Crew Drops First Preseason Game 2-1 to Malmö

The Columbus Crew opened the preseason schedule with a 135 minute game against Swedish team Malmö FF. The team used this game as a chance to gain some match fitness and work out the depth chart. Emilio Renteria scored the lone Crew goal early on from some Dilly Duka hard work on the left side. Duka's run and shot forced a save and Renteria got a couple chances to score from close range.

Recent arrivals Carlos Mendes, Olman Vargas and Milan Mirosevic all saw action in the split session. The staff also got a good look at trialist left back Lance Laing. Most of the preseason lineups don't matter as the focus is on building fitness, but it's noteworthy that Mirosevic played as a trequarista during his time on the field and Danny O'Rourke and Tony Tchani were the central midfield pairing in the second session. The team also used a couple of different formations, starting with a 4-4-1-1 in the first session and switching to the usual 4-4-2 in the second session. The Crew will play the U.S. U-17 team on Saturday.

First Session – Gruenebaum, Perry, Mendes, Marshall, Laing, Finlay, Grossman, Urso, Duka, Mirosevic, Renteria

Second Session – Gruenebaum (Lampson, 25), Veeder, Williams, Gehrig, Francis, Meram, O’Rourke (Spann, 55), Tchani, Anor, Vargas (Amoo, 68), Heinemann (Horton, 49)