McCarthy's Musings: The Inevitable Goodbye

By Kyle McCarthy

Columbus general manager Mark McCullers conceded the inevitable on Tuesday night: Sigi Schmid won't return to the Crew next season.

Schmid rejected the team's last and best contract offer on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by McCullers:

“Sigi Schmid has formally declined our last contract offer and will not be returning as head coach of the Columbus Crew. Sigi was the ideal person to turn around our competitive program and create a championship mentality within our club. As a result, we are well positioned moving forward and toward continued success. We respect his desire to seek the next challenge and wish him nothing but the best.”

It is telling that McCullers highlights the fortune of Schmid's availability when the team had its last coaching opening. There isn't a silver bullet like Schmid for Columbus this time around.

When you look down the resumes of the potential available candidates – top assistants like Paul Mariner, John Spencer and Robert Warzycha – there isn't one who has the experience of managing a championship team. Spencer can relate to it as an assistant with Houston and Mariner has helped to maintain the Revs' consistency over the past few seasons, but this is a different task entirely.

Without an obvious experienced choice, McCullers will almost certainly to turn to Warzycha as the next best option. Warzycha represents the closest thing to the status quo McCullers can conjure and most people like the status quo after completing the double. Given the likely return of nine players in the starting XI, it makes sense to try to keep a steady course next season as the Crew attempts to repeat.

That isn't to say that the status quo is the correct call. The two missing players may just force a reappraisal of whether steady will reap the same rewards.

Chad Marshall is on trial with German second division leaders Mainz and seeks a European deal that will likely prove more lucrative than what Major League Soccer will offer. If he leaves, there is a gaping hole in central defense that will require filling. Pick the wrong guy and the entire tactical scheme will tumble.

Brad Evans will head to Seattle with Schmid likely to join soon enough. Adam Moffat is slated to replace him, but Evans' box-to-box play isn't easily replicated. Moffat will have to covering acres in the middle of the park; again, if that doesn't happen, adjustments will be required.

Long-term, it may be best to make the difficult break and move in a slightly different direction. Spencer or Mariner may provide a better long-term option for the Crew, if only because it always seems the trusted assistant generally struggles in these cases. Warzycha has what it takes to succeed. It just may not happen in Columbus.

Regardless of the decision, this much is clear. The road to a second consecutive title just got a lot harder.

Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and blogs frequently during the week for Goal.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kylemccarthy@gmail.com.