Columbus Crew homegrown Sean Zawadzki positioned for plenty of minutes in first MLS season

Sean Zawadzki is a potential successor to Darlington Nagbe at the Crew’s starting central defensive midfielder position — commonly referred to as the No. 6.

Listen to Georgetown coach Brian Wiese and it doesn’t take long to hear the similarities between the two players. Incredibly durable. Indispensable. Great motor. Efficient passer. Can play any midfield position. Thinks the game faster than anyone on the field.

"He's just a winner,” Wiese said. “And an understated winner, which is the best kind."

Of course, that was at the college level. Zawadzki has yet to play anything more than a few preseason games for the Crew, and Nagbe is still just 31 years old and considered by many to be one of the best central midfielders in Major League Soccer. Any transition is a ways off.

But Zawadzki, a 21-year-old out of the Crew Academy and a national champion at Georgetown, has already earned enough trust from the Columbus coaching staff to receive minutes in his rookie season.

While it will take time to gauge what Zawadzki’s true potential could be, the Crew seem convinced Zawadzki is ready for a role in the team’s rotation this year, which could expedite his growth as a professional.

"He's a very solid player. Good on the ball, smart positionally. Pretty good in the air. He's done very well,” Crew coach Caleb Porter said. “We need to all calm down a little bit on him and not pump him up too much. If you guys don't hype him up too much, he might have a good season.”

Any coach wants to tamp down expectations on a young player so as not to burden him as he makes the adjustment to the professional game. But It’s notable when Porter commits to playing a rookie.

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Of the four homegrown players the Crew previously signed under Porter — Aboubacar Keita, Sebastian Berhalter, Aidan Morris, Isaiah Parente — none registered more than 10 appearances during their rookie season.

Morris and Berhalter likely would have played more had 2020 not been a condensed 23-game season. But it shows Porter doesn't just hand opportunities to homegrowns unless he thinks they can hold their own.

Zawadzki said working alongside Nagbe has been incredibly beneficial for his first camp. The comfortability of playing with Morris and Parente has also made for a smoother transition.

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"When I came in, I knew there was a little adjustment period. Speed of play, physicality, things of that nature,” Zawadzki said. “My goals for this preseason have been just come in and be a competitor.”

Zawadzki was one of only three two-time captains Wiese has had at Georgetown in 16 seasons. Wiese called Zawadzki the most important player on the 2019 national championship team.

While having a role as the connector through the midfield, Zawadzki could win a game on his own. He scored a terrific goal on a volley and had an assist against Stanford to send Georgetown to the championship match that year.

Wiese said Zawadzki really shows his talent covering ground and killing opportunities defensively, and he has all the attributes a coach wants in a player and a person.

"He'll be just as happy with five tackles and making easy passes as he would be hitting a side volley for a winner," said Wiese, who pointed out Zawadzki has been in each training champion group the Crew has posted on social media.

The Crew has depth at the No. 6 position in MLS veteran Perry Kitchen, but he remains sidelined with what Porter called a sciatic nerve issue after suffering a back injury that ended his 2021 season. The window of opportunity is clearly there for Zawadzki to prove he belongs in the Crew’s future plans in the midfield.

"I've dreamed of this opportunity since I first stepped foot in the academy,” Zawadzki said. “Now that it's come true, it obviously takes that weight off my shoulder to reach this stage. But there's still that weight on my shoulder that it's not just getting to this point, it's kind of staying in this position now and doing what I've done up to this point and build on that to become a better player.”

jmyers@dispatch.com

@_jcmyers

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Sean Zawadzki may be Crew's successor to Darlington Nagbe