Now that's more like it.
The Columbus Crew rediscovered their groove in Matchday 15's Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, cruising to a 2-0 win over Atlanta United at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
The result marked their second straight victory under interim coach Laurent Courtois across all competitions, and helped steady the ship heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup break.
"We were comfortable, we were flowing in our movements," Crew attacker and USMNT World Cup hopeful Max Arfsten said afterwards. "We dominated and controlled the game, the entire game, in my opinion.
"It kind of felt like the Crew of old, in my opinion, like we dominated the games, created a lot of chances, dominated possession."
Turning the page
Courtois took charge last weekend after the club relieved Henrik Rydström of his duties. It was a swift decision, as the Swedish coach, hired during the offseason to replace Wilfried Nancy, oversaw just 14 league games.
The change has paid dividends, with Columbus reaching the US Open Cup semifinals midweek before goals from Sekou Bangoura and Diego Rossi ensured three points vs. Atlanta.
"Fluidity, joy," said Crew defender Steven Moreira, who will represent Cape Verde at the World Cup.
"You can tell even the fans, we can tell the atmosphere, they really enjoy too. I think that was a good job the coach put on us. Just joy, play free and enjoy."
Familiar face
Time will tell if Courtois remains Columbus' head coach long-term. The club has plenty of time to decide, too, as the World Cup pause means their next match is July 22 vs. New York City FC (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
But the Frenchman's organizational familiarity is undoubtedly a bonus. The former CF Montréal manager previously led Columbus' MLS NEXT Pro team and worked in the club's academy, before returning as an assistant coach in January.
And so far, Courtois is instilling confidence in the Crew's players.
"Everybody in the locker room likes how he coaches and how he is as a human being," said defender Mohamed Farsi.
"Everybody gives his 100% for him and fights for him, zero to 90 minutes."
Time to recharge
With Sunday's result, Columbus are narrowly outside the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs places at 10th in the Eastern Conference (16 points).
There's a long way to go until they're considered among the title favorites, as the three-time MLS Cup presented by Audi champions often were during Nancy's time in charge.
But signs of what made Columbus so successful are there, and that inspires hope for a climb up the table.
"That's who they are. That's what they can do," said Courtois. "They've been doing this for a while. I just wanted help to facilitate more than that, but this is something that they were doing before."
