Frenchman Wilfred Nancy is living his American dream. The Columbus Crew he coached won Football North American (MLS) at home on Saturday, dominating defending champion Los Angeles FC 2-1 in the final.
A penalty from Gucho Hernandez (33rd) and a goal from Yao Yeboa (37th) crowned the Ohioans, but former Stephanois Denis Bounga (74th) reduced the scoring. The Columbus Crew won its third championship trophy after 2008 and 2020, the first with Wilbright Nancy.
The path opened by Henry and Vieira
“Very proud,” said Columbus Crew’s French coach […] Because it rewards a lot of work and a lot of courage.” “But I’m not happy at the same time. Because it’s not normal [d’être devenu samedi le premier coach noir titré dans le championnat MLS]. I am proud to be a representative and proud to be the only black. But I’m not happy about it. This is something that needs to be changed. I know MLS is trying. This is not just a problem in MLS,” he lamented.
Although many black coaches have already worked in MLS, especially French soccer stars Thierry Henry And Patrick Vieira, Wilfried Nancy is currently the sole owner of the franchise. And the first person to win the title. The North American Championship has made several efforts to improve opportunities for black coaches, which Nancy welcomed.
At 46, the little-known technician spent the 1990s and early 2000s as a player in the French lower divisions, and has spent his entire coaching career in North America since 2005. After being Thierry’s assistant in Montreal, he took First team responsibility in 2021, then joined Columbus at the end of 2022.
Formerly Toulouse and the Coronation of Lorient
On Saturday, with a full stadium of 20,802 and a fantastic atmosphere, with chants starting more than two hours before kick-off, the Columbus Crew showed its qualities as a possession team in the face of counterattacks from Los Angeles.
Former player League 1 (Toulouse, Lorient), Cape Verdean international defender Steven Moreira was crowned with the team. In the final he faced Mexican striker Carlos Vela (Arsenal, Real Sociedad) and former Italian football captain Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus Turin). “It was a great journey and we can be proud of it. Of course I regret the result, I don’t think we were inferior to them, but they played better than us tonight,” explained Chiellini, who, at 39, has yet to announce whether he wants to continue his career. .
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