Valencia CF defeated Columbus Crew SC 1-0 in a La Liga World friendly on a calm and mild Wednesday night.
Valencia CF, travelled from Spain and arrived in Central Ohio late Tuesday night, and fatigue was a concern for Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
“The players felt, in the evening, that they should be sleeping already,” Santo said in his morning press conference.
Come game time at 7:30 Eastern Standard Time, fatigue did not seem to be an issue for the visitors as Valencia started off aggressively, controlling possession and pressing Crew SC in their own half of the field.
Los Che dictated much of the play in the first twenty minutes, which was reflected throughout the match save a handful of Crew SC possessions and chances.
The back four for Crew SC, composed of Hector Jimenez, Kalen Ryden, Tyson Wahl and Waylon Francis, had to consistently fight to stop Valencia CF runs and breakaways, but still gave up multiple opportunities in the first half.
Forward Alvaro Negredo was the primary target, getting off five shots in the first half alone. But Crew SC goalkeeper Brad Stuver would turn Negredo away twice on breakaways, including a one-handed parry while falling down.
Negredo eventually capitalized in the 33rd minute, finding the back of the net on his third breakaway attempt. The Valencia CF forward had a clean first touch off a through ball from Javi Fuego, took a couple dribbles left of the goal and promptly buried the shot in the bottom right corner, past a diving Stuver.
Following the goal, Crew SC would respond by creating some chances of their own, and had more consistent possessions in the closing minutes of the first half.
Federico Higuain would be the facilitator for many of the chances in the first half, hustling to create possessions and running the ball in.
The experienced midfielder created two particular chances in stoppage time, both intended for Justin Meram. On the first of those chances, Higuain and Meram would run a give and go that forced a Valencia save, while the second came off a chip pass from Higuain that Meram could not quite reach with the header.
Reigning MLS Player of the Week and MLS goal leader Kei Kamara had a couple chances, most notably a header off of a Waylon Francis cross that fell just wide of the net, but the Valencia defense mostly kept Kamara outside the box, limiting his scoring threat.
Both teams made large changes to the lineups at halftime, and after the break, Crew SC would continue to struggle with the Valencia attack, but managed more opportunities of their own.
Though they were kept to just four shots in the second half, compared to nine in the first, Valencia still had some opportunities to extend their lead, most notably perhaps coming in the 70th minute when Negredo got off a back-heel shot, but, the story of the night continued, as Stuver reacted quickly and smothered the attempt.
After this, Negredo was visibly frustrated, and Stuver said Negredo “looked at me, walked by and said ‘Dangit.’”
After some back and forth action, Crew SC would make an aggressive push starting in the final minute and stoppage time, where they would have half of their corners for the entire match with two.
Adam Bedell had a major scoring opportunity in the 90th minute, but Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Domenech came out of the net and dived on the ball to end the chance.
In the final minute, Stuver was in the thick of the action once again, but this time on the offensive side. Off of a corner kick in the final minute of stoppage time, Stuver got a solid first touch off his chest, got the ball to his foot and rocketed a shot that would get blocked by the Valencia defense.
“I thought I took a really good touch off the chest and I thought I hit it well,” Stuver said. “But there were just so many guys in front of me that it didn’t go in.”
Stuver would end the match with four saves, one goal allowed and a shot on goal.
All in all, Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter was satisified with what he saw from his squad, saying, “Overall I think it was a good exercise.”
In terms of future friendlies in the U.S., Nino Espirito Santo was complimentary of their reception and experience, saying postgame that “we will come back soon.”
