Atlanta, GA
Columbus Crew starting Jacen Russell-Rowe vs. Atlanta United displays the club’s depth
Crew coach Wilfried Nancy has never shied away from mixing up the starting 11.
“My decision could be, regarding the chemistry, regarding the interactions between few players,” Nancy said. “But after that, I can have a decision also about the profile, reading the profile. … So, it depends. There was a lot of things that I’m going to have to see and adjust.”
On Saturday in Columbus’ season opener against Atlanta United, the second-year coach opted to start forward Jacen Russell-Rowe over Alex Matan and Christian Ramirez.
Though Matan, who started every playoff game last season, had just returned to full training on the Monday before the match after he “felt something in his quad,” Nancy stated that the decision to start the 21-year-old wasn’t the injury. Rather, it was based on that day’s matchup. Against Atlanta, Nancy thought, Russell-Rowe could succeed.
In his 75 minutes of play, Russell-Rowe took three shot attempts, two missing far left. The lone score of Columbus’ 1-0 victory came off the boot of striker Cucho Hernandez. Despite a stat line showing no goals, Russell-Rowe remains confident.
“It comes from within,” Russell-Rowe said. “I’m a striker and I can’t be worried about scoring my chances. It’s hard to explain it, but I know I’m going to score my chances, and I have to think that way. I can’t think ‘what if I miss?’ or ‘what if the next one doesn’t go in?’ I just have to focus on when I get my next chance, I’m going to score.”
Russell-Rowe felt the start was a reward for a strong training camp performance. After his first full season with the first team in which he scored four goals across 21 regular-season games that included four starts, the forward has been continuing to integrate into the main group during the preseason.
“Coming in confident and then building better relationships with the other forwards, other players,” Russell-Rowe said. “People I didn’t really have a strong relationship with, coming into this season, and I think that helped me a lot, just feel comfortable on the field.”
Before the start of the season, Nancy stated that there are a number of players with different playing styles who can fill in at left forward. In addition to Russell-Rowe, Matan and Ramirez, there’s Columbus newcomer Marino Hinestroza.
Signed in the offseason from Club de Futbol Pachuca of Liga MX, the 21-year-old Hinestroza brings an ability to handle the ball and go one-on-one with the defense. He’s a greater attacking threat than the other options at the position.
Hinestroza and Russell-Rowe are younger talents who can capitalize on the fact that Columbus will have a heavy schedule this season. Matan and Ramirez bring experience and proven success with the club. Ramirez scored two game-winning goals in the postseason.
“The biggest message that I think I keep playing in my mind is there’s so many times in our career where we want more games and more opportunities, so that everybody can get involved,” Ramirez said. “The potential and possibility of having so many games is really exciting. … When everybody’s opportunity comes, to fully grasp that and show what you can do. “
bmackay@dispatch.com
Get more Columbus Crew news by listening to our podcast
A program that teaches young Atlantans how to ride bikes suffered a major loss this week, after thieves emptied a storage trailer, making off with 26 bikes and 24 helmets.
The “Shifting Gears” program helps young cyclists learn how to navigate city streets on two wheels from an early age — particularly in underserved communities that suffer from high rates of traffic injuries and fatalities.
gnorw htiw nehw erew s’reliart ot ot eht eht eht deppots gnihtemos ehs margorp no ffo deciton dekconk ni .eldnah ,dnuorg rof :tnempiuqe pord rood yb gnola yadsendeW sngiS ttocS harigaS noitaerceR margorP kraP yelzoM senoJ rotceriD retneC .A.C tuB
I“ tuB“ ,esaelP‘ — saw :thguoht eht ”’,os .dias ,esaelp ,esaelp denepo fo tel wenk dnik ti ti .ytpme ,rood t’nod eb dna dna ydaerla senoJ I I
I“ ehT‘ erew erew gniklaw ot ot yeht eht taht taht desoppus os :gniyas ,edistuo ym yllaretil sdik si traeh evah ”’!enog !enog og tlef gnitatsaved ssalc yb .kaerb sekib sekib era era dna ,noonretfa ehT eroM
htrow htiw sdrawpu ot yeht meht ,sffirat ylppus niarts ,dias gnicalper ecalper hcaer margorp ffo fo fo fo erom edam sredael .yletaidemmi ,stemleh laredef evisnepxe neve .etamitse stirpluc dluoc niahc desuac yb sekib esuaceb eb dnuora dna dna ehT tuB 000,02$ 000,01$
— — raey t’now t’now owt ot siht rieht eht eht eht ekat spots loohcs noitaercer margorp ecalp tsal rof hsinif ,tnempiuqe .sessalc sessalc nerdlihc sretnec eb ta ta ta dna .lla elba tuohtiW ttocS kraP nitraM evorG .T.C .A.C dnA
sihT“ s’tI“ lliw ,deviecer-llew dekil-llew detapicitna-llew ot siht meht meht meht s’taht taht hcaet gnihtemos slliks .dias ytefas yllaer ”,margorp ”.emitefil tsal si si pleh gnineppah niag noitacude gninetraehsid ecnedifnoc ,nerdlihc ekib tifeneb esuaceb dna dna dna a a senoJ
yrujni-hgih“ gnitfihS“ — htiw tisnart ot ot eht eht eht eht eht taht taht yllacificeps ,sloohcs dias efas snur setuor ,margorp margorp pihsrentrap fo fo tiforpnon ”,skrowten raen emocni-wol ni deifitnedi tsoh evah evitucexe rotcerid s’ytic ytic nesohc sretnec neeb sa era dna dna a ,anreS .noitaerceR accebeR LTAleporP skraP ”sraeG tnemtrapeD ytinummoC
noisiV“ sedargpu ciffart ot eht llits wols dias ssergorp stneserp seicilop trap no fo ecivon eziminim sredael erutcurtsarfni evah rof decneirepxe troffe .stsilcyc ,sehsarc s’ytic ediwytic segnellahc htob sa dna detpoda a ”oreZ elihW anreS atnaltA
eW“ sihT“ yaw ot ot ot ot emit eht s’taht taht taht evitroppus steerts os ehs .dias ,efas gnidir yllaer margorp ruo ro ,no no ton erom ebyam ebyam tol sdik sdik sdik tsuj si ni ni evah evah taerg teg rof rof tsrif rewef leef ”,ecneirepxe ”.tnemnorivne gnirewopme dengised tnedifnoc gnikib ,sekib eb lla ssecca tuoba a a a
eno tsol sedulcni .stemleh evif tnempiuqe ,selcycib ,selcycib ,selcycib elcycib elcycib ecnalab dna ehT sulP adoK traD kcalB kcalB kcalB noraB 42 01 01
gnitisiv eht nelots ecalper .etanod/gro.ltaleporpstel pleh nac yb sekib uoY LTAleporP
An Atlanta nonprofit is asking the public for help after it was the victim of a brazen theft earlier this week.
Propel ATL said that thieves cleared out an entire trailer of bicycles meant for underprivileged kids sometime on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
Jeremiah Jones, the nonprofit’s advocacy manager, said that someone broke into the trailer and took 26 bikes and 24 helmets.
The equipment was part of a program that gives bikes to children from low-income schools and teaches them how to ride.
“My heart sank when I got the call that all the bikes were gone. I said, ‘Surely not all of them.’ And all of them are gone,” Jones said. “This class is solely for kids, and this crime is affecting them.”
Atlanta police are reviewing security footage from the area. Jones said you could see people taking the bikes out of the trailer, carrying them down a hill, and bringing them into a nearby parking lot.
The nonprofit is now trying to raise more than $10,000 to replace the bikes.
Propel ATL is also asking who may have information about the theft to contact them at programs@letspropelatl.org.
A man was arrested at a concert last week after he shoved two kids off their bicycles, causing one of them to fall into a fountain, Sandy Springs police said. FOX 5 Atlanta’s Brittany Edney reporting.
Nevada ends regular season at home vs Air Force
School health insurance rates are increasing across New Hampshire. There’s more at play than just GLP-1 weight loss drugs
From Belmar to Asbury Park, here’s why NJ goes all-in for St. Patrick’s Day
New Mexico (NMAA) High School Boys Basketball State Championship Brackets, Schedules – March 7, 2026
Top prospect decommits from North Dakota, considering Michigan State
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Appeals court declares DC ban on certain gun magazines unconstitutional
‘No deal with Iran except unconditional surrender,’ Trump says
A dead woman’s key fob and two grisly crime scenes: How the Utah triple-murder suspect was tracked across state lines | CNN
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin5 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts4 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Maryland6 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling