Columbus Crew go to extreme lengths to prepare for high-altitude test in Pachuca

Columbus Crew have reached the pinnacle of CONCACAF club soccer, the Champions Cup final, but still have one last ascent to make.

This Saturday Wilfried Nancy’s team will compete for the continental title against Liga MX side Pachuca, who have home advantage for the single-legged final. The game will take place at Pachuca’s Estadio Hidalgo, which sits a staggering 7,843 feet above sea level. Playing at such high altitude brings new challenges for the Crew, who have spent the week in preparation for the historic game.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Columbus players have been using specialised equipment that is designed to recreate the pressures of playing at high altitude.

“We’re just trying to get as acclimated as you can to go into those conditions, anything helps,” team captain Darlington Nagbe explained. “If you can get the exact same feeling, I think the little bit that you do can get your body adjusted, get you used to that feeling, you’re going to feel when you go over there.”

Columbus Crew prepare for CONCACAF Champions Cup final

Central to the Crew’s pre-match preparation has been the use of altitude tents and special masks that restrict oxygen intake. First team players had altitude tents installed in their homes in the weeks leading up to the trip to Pachuca and were encouraged to sleep and perform daily activities in these tents whenever possible, forcing their bodies to acclimatise to the tough conditions.

Likewise the masks were used at the practice centre to replicate the energy-sapping nature of exercising at high altitude. Ahead of the game Columbus forward Christian Ramirez shared footage of himself and other players wearing the masks while using stationary bikes.

With their altitude preparedness work completed the Crew travelled to Pachuca on Thursday and were waved off at the airport by legions of Columbus supporters. But while the altitude and the occasion provide additional context, Crew forward Diego Rossi insisted that it will be business as usual for the team.

“The preparation is always the same for any match,” Rossi said. “It’s not going to change no matter where it is: You’ve got to be focused, to do your job and it’s not going to change no matter the city, the country, wherever you are you’re going to be concentrated on having a good game.”

The Crew have already overcome Liga MX sides Tigres UANL and Monterrey en route to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. Most notably they recorded a historic 3-1 road win against the Rayados in the semi-final second leg, giving real hope that MLS may be about to claim a CONCACAF title for just the second time in the last two decades.