Perhaps no other club in Major League Soccer has had as vibrant and exciting an offseason from an overall branding standpoint as Columbus Crew SC. It all started with the unveiling of a new crest at the tail end of last season that does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the city and its soccer supporters.
Then came the announcement on Tuesday of a first ever naming rights deal for the team’s home venue. The artist formerly known as Crew Stadium will now take the name MAPFRE Stadium (pronounced MAH-fray) after the global insurance company entered into a multi-year partnership with the club.
Since he took over the franchise roughly a year and a half ago, Crew SC investor/operator Anthony Precourt has certainly shown a commitment to moving the club in a positive direction. The rebrand, new stadium name and continued presence in the Columbus community exemplify this off the field. On the field, there has been a renewed sense of purpose in regards to putting out a quality product capable of competing for a championship. Last season’s first playoff appearance in three years was a prime example.
Before we get into what to expect for 2015, let’s take a look at how that 2014 playoff run transpired.
2014 Season Synopsis
Final Regular Season Record: 14-10-10 (52 points), third in Eastern Conference
Playoff Result: lost to New England Revolution 7-3 on aggregate in the conference quarterfinals
Gregg Berhalter was named head coach in November of 2013 after the club decided to part ways with Robert Warzycha late that season. Berhalter was also given the title of sporting director which gave him an added level of control over personnel decisions.
Things got off to a cracking start in 2014. The club reeled off three consecutive victories to begin the campaign which included road wins at DC United and Seattle. Then things started getting rocky. From the start of April until mid-July when the 2014 World Cup concluded, Crew SC struggled mightily over the course of a 16-game span where they went 1-7-8.
Offense was maddeningly hard to come by during this bout of adversity. The Black and Gold were outscored 23-14 and were shut out six times. They played a pair of 0-0 draws between DC United and FC Dallas respectively on opposite ends of the World Cup break. Central attacking midfielder Federico Higuaín seemed to be the game-by-game goal scoring threat.
The lone bright spot during this tough stretch was defense. It’s a primary reason Crew SC only dropped seven and not more. Center back Giancarlo Gonzalez was masterful both for club and country as Costa Rica made an unprecedented run to the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup. His play caught the eye of many a club in Europe and he was eventually dealt to Italian Serie A club Palermo.
Things started to change for the better when the club began to get more productive play from their attacking wingers. Both Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram were fairly quiet during the first half of the season but really began to appear on the score sheet with regularity down the stretch. In a bit of irony, it began when perhaps the greatest player in American soccer history, Landon Donovan, made his final appearance in Columbus on August 16th.
Finlay and Meram would both notch a goal and an assist that night in a 4-1 win. From there on out, Crew SC would sprint to the regular season finish line as one of the league’s hottest teams getting plenty of production from these two in the process. They would go on an 8-2-1 run to end the season with both midfielders combining for 11 goals and four assists. Exactly half of their total contribution to the Crew SC score sheet took place during this 11 game ending stretch of the season.
If you want to learn more about what made Finlay so effective late in the year, I encourage you to read my piece on the topic.
Despite the late season spurt from both Finlay and Meram, what continued to dog Crew SC throughout the year and into their unsuccessful playoff tie with New England was the lack of a go-to guy up front. Aaron Schoenfeld, Adam Bedell and Jairo Arrieta were all used and had their moments but for the most part had trouble finishing chances in the box.
The dilemma forced the team to address the issue with the top spot they had in the allocation ranking, signing Kei Kamara from Middlesborough for 2015. This was the first of many acquisitions aimed at adding depth to the roster leading into the forthcoming season.
What to Expect from Crew SC for 2015
Fans of Crew SC and the league in general received wonderful news on Wednesday night when it was announced the players and MLS had agreed in principle to a new collective bargaining agreement. That ensures Crew SC will be on their way to Houston for their opening match of 2015 against the Dynamo on Saturday night (8 PM, TWC SportsChannel Ohio, MLS Live).
As is the case during any offseason, new players were acquired and others departed. Here’s a look at both categories. Nationalities and previous clubs of incoming players will be listed in parentheses.
Acquisitions
Kei Kamara, forward (Sierra Leone, Middlesborough): signed via allocation ranking
Ben Swanson, midfielder (United States, Crew SC Academy): Homegrown signing
Mohammed Saeid (Sweden, Örebro SK): free transfer
Kristinn Steindórsson, midfielder (Iceland, Halmstads BK): free transfer
Chris Klute, defender (United States, Colorado Rapids): acquired as part of a SuperDraft trade where Columbus sent 14th pick to Colorado for 19th pick and future considerations
Hernan Grana, defender (Argentina, Boca Juniors): discovery signing
Cedric Mabwati, midfielder (DR Congo, Real Betis): transfer; will become available when loan spell with Osasuna concludes at end of Spanish domestic season.
Departures
Matt Wiet, defender, option declined
Ross Friedman, defender, option declined
Fifi Baiden, midfielder, option declined
Daniel Paladini, midfielder, option declined
Agustin Viana, midfielder, option declined
Matt Walker, midfielder, option declined
Jairo Arrieta, forward, option declined, drafted by Orlando City SC in expansion draft, traded to DC United
Josh Williams, defender, traded to New York City FC for allocation money
Bernardo Anor, midfielder, re-signed with club, then traded to Sporting Kansas City for allocation money
Eric Gehrig, defender, drafted by Orlando City SC in expansion draft, traded to Chicago Fire
Ben Sweat, defender, placed on waivers, acquired by Tampa Bay Rowdies of NASL
Projected Starting Lineup
4-2-3-1 formation
Steve Clark
Hernan Grana Michael Parkhurst Emanuel Pogatetz Waylon Francis
Wil Trapp Tony Tchani
Ethan Finlay Federico Higuaín Kristinn Steindòrsson
Kei Kamara
As mentioned above, the acquisition of Kamara is an attempt to fill that missing piece in the lineup from a finishing quality standpoint. His performance in Crew SC’s six preseason matches provided a glimpse of his potential in this regard as he finished with four goals, leading all scorers. If he can regularly find the back of the net while getting help from the usual suspects in the attacking midfield, this team is capable of competing with anyone in the league.
Expect Steindórsson to get the nod at left mid against Houston if anything due to the fact that Meram is suspended for the game due to a red card received in the second leg of the New England playoff series. Yes, those infractions do carry over to the following season.
Like Kamara, the Icelander showed some flare during preseason training as well as for his country when he scored in his first-ever international call-up on January 16th. If this unit picks up where it left off from last season, watch out.
Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani. Are you already trembling in your boots if you’re a fan of an opposing team having heard those two names? If not, you should be. These two are arguably the best defensive midfield tandem in the league. Both are exquisite distributors of the ball and oftentimes Crew SC chance creation begins at their feet.
Trapp’s play earned him his first cap for the USMNT. Could Tchani be next? Though Cameroonian by birth, he’d be eligible if called up. The Armchair Analyst himself Matthew Doyle seems to think it’s possible.
The 4-2-3-1 formation Berhalter eventually settled on last season really puts a premium on having high energy wing defenders who can push forward when need be but also maintain shape when the opposition has possession. It’s for this reason both Chris Klute and Hernan Grana were brought in. I envision Grana and Waylon Francis getting starts at wing back for the season opener with Klute able to come in as a substitute on either side.
Goalkeeper Steve Clark started all 34 regular season games and the two playoff ties and he remains pretty entrenched at the position. Similar to last year, expect backup Matt Lampson to get time for in-season friendlies and perhaps during the US Open Cup.
There are a wide range of possibilities for where this side will finish at the end of the regular season. With an added playoff spot in each conference this year, it will be that much easier to qualify for the postseason. That said, I think sneaking into the playoffs would be less than satisfactory for this team given the offseason acquisitions and missing them altogether would be a huge let down given all the excitement generated around the rebrand.
If the new signings can successfully integrate themselves into Berhalter’s system while the stalwarts from the side pick up where they left off last year, a deep playoff run could be in the cards. Will revenge be served on a Black and Gold dish if Crew SC clash with New England again in November? We shall definitely see but I think I’m getting a little too ahead of myself.
Whichever team you cheer for, enjoy the 20th season of Major League Soccer and be sure to keep your browser tuned to Last Word SC for our comprehensive coverage of the league.
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Main Photo: FRISCO, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: Federico Higuain #33 of the Columbus Crew breaks free against FC Dallas on September 29, 2013 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
