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MLS 2009 Team Preview: Columbus Crew
One of the league’s founding teams, the Columbus Crew, completed their most successful season in 2008, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield.
Mar 16, 2009 10:19:17 PM
By Shane Evans
2008 was the most successful season in the 14 year history of the Columbus Crew, as they took home their first Major League Soccer Cup. With few changes to the structure of the team, similar things will be expected of the reigning champions in 2009, even if they have a new head coach in charge.
Last Season: 2008 started slowly for the Crew, but it definitely ended with a bang. After missing the post-season for three successive years, the Crew bounced back to dominate the league for most of the season, finding themselves at the top of the league for a good portion of the campaign.
Led by the eventual league MVP, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus finished second in the league in scoring, netting a whopping 50 goals. They were stingy on the defensive side as well, allowing only 36 goals, good for third overall.
Their march through the playoffs as the league’s number one seed was swift and efficient as they disposed of Kansas City, Chicago, and finally New York, to take home their first ever MLS Cup, much to the delight of their loyal fan base.
Dearly Departed: Former head coach Sigi Schmid’s philosophy was based around team unity that culminated in an ultimate goal. That goal was reached with the Crew, and soon after the German-born boss moved on to expansion side Seattle Sounders FC, thus creating the biggest void in the organization.
The main player to leave the club was Brad Evans who was selected by Schmid’s new club in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. The 23-year-old midfielder was taken as the 10th and final selection. He had an impressive season in 2008 for the Crew, registering five goals in 30 matches.
Besides Evans, the only other player of note to leave the club was defender Ezra Hendrickson, who retired at the end of the season at the ripe age of 37. The St. Vincent’s native is now an assistant coach in Seattle with Sigi Schmid.
Brazilian midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy in January after having played two seasons in Ohio with the Crew.
New Faces:
The main new face in the club is head coach Robert Warzycha, who replaced Sigi Schmid at the end of the season. A long-time assistant and former Crew player, Warzycha will likely keep a lot of things the same for the defending champs, given how well it worked last season.
Similar to the departed players of the team, very few new members were brought in to this already dynamic and diverse group.
The team will be buoyed by the return of midfielder Adam Moffett who missed most of last season with a knee injury, which ironically paved the way for Brad Evans to see playing time in the center of the Crew midfield. The 22-year-old Scot will try to blend back into his spot in the line-up and provide his team with some necessary grit. It appears he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season, but his imminent return will surely be a boost.
In September, the Crew signed Zimbabwe-native midfielder Stanley Nyazamba, formerly of the Richmond Kickers of USL-2. The 26-year-old was a dynamic force for the Kickers in 2008, winning the 2008 Rookie of the Year award.
At the annual SuperDraft, the team made three selections, with third round selection Paul Grendi the only player who remains on the active roster.
Projected Starters:
William Hesmer (GK) - One of the league’s most experienced and durable goalies, Hesmer was a rock for the Crew last season, allowing 33 goals in 29 starts, 10 of which were clean sheets.
Frankie Hejduk (D) - The captain and emotional heart of the team, Hejduk is still playing at an amazingly high level for a player 34 years of age. His forward runs and creative play will be key for the Crew if they plan on repeating as champions.
Chad Marshall (D) - The 2008 MLS Defender of the Year is back after re-signing with the club and will continue his dominant ways this season.
Danny O’Rourke (D) - It was a gradual transition for this Columbus-native to work his way from the midfield to defense, but it came together at the end of the season and he’ll look to build on that next season.
Gino Padula (D) - The gifted Argentine was solid for the Crew last season, his first with the club. More time time with the solid backline will improve on his comfort level, after only making 14 starts last year.
Robbie Rogers (M) - One of the most promising young players in the league, Rogers wreaked havoc on opposing defenses down the wing last year. With experience comes maturity and Rogers should be even better in 2009.
Brian Carroll (M) - An experienced midfielder, Carroll was one of the Crew’s unheralded players last season, as he put in strong performance after strong performance as the team’s holding midfielder.
Emmanuel Ekpo (M) - The young Nigerian will try to hold down a central midfield spot while Adam Moffett continues to recover from his knee injury.
Eddie Gaven (M) - The Crew’s other dynamic winger, Gaven, will look to play off the space created by defender-magnet Guillermo Barros Schelotto and help make things happen in front of goal.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (F) - The reigning league MVP decided to stay with the Crew despite the calls from his native Argentina, and that spells trouble for the league as his 19 assists were tops in 2008.
Alejandro Moreno (F) - A gritty and workaholic target man, Moreno takes defenders wherever he goes and keeps the ball at the same time. It appears as though he’s found a home in Columbus and will try to better his 10-goal tally from a season ago.
Best of the Rest:
Keepers: Andy Gruenebaum
Defenders: Andy Iro, Jed Zayner
Midfielders: Duncan Oughton, Stanley Nyazamba
Forwards: Steven Lenhart, Pat Noonan
Season Storylines: Expectations, expectations, expectations. Simple stuff really. With a new coach and the majority of the same players, can the team play up to the lofty goals expected of them?
1. New coach Robert Warzycha has big shoes to fill after Sigi Schmid left town for Seattle. It remains to be seen if the Polish gaffer can keep the torch going in the right direction, but who better to do it than someone who has spent the last 12 years with the franchise?
2. Winning the MLS Cup is a great thing for any team to do, but what counts is how they play as champions in the next season. There are expectations for a repeat performance in most cases and that certainly holds true here.
3. Finally, the Crew will have to wonder if no change is a good thing. Despite the obvious in the coaching replacement, they did little to improve on their roster that competes in an ever-improving league. They have aged at certain positions and it will be tested this season.
Predicted Placement: With the majority of their championship team in place from last season, the Crew will be right back in the thick of it this year in their bid to repeat. The East remains strong, however, and it may be difficult for the magic of 2008 to be replicated. Look for a second straight berth in the finals to go down to the wire.
Did You Know? Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio was the first soccer-specific stadium to be built for a team in Major League Soccer.
Shane Evans is an associate editor of Goal.com
2008 was the most successful season in the 14 year history of the Columbus Crew, as they took home their first Major League Soccer Cup. With few changes to the structure of the team, similar things will be expected of the reigning champions in 2009, even if they have a new head coach in charge.
Last Season: 2008 started slowly for the Crew, but it definitely ended with a bang. After missing the post-season for three successive years, the Crew bounced back to dominate the league for most of the season, finding themselves at the top of the league for a good portion of the campaign.
Led by the eventual league MVP, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus finished second in the league in scoring, netting a whopping 50 goals. They were stingy on the defensive side as well, allowing only 36 goals, good for third overall.
Their march through the playoffs as the league’s number one seed was swift and efficient as they disposed of Kansas City, Chicago, and finally New York, to take home their first ever MLS Cup, much to the delight of their loyal fan base.
Dearly Departed: Former head coach Sigi Schmid’s philosophy was based around team unity that culminated in an ultimate goal. That goal was reached with the Crew, and soon after the German-born boss moved on to expansion side Seattle Sounders FC, thus creating the biggest void in the organization.
The main player to leave the club was Brad Evans who was selected by Schmid’s new club in the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft. The 23-year-old midfielder was taken as the 10th and final selection. He had an impressive season in 2008 for the Crew, registering five goals in 30 matches.
Besides Evans, the only other player of note to leave the club was defender Ezra Hendrickson, who retired at the end of the season at the ripe age of 37. The St. Vincent’s native is now an assistant coach in Seattle with Sigi Schmid.
Brazilian midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy in January after having played two seasons in Ohio with the Crew.
New Faces:
The main new face in the club is head coach Robert Warzycha, who replaced Sigi Schmid at the end of the season. A long-time assistant and former Crew player, Warzycha will likely keep a lot of things the same for the defending champs, given how well it worked last season.
Similar to the departed players of the team, very few new members were brought in to this already dynamic and diverse group.
The team will be buoyed by the return of midfielder Adam Moffett who missed most of last season with a knee injury, which ironically paved the way for Brad Evans to see playing time in the center of the Crew midfield. The 22-year-old Scot will try to blend back into his spot in the line-up and provide his team with some necessary grit. It appears he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season, but his imminent return will surely be a boost.
In September, the Crew signed Zimbabwe-native midfielder Stanley Nyazamba, formerly of the Richmond Kickers of USL-2. The 26-year-old was a dynamic force for the Kickers in 2008, winning the 2008 Rookie of the Year award.
At the annual SuperDraft, the team made three selections, with third round selection Paul Grendi the only player who remains on the active roster.
Projected Starters:
William Hesmer (GK) - One of the league’s most experienced and durable goalies, Hesmer was a rock for the Crew last season, allowing 33 goals in 29 starts, 10 of which were clean sheets.
Frankie Hejduk (D) - The captain and emotional heart of the team, Hejduk is still playing at an amazingly high level for a player 34 years of age. His forward runs and creative play will be key for the Crew if they plan on repeating as champions.
Chad Marshall (D) - The 2008 MLS Defender of the Year is back after re-signing with the club and will continue his dominant ways this season.
Danny O’Rourke (D) - It was a gradual transition for this Columbus-native to work his way from the midfield to defense, but it came together at the end of the season and he’ll look to build on that next season.
Gino Padula (D) - The gifted Argentine was solid for the Crew last season, his first with the club. More time time with the solid backline will improve on his comfort level, after only making 14 starts last year.
Robbie Rogers (M) - One of the most promising young players in the league, Rogers wreaked havoc on opposing defenses down the wing last year. With experience comes maturity and Rogers should be even better in 2009.
Brian Carroll (M) - An experienced midfielder, Carroll was one of the Crew’s unheralded players last season, as he put in strong performance after strong performance as the team’s holding midfielder.
Emmanuel Ekpo (M) - The young Nigerian will try to hold down a central midfield spot while Adam Moffett continues to recover from his knee injury.
Eddie Gaven (M) - The Crew’s other dynamic winger, Gaven, will look to play off the space created by defender-magnet Guillermo Barros Schelotto and help make things happen in front of goal.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (F) - The reigning league MVP decided to stay with the Crew despite the calls from his native Argentina, and that spells trouble for the league as his 19 assists were tops in 2008.
Alejandro Moreno (F) - A gritty and workaholic target man, Moreno takes defenders wherever he goes and keeps the ball at the same time. It appears as though he’s found a home in Columbus and will try to better his 10-goal tally from a season ago.
Best of the Rest:
Keepers: Andy Gruenebaum
Defenders: Andy Iro, Jed Zayner
Midfielders: Duncan Oughton, Stanley Nyazamba
Forwards: Steven Lenhart, Pat Noonan
Season Storylines: Expectations, expectations, expectations. Simple stuff really. With a new coach and the majority of the same players, can the team play up to the lofty goals expected of them?
1. New coach Robert Warzycha has big shoes to fill after Sigi Schmid left town for Seattle. It remains to be seen if the Polish gaffer can keep the torch going in the right direction, but who better to do it than someone who has spent the last 12 years with the franchise?
2. Winning the MLS Cup is a great thing for any team to do, but what counts is how they play as champions in the next season. There are expectations for a repeat performance in most cases and that certainly holds true here.
3. Finally, the Crew will have to wonder if no change is a good thing. Despite the obvious in the coaching replacement, they did little to improve on their roster that competes in an ever-improving league. They have aged at certain positions and it will be tested this season.
Predicted Placement: With the majority of their championship team in place from last season, the Crew will be right back in the thick of it this year in their bid to repeat. The East remains strong, however, and it may be difficult for the magic of 2008 to be replicated. Look for a second straight berth in the finals to go down to the wire.
Did You Know? Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio was the first soccer-specific stadium to be built for a team in Major League Soccer.
Shane Evans is an associate editor of Goal.com
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