters above sea level in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. on Saturday.
Nancy’s men could become the fourth team in Major League Soccer history to be crowned continental champions with a victory in Saturday’s final match, which will be held at the 30,000-capacity Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca.
Given the historic dominance of Mexican clubs in the competition, the fact that Saturday’s final takes place on their opponents’ ground would normally be quite frightening.
But the fact that Pachuca is situated some 2,426 meters (7,959 feet) above sea level creates another challenge for Nancy as their team tries to achieve what would be an unprecedented victory: no MLS team once lifted the European Cup outside the United States.
So Columbus has been doing its best to acclimatize to local conditions ahead of Saturday’s clash, which kicks off at 7:15pm local time (01:15am GMT Sunday).
Columbus players set up altitude tents in their homes before the game, with instructions to spend as much time in them as possible. They have also been wearing elevation training masks during workouts in an effort to simulate the energy-sapping thin air expected in Pachuca.
“We’re just trying to get used to it as much as possible,” Columbus senior Darlington Nagbe said.
“Every little bit helps. At the end of the day, though, altitude is altitude. It’s two good teams playing against each other.”
– Ping pong game? –
Meanwhile, Nancy will no doubt be keeping an eye on the fate of the last MLS team to travel to Pachuca. The Philadelphia Union faced the Mexican club in the round of 16 hoping to progress after securing a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Pennsylvania, but were beaten 6-0 at altitude.
However, if any MLS team is prepared to deal with the challenging conditions, it is Columbus, whose path to the final has already seen them defy the odds with a quarter-final victory over Mexican giants UANL Tigres, followed by a superb victory in the semi-finals over Monterrey. , which included a 3-1 away win in the second leg.
“Obviously, the team did well against Mexican teams,” Nagbe said. “That gives us a lot of confidence. But a final is different, whether you’re at home or away.”
Nancy hinted this week that Columbus will aim to play a possession-based game to dictate tempo and conserve energy.
“It’s how we manage the ball and whether we manage it well,” the Frenchman said at a press conference. “If it’s a game of ping pong, it might be easier for them and not for us. If not, maybe it’s vice versa.”
Nancy is also very concerned about the fact that Pachuca are well rested heading into the final. The Mexican team has not played since May 11, while the Crew has played as normal in the league, which included a 2-0 victory over Orlando last weekend.
“At the end of the day it’s a final,” Nancy said. “And when you play in a final, what I learned is that even when a human being is tired, he can push 20% or 30% more if he wants.
“For us that doesn’t change.”
A win would be another impressive milestone in Nancy’s coaching career after the 47-year-old from Le Havre led Columbus to the MLS title last year in his first season in charge.
Victory would also guarantee Columbus’ passage to next year’s expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States.
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