July 27, 20177 yr - GAME #22 RECAP (aka "11 ... 10 ... 9"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/26/16048150/cards-and-goals-galore-in-big-columbus-crew-sc-loss - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-07-26-philadelphia-union-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap Higuain and Afful were out with injuries, so Berhalter broke out the three-man backline again against Philadelphia and stayed with the second-half lineup that got a win last Saturday. But it didn't work nearly as well last night. And the three-man backline mystique got shredded in the process. Up first on the defensive mistake highlights was Alex Crognale in the 20th minute. Philadelphia sent a low cross into the 6-yard box that Crognale looked like he would easily clear away. Instead, the ball bounced as Crognale struck it, and he popped it up in the front of the Crew net. The ball bounced around and eventually got passed over to an open Philly player, who blasted it past Steffen to give them a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later in the 26th minute was a preview of how the rest of the night would go for the Crew. Mennah made a fine run down the left side and turned into the box, beating multiple defenders and forcing the Philly keeper from his line. Mennah's shot beat the keeper, but a trailing defender saved it with his foot. That save deflected over to Ola, who had a wide-open net, but under pressure from the same defender, got kicked high and rang off the crossbar. Next up on the defensive mistake highlights was Jonathan Mensah in the 35th minute. On a counterattack, Philadelphia got a through-ball past Crognale to an attacker with inside position and a step on Mensah. Mensah ended up crashing into the attacker inside the 18-yard box to give Philly a penalty kick and give himself a red-card ejection. -- Steffen ended up saving the PK to keep it 1-0 at halftime. But with the one-man advantage, Philly came at the Crew in waves during the second half. Eventually netting a second goal in 66th minute. Finally, the last central defender to make the mistake reel was Lalas Abubakar. In the 76th minute, Abubakar was shown a straight red for a violent challenge with his arm to a Philly player's head. Now the Crew were down to 9 men. Philly added their final goal of the night in the 81st minute for the 3-0 final score. OY!
July 30, 20177 yr - GAME #23 RECAP (aka "a Real draw"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/29/16064022/columbus-crew-sc-guts-out-road-tie-in-salt-lake - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-07-29-real-salt-lake-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap This game didn't set up well for Crew SC. Higuain and Afful were still out with injuries, two defenders were out on red-card suspension, and the Crew were playing their 3rd game in 8 nights - on the road and at altitude. So we got a three-man backline of Naess, Crognale and Williams along with the MLS debut of rookie Connor Maloney at right wingback. Maloney made an early impact in the 15th minute when a nice give-and-go with Artur broke Maloney open right of the RSL net. Maloney's low cross into the 6-yard box deflected back in his direction. He hustled over and tapped a pass to a wide-open Ola Kamara, who blasted a shot into the back of the net. RSL nearly tied it up twice before halftime. First in the 27th minute off an acrobatic Savarino shot that saved by an even more acrobatic Steffen. Then in the 45th minute when Steffen came far off his line to stuff an open Savarino, which deflected over to another open RSL player, who's shot was saved by Crognale in front of an open Crew net. But in the second half, Williams committed a hand-ball in the box at 49'. The PK was converted by RSL to equalize it 1-1. Then in the 53rd minute, Savarino again broke open to the Crew net and finished finely to give RSL a 2-1 lead. RSL nearly got a third goal in the 56th minute, but Naess made a goal-line save to keep it at 2-1. Only 3 minutes later at 59', the Crew tied it back up. An Ola pass broke Finlay open in the RSL box. Finlay beat the on-coming keeper but not the crossbar. But his shot deflected back to Ola, who got it past multiple defenders in front of a keeperless net. With the score tied 2-2, both teams had chances for a game-winner in the final 30. Ola in the 72nd minute with a one-on-one chance that went wide; Manneh in the 76th minute with a shot that hit the crossbar; RSL in the 77th minute with a shot that hit the left post; RSL in 81st minute with open look that went wide. But with no game-winner converted, the Crew left Rio Tinto with a road draw. Not a bad result, and good enough to keep the Crew above the playoff line and two points up on 7th-place Orlando (who could have been tied with Columbus if they hadn't given up a 90'+ goal in their game earlier in the night at Atlanta).
August 4, 20177 yr Here's more about the Higuain announcement: - Dispatch article that was preview tweeted: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170803/crew-sc--in-surprising-revelation-higuain-says-2017-will-be-final-season-with-crew - Dispatch sports editor's opinion piece: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170803/michael-arace--crews-reaction-may-have-added-insult-to-higuains-injuries - Fans opinions at reddit: Federico Higuain will turn 33 in October and is in his sixth season with the Crew. Despite Pipa's age, he's still an effective central midfielder - when healthy. However, keeping healthy has been a problem over the last two seasons. In 2016, he missed 14 games with a sports hernia injury. In the first half of 2017, he was healthy and effective. But since July 1 he's been out with a right knee sprain. Despite Higuain's age and recent injury history, it sounds like Berhalter would like Higuain to return for 2018. But it also sounds like Higuain wants to move on after his current contract expires this year. In the Dispatch article, Berhalter seems to believe that he might get Higuain to change his mind and stay for one more season. So we'll see if this is it or if there's one more year left for Pipa in C-BUS.
August 6, 20177 yr - GAME #24 RECAP (aka "Silicon Valley"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/6/16102954/san-jose-hands-columbus-crew-sc-2-1-road-loss - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-08-05-san-jose-earthquakes-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap Crew SC finished up their three-game road stint with a trip to the West Coast. Both teams were playing three-man backlines, so early action consisted of the offenses trying to break down the defenses, but only getting half-chances. San Jose broke through first in the 42nd minute when a quick run down the left side caught the Crew defense napping. The final SJ player beat Crognale to be one-on-one with Steffen. Steffen came out to snuff the chance, but the shot went wide of Steffen and just caught the inside of the far post to give SJ a 1-0 lead at halftime. After halftime, SJ kept the pressure on the Crew and got a second goal in the 56th minute. A quick throw-in that seemed to catch the Crew defense napping again and led to a end-line crossing pass to a poorly marked Wondolowski six yards in front of the Crew net. Wondo buried it to give SJ a 2-0 lead. It looked like San Jose would cruise to an easy win, but the unlikely duo of Adam Jahn and Jonathan Mensah gave the Crew a goal in the 76th minute. Off a corner kick, Mensah knocked the ball down to an open Jahn three yards in front of the Quakes net. Even Jahn wasn't going to miss that chance! With the Crew threatening a road draw, San Jose re-established control and had three super chances to add to their lead. In the 86th minute a shot hit the right post, in the 87th minute a Steffen save prevented a goal, and in the 91st minute a shot hit the top bar. But the Crew couldn't take advantage of these near misses to equalize and the final score ended 2-1.
August 9, 20177 yr Columbus Crew SC announced that it has acquired 29-year-old Portuguese midfielder Pedro Santos, who joins the Crew as a Designated Player via a Discovery Signing. Santos is now the team's third DP (Higuain and Menseh are the other DP's): https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2017/08/07/crew-sc-adds-3rd-dp-portuguese-midfielder-pedro-santos https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/8/16111222/columbus-crew-sc-sign-pedro-santos-to-designated-player-deal
August 9, 20177 yr The acquisition of Pedro Santos likely means he will be the Crew's right wing going forward. Because of this, one of our right wings of the past - Ethan Finlay - is likely to be traded. Current reports have Finlay being traded to Minnesota for allocation money: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/8/16116664/report-ethan-finlay-to-be-traded-to-minnesota-united-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017
August 10, 20177 yr Done deal: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/9/16121414/columbus-crew-sc-say-an-emotional-goodbye-to-ethan-finlay
August 10, 20177 yr One more summer transfer window deadline deal for the Crew: -- ESPN's Taylor Twellman reports that Columbus will receive "$350K+" of allocation money from New England, presumably in exchange for the top spot in the allocation order that Columbus held. And that the Revolution will use it to sign F Krisztian Nemeth (pending league approval) -- With the Santos signing, plus getting something for Finlay (who was made expendable by the Santos signing) plus getting something for the top allocation spot from NE (which the Crew weren't going to use and would have lost if they hadn't traded it) - this has been a very productive last few days for the team: https://www.mlssoccer.com/transactions/2017/summer-transfer-window-tracker/columbus-crew-sc NOW LET'S MAKE A PUSH FOR THE PLAYOFFS!!!
August 11, 20177 yr Some further details on the top allocation spot trade with New England: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/10/16128906/columbus-crew-sc-invest-in-future-with-mls-allocation-pick -- Crew SC received $200,000 in Targeted Allocation Money for the 2018 MLS season, $200,000 in General Allocation Money for the 2018 MLS season, plus an international roster spot for the 2017 and 2018 season. -- Columbus also moved to acquire another international roster spot for the 2017 season from the Philadelphia Union for $50,000 in General Allocation Money. Crew SC now have 11 international spots for this season. With the introduction of the club’s third Designated Player, Pedro Santos, and a lack of international roster spots open, this move makes sense. Now players such as Lalas Abubakar and Cristian Martinez will no longer have to be loaned out to maintain roster compliance.
August 11, 20177 yr Opinion piece from the Dispatch on this flurry of deals made by Crew SC: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170810/michael-arace--crew-scs-recent-deals-feel-like-big-upgrade
August 13, 20177 yr - GAME #25 RECAP (aka "We Got The Fire!"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/12/16139554/columbus-crew-sc-defeats-chicago-fire-3-1-ends-winless-streak-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-08-12-columbus-crew-sc-vs-chicago-fire/recap Crew SC hosted the Chicago Fire last night in a match that was looking like a must-win for the Crew. The Crew entered the night still in 6th-place and above the Eastern playoff line, but riding a three game winless streak (0-2-1). The Crew had two good scoring chances in the game's first 10 minutes, but couldn't convert them. Shortly thereafter Chicago did convert their first scoring chance. In the 13th minute the Crew backline tried to offside trap Chicago, but it failed and gave a Chicago attacker a wide open header for the first goal of the night. -- The Crew answered with an equalizer only 5 minutes later though. Artur blasted a long-range shot that was blocked by a Chicago defender and deflected over to Manneh, who was open at the top of the 18-yard box with no one between him and the Chicago goalkeeper. The keeper came out to try and prevent a shot, but Manneh deftly lifted the ball over him and into the goal. With the score tied 1-1 at halftime, the second half was tense affair. It felt like whoever scored the next goal would win the night and that both teams were capable might be it. But it was the Crew who broke the tie in the 73rd minute. Against the run of play, Francis got possession and drove down the left side. Francis maneuvered into a spot for a crossing pass. An Ola run into the 6-yard box drew two Chicago defenders toward him and opened up a trailing run by Meram just outside the 6-yard box. Francis' pass was deftly redirected into the net to give Columbus a 2-1 lead! Ola Kamara added the clincher in the 87th minute when he benefited from a Chicago turnover to end up one-on-one with the Chicago keeper in the 18-yard box. The Chicago keeper stopped Ola but in the process fouled him, which awarded a penalty-kick to Columbus. Ola converted the PK to give Columbus a 3-1 victory.
August 14, 20177 yr Justin Meram's game-winning goal in Saturday's win was the 1000th goal in Columbus Crew history: http://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-crew-sc-victorious-over-chicago-fire-with-1000th-goal-me1 https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/14/16140586/justin-meram-helps-columbus-crew-sc-to-reach-milestone-joins-elite-company-mls-2017
August 15, 20177 yr I don't normally post this excellent weekly Massive Report column called "Anatomy of a Goal" that breaks down a goal from the most recent Crew game in very detailed fashion. But since this goal was the 1000th goal in Crew history - in addition to being a real pretty game-winner - this one deserves the extra attention: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/14/16141796/anatomy-of-a-goal-justin-merams-slip-in-winner-columbus-crew-sc-chicago-fire-mls-2017
August 20, 20177 yr Some Crew SC player updates before tonight's match at Orlando: Ola Kamara -- A report by ESPNFC sent a chill down Crew fans when it was reported that Ola was unhappy with his current contract and would "explore moves away from MLS after the conclusion of the current season". Below is the ESPNFC report and a Massive Report article on that report: -- http://www.espnfc.us/story/3181583/columbus-crew-hit-impasse-in-contract-talks-with-ola-kamara-sources -- https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/16/16159434/report-contract-talks-between-columbus-crew-sc-and-ola-kamara-breakdown However, there was quick follow-up from Ola Kamara denying that ESPNFC report. As was pointed out, Ola is in the second season of a four-year contract, and is reasonably well-paid by MLS standards. However, Ola is also tied for fifth in MLS with 12 goals this season, and his 28 goals over the past two seasons rank him tied for third alongside Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco. So although the Crew aren't required to amend his current contract, there is justification to do so. And it sounds like that's the direction both Ola and team are headed toward over the off-season. Not in an Ola's-going-to-hold-out sense, but a lets-do-something-within-the-2018-salary-structure sense: -- http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170817/crew-sc--ola-kamara-says-focus-is-playoffs-not-contract -- https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/17/16163858/ola-kamara-isnt-focused-on-a-new-contract-but-on-making-the-playoffs-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017 Kekuta Manneh -- As Manneh was replaced in the second half of the Crew victory last weekend over Chicago, he was noticeably limping. An MRI confirmed a left ankle sprain after he apparently rolled it during that game. Manneh has been resting the ankle this week and will not be available for tonight's Orlando game: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170815/crew-cuts-crew-sc-awaiting-mannehs-mri-results Justin Meram -- Meram will be on the Iraqi national team's roster for their two upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. The two upcoming matches are on Aug. 31 against Thailand in Bangkok and Sept. 5 against the United Arab Emirates in Jordan. MLS will take a two-week break during this international World Cup qualifying window, so Meram shouldn't miss any upcoming Crew games: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170817/crew-cuts-meram-to-return-to-iraq-national-team-for-upcoming-world-cup-qualifiers Artur -- 21-year Brazilian midfielder Artur is having a dazzling debut season with Crew SC (despite a painful broken wrist injury suffered earlier this year). He was signed on loan from Brazilian giant Sao Paulo in February. Since then, Artur has been settling well into a new country, a new league, and new team. However, his future with Crew SC is uncertain. Because Artur is playing so well, circumstances might not allow him to return for next season. Sao Paulo might ask too high a price for Artur to return to Crew SC in 2018, or an international team might outbid Crew SC for his services in 2018, or Sao Paulo might want him for their own team in 2018: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/17/16165000/after-six-months-artur-is-settled-in-columbus-on-and-off-the-field-crew-sc-mls-2017 Pedro Santos -- The Crew's newest DP player has his visa issues sorted out and is available for tonight's game at Orlando. Santos has been practicing with the team this week and would likely fill in at right wing (particularly given Manneh's injury). Although its unlikely that Santos would go the full 90 minutes: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170818/crew-sc--pedro-santos-federico-higuain-could-play-at-orlando Federico Higuain -- Higuain is reportedly ready to return for tonight's Orlando game after missing six weeks because of a sprained knee. During Higuain's absence the team switched from a 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 formation, which takes away Pipa's central attacking midfielder position. If Higuain does play tonight, will he switch to right wing (potentially splitting game time with Santos for this week) or will Berhalter switch back to the 4-2-3-1 lineup with Higuain back in the lineup: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170818/crew-sc--pedro-santos-federico-higuain-could-play-at-orlando Gaston Sauro -- Now here's a name we haven't heard in a while. Sauro was a key central defender for the Crew during their 2015 MLS Cup run. But his follow-up 2016 was injury plagued. Then Sauro got news that his injured left knee was much more serious than originally thought. His knee required a total cartilage replacement. And that required a donor match before surgery could be performed. It took five-months before a cartilage donor match became available and on March 4 he underwent cartilage transplant surgery. That surgery carries a recovery timetable of 10 to 12 months. Six-months after the surgery, he is beginning physical rehab work. However, the injury is so severe, doctors are giving the 27-year-old only a 50-50 chance to return to professional soccer. After being placed on the season-ending injury list for 2017, Sauro's contract with Crew SC is up this year, but it also includes a club option for the 2018 season. Below are a couple of excellent articles from the Dispatch on Sauro's injury journey and his wait for a cartilage donor match, a situation he made public this season in a commercial for the medical donor group Lifeline of Ohio: -- http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170816/crew-sc--gaston-sauro-recovering-from-knee-injury-that-cost-him-season -- http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170816/crew-cuts-how-gaston-sauros-lifeline-of-ohio-commercial-came-together
August 20, 20177 yr - GAME #26 RECAP (aka "Win Lose and Draw"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/19/16174768/columbus-crew-sc-earn-third-draw-at-orlando-city-sc-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-08-19-orlando-city-sc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap CCSC faced OCSC in match that was a virtual must-win home game for Orlando. Going into last night's game Orlando stood below the eastern playoff line in 8th-place, five points behind Columbus above the line in 5th-place. Orlando was without their Brazilian DP midfielder Kaka due to a red-card he received in their previous game. It turned out that Crew SC would be without their Brazilian midfielder Artur as well, a late scratch due to hamstring tightness during warm-ups. Abu filled in for Artur, and Martinez filled in for the injured Manneh at right wing. Higuain did not make the trip to Orlando, but Santos was available on the bench. The Crew went with a three-man backline of Abubakar, Williams and Mensah. Orlando played like a team desperate for points, pressuring the Crew defense and Steffen early in the first half. Crew SC didn't get their first recorded shot until the 13th minute, but it was a fine chance from Meram that rang off the right post. Then in the 35th minute, the Crew got a free-kick in a dangerous spot right of Orlando's goal. Waylon Francis sent a beautifully lofting pass to the edge of the 6-yard box that a late-running Abubakar headed into the net. The first-ever MLS goal for rookie defender Lalas Abubakar gave the Crew a 1-0 lead going into halftime. In the second half, Orlando dominated possession and pressed hard for an equalizing goal, eventually breaking through in the 67th minute to tie it up 1-1. Then in the 74th minute, Afful committed a very hard foul and looked like he might get at least a yellow card. After using video review, Afful was given a straight red and the Crew were down to 10 men at the 77' mark. Orlando was knocking on the door to get a go-ahead goal for the game's final 19 minutes, but a number of quality saves from Steffen (7 total for the game) kept the score even until the final whistle. So the Crew eked out a critical road point, though going down a man and getting badly outshot 20-4 by Orlando. Orlando remained in 8th, five points behind Columbus - and Columbus remained above the eastern playoff line in 5th for another week.
August 23, 20177 yr Mid-week match hosting L.A. tonight. The Galaxy are normally a top MLS team, but they've been struggling mightily this season. The Galaxy is winless in their last 8 games (0-7-1). And even bringing back legendary Sigi Schmid hasn't helped - L.A. is 0-2-1 in his three games as their coach. Columbus is still above the MLS-East playoff line in 5th-place. But tonight's game feels like a virtual must-win. Although the Crew are holding off Montreal and Atlanta, their lead is very vulnerable. Montreal is at 6th-place and tied in points (36) with Columbus - but Montreal has played two fewer matches than the Crew. Atlanta is at 7th-place and one point behind Columbus and Montreal at 35 - but Atlanta has an amazing four games-in-hand over the Crew! So both teams have the ability to overtake the Crew if they can convert those extra games into points. Tonight's match begins a 3 game home stand for the Crew. Plus 5 of their next 6 games are at home. A win tonight against a struggling Galaxy team would help bank away points to stave off a late season charge from Montreal and/or Atlanta. There's only 8 regular-season games remaining for Crew SC: (H) Wednesday, August 23 vs. L.A. Galaxy (H) Saturday, August 26th vs. FC Dallas - --- League Break for International World Cup Qualifying Matches --- - (H) Sunday, September 10 vs. Kansas City (A) Saturday, September 16 at Vancouver (H) Saturday, September 23 vs. New York Red Bulls (H) Saturday, September 30 vs. D.C. United (A) Sunday, October 15 at Orlando (A) Sunday, October 22 at NYCFC
August 24, 20177 yr - GAME #27 RECAP (aka "VAR's and PK's"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/23/16194912/var-and-missed-penalty-kicks-cant-prevent-columbus-crew-sc-from-victory-over-la-galaxy-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-08-23-columbus-crew-sc-vs-la-galaxy/recap Weird but ultimately wonderful game for Crew SC last night that saw 1 red-card, 1 disallowed goal, 2 saved penalty-kicks and 3 video reviews that changed on-the-field calls. If you looked only at the final 2-0 score and final game stats - shots (18-5), shots-on-target (7-0) and possession (61.5%-38.5%) - you would think the Crew had an easy victory over the Galaxy. But it didn't feel that way. Higuain returned to his first game action since July 1 and 3G went with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Williams and Mensah as the two center backs. Pedro Santos got his first start and paired with Meram and Ola on the attacking side. Santos had a very impactful game, starting in the 16th minute when he received a long pass from Williams. Santos was hauled down just outside the 18-yard box by a LA defender who was given a straight red-card. Then, in the 21st minute, Santos was fouled again, this time just inside the 18-yard box (as determined by video review) and the Crew PK was awarded. Pipa took a weak PK attempt that was saved by the LA goalkeeper. Shortly thereafter in the 25th minute it looked like LA had scored the first goal of the game to take a 1-0 lead. But video review determined that the scoring LA player headed the ball while in an offside position, and the goal was disallowed. Late in the first half at 45', it was the Crew who scored the first goal. It was a slick pass from Santos that Meram let through to an open Ola Kamara, who tapped it in to give to C-BUS a 1-0 lead. In the 77th minute, the Crew got another PK when Ola was fouled in the box by the LA keeper. But the keeper made up for that when he made a spectacular save on Ola's PK attempt. Holding on to their slim 1-0 lead, the Crew finally put the game away in the 90th minute off a clearance that was headed by Abu to Manneh, who quickly slipped a pass to an open Meram, who paced a shot into the upper left corner to give Crew SC the 2-0 win.
August 27, 20177 yr - GAME #28 RECAP (aka "On a roll"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/26/16209728/columbus-crew-sc-holds-on-against-fc-dallas-for-three-more-massive-points-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-08-26-columbus-crew-sc-vs-fc-dallas/recap Crew SC took on FC Dallas last night with a starting lineup mostly the same as the one from the mid-week win. The only change was Raitala starting at left back for Francis (who picked up a left thigh injury during the previous match). Both teams were playing their third game in eight days. And it looked like it in the first half, with a 0-0 score that saw both teams only generate two shots each. The game picked after halftime. The Crew got on the scoreboard first in the 50th minute off a defensive zone turnover caused by Ola Kamara. Ola got the ball to Higuain in a central position, then Pipa found Héctor Jiménez, on a perfectly timed run, open on the right side of the Dallas box. Jimenez then crossed it back into the 6-yard box to Ola, who made his own hustling run to direct it for a goal and 1-0 lead. It looked like the Crew clinched last night's match later in the 71st minute when they scored their second goal off a free-kick set-play. Higuain lofted a beautiful ball to the edge of the 6-yard box that a late-running Mensah nicely headed in for his first-ever Crew goal. But Dallas wasn't finished yet. Only 7 minutes later at 78', Dallas got their own headed-in goal, this one off a corner kick, to narrow the lead to 2-1. But despite creating a bit of a nervy finish, the Crew were able to see this game out and gain another three points in the standings. Columbus finishes August and their final game until Sept. 10 on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1).
August 31, 20177 yr Crew SC say goodbye to centerback Nico Naess over this mini-break. Naess was transferred (i.e. sold) to SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands. Naess was brought in from a Norwegian team in July 2016 at the time when the Crew were thin at center back. After a decent 2016 finish and 2017 start, Naess got passed this season in the centerback depth chart by newly acquired players. The upside to this move is that Columbus is reportedly getting almost twice the transfer fee that they paid to acquire Naess last year: https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/2017/08/29/crew-sc-transfers-nico-naess-sc-heerenveen-netherlands-eredivisie https://www.massivereport.com/2017/8/30/16226108/columbus-crew-sc-transfer-nicoali-naess-to-sc-heerenveen-mls-2017
August 31, 20177 yr A few interesting tidbits from this Dispatch article about the future of the team: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170830/crew-sc--nicolai-naess-sold-to-dutch-team - The Crew’s group of four center backs (Mensah, Williams, Crognale, Abubakar) is what Berhalter envisions will finish out the season. - The Naess transfer move continues a trend for Crew SC this summer of collecting funds and clearing cap room for next season. The team now has well over $1 million in cap room. - “I think we’ll be in a position to add three to four starters to our team,” Berhalter said. “I always look at it like wanting to bring in starter-quality players. I think we’ll be in a position with the funds available to bring in some good players.”
September 2, 20177 yr No game this weekend for Crew SC, or for most of MLS. There's a handful of games due to the international World Cup matches. So where does Columbus stand in the standings with only six regular-season games remaining? At a season high: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings The Crew are currently third at 42 points and 28 games played. Toronto is first at 56 and one game-in-hand over the Crew. NYCFC is second at 47 and two games-in-hand. So C-BUS won't overtake Toronto and is unlikely to overtake NYCFC. The teams to worry about are the four behind us. Fourth-place Chicago is at 41 with two games-in-hand. Fifth-place NYRB is at 39 with three games-in-hand. Sixth-place Atlanta is at 36 with four games-in-hand. And just below the playoff line is 7th-place Montreal with 36 points and three games-in-hand. All those extra games-in-hand give those four teams a chance to overtake Columbus in the standings. However, games-in-hand don't automatically convert into points. And with the 2017 season dwindling down, they can't miss out on those chances. Montreal hosts Chicago tonight, so the Crew might drop to fourth if the Fire win or draw. But overall, the Crew are in a good position to get one of the six Eastern playoff spots. Going into this weekend, they project as a #6 seed: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/08/28/playoff-probabilities-every-mls-team-after-week-25
September 10, 20177 yr Not sure what to expect for today's game hosting Sporting KC. Unusual match day: SUNDAY -- Unusual match time: 1PM -- Unusual broadcaster: ESPN It's also right after last night's big game against Oklahoma only a few miles west of Mapfre Stadium. And the starting time is opposite today's opening games for the Browns and Bengals. We will see just how much overlap there is between OSU/Browns/Bengals fans and Crew fans. Here a link to today's starting lineup for Crew SC. Artur is in the gameday 18, but still not in the starting XI:
September 10, 20177 yr - GAME #29 RECAP (aka "post break hangover"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/9/10/16284410/columbus-crew-sc-ties-with-sporting-kansas-city-keeps-unbeaten-run-going - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-09-10-columbus-crew-sc-vs-sporting-kansas-city/recap Crew SC were on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) going into a two-week MLS break. 3G stuck with his starting lineup of the two wins prior to the break. But centerback Jonathan Mensah, who had been playing better in recent matches, made a couple of "Mensah mistakes" early in this match. He got a yellow-card on a clumsy challenge in the 13th minute, then made a huge defensive error that led to a SKC goal in the 19th minute. Mensah played better after that and never got a second yellow, but the damage was done. The Crew fought back to tie it up in the first half stoppage time (45'+1') on a really nice Ola Kamara header off a Santos corner kick. With the score tied 1-1, both keepers needed to make challenging saves to keep it tied in the second half. The most challenging save came in the 80th minute, when Meram made a nifty central run and passed it left to Higuain in the 18-yard box. Higuain's shot was barely saved by the SKC keeper's foot to maintain the draw. Not a win, but still a standings point. And the unbeaten streak extends to 3-0-2.
September 13, 20177 yr The 2017 playoffs are approaching. Who should I root for? (5 Games Remaining) Above is a reddit thread link that looks at who Crew fans should be rooting for in this week's upcoming games that would help the Crew's playoff chances. Tonight, New England plays at Atlanta (the guide says we should root for a draw). -- Columbus is in very good shape to finish in one of the six Eastern playoff spots. We just don't know which spot we will get. Although #1 out of reach and #2 is practically out of reach. #3 thru #6 are still in play. However, with all the extra games-in-hand that NYRB and Atlanta have, 6th-place is the most probable finish for the Crew. Still, Atlanta needs to convert those games-in-hand into points. So we'll see how Atlanta's compressed home schedule turns out: - GP GD Pts. 1 - TFC 28 +33 59 2 - NYC 28 +13 50 3 - CHI 28 +12 45 4 - CREW 29 0 43 5 - NYRB 27 +5 41 6 - ATL 25 +15 39 7 - MTL 27 -1 36 8 - NE 27 +3 35
September 19, 20177 yr Prologue to last weekend's game at Vancouver: Prior to the Crew road game with the Whitecaps, Atlanta had two home games (compressed home schedule due to construction delays with their new stadium). Wednesday saw a 7-0(!) ATL win over NE. Although the reddit guide advised a draw as best for the Crew playoff hopes, that blowout loss for NE destroyed their GD. Then ATL had a 3-3 draw against Orlando. So going into Saturday's game, Crew SC was tied at 4th-place with ATL in points. Making a road result a necessity for the Crew to keep above ATL in the Eastern Conference standings.
September 19, 20177 yr - GAME #30 RECAP (was going to be "Whitecaps shouldn't have traded Mennah", but turned out to be "C'MON CREW!! Play defense and see out the win!!!): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/9/16/16320634/columbus-crew-sc-miss-chance-for-road-win-against-vancouver-whitecaps - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-09-16-vancouver-whitecaps-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/details/video/134471 Crew SC were on a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) and saw Atlanta closing fast in the standings. Another storyline of interest was an early season trade between Vancouver and Columbus that exchanged Tony Tchani for Kekuta Manneh. Both players were in their new team's starting lineup for this match. The first goal came to Vancouver on an unfortunate quick strike in the 15th minute. The play started with a goal kick that went past midfield, got headed to a Vancouver player, headed forward again, then bounced around and kicked then deflected forward to an open Vancouver attacker streaking toward the Columbus goal. A fine finish gave Vancouver an early 1-0 lead. The Crew fought back quickly with an equalizing goal only four minutes later. Mennah took the ball down the left side and did a nifty stop-start-stop-start with the marking defender to open up a crossing pass into the 6-yard box that Ola Kamara deftly finished past the goalkeeper. -- It looked like the Crew might score a second goal later in the first half. Ola had a near miss at 31' and Higuain had a near goal at 45'+1'. Vancouver had a near goal to begin the second half when a shot hit the right post at 46'. Instead, it was Mennah who opened the second half scoring with dazzler in the 63th minute. Mennah found himself unmarked and took the ball down the middle and uncorked a sizzling shot 22 yards from net to give the Crew a 2-1 lead. One goal and one assist for the former Whitecap against his former team! The Crew had another close call in the 81st minute when a Vancouver header struck the left post. But it looked like the Crew would salt away the game and get a signature road win to mightily assist their playoff push. -- However, it was not to be. In the 92nd minute (the 2nd minute of a 4-minute stoppage time), Vancouver hit a long ball to the left side of the 18-yard box. The ball was lofted into the 6-yard box, then headed toward the right side of the 6-yard box toward Tony Tchani (yes, former Crew player Tony Tchani) who kicked in the game-tying goal. He was initially marked by Jimenez and 2nd-half sub Meram, but both players left him open for the fateful shot. P!ss poor defending at a critical late game moment by the Crew, once again!! Not a win, but still another standings point - and the unbeaten streak extends to 3-0-3. But all things considered, a bitter disappointment to let the road win slip through the Crew's poor late-game defense.
September 19, 20177 yr So here are the updated Eastern standings after last weekend's MLS action: GP GD Pts. 1 - TFC 29 +37 62 2 - NYC 29 +13 51 3 - CHI 29 +15 48 4 - CREW 30 0 44 5 - ATL 27 +22 43 6 - NYRB 28 +5 42 7 - MTL 28 -2 36 8 - NE 29 -6 35 Columbus did manage to hold on to 4th-place with the road point. And, despite losing out on the win, their playoff picture is looking better due to other game results. Montreal suffered a shocking home loss to Minnesota and New England lost at KC - hurting both MTL and NE's playoff chances. While next Saturday's home opponent, NYRB, only managed a home draw against Philly. Atlanta, Montreal and NYRB all have upcoming mid-week games. For the Crew, it is next Saturday's hosting of NYRB that is job one. It's close to being a critical "must-win game" in terms of the 4th-to-6th-place standings. But it is a definitely a "must-not-lose game" for optimal playoff positioning.
September 25, 20177 yr - GAME #31 RECAP (aka "HOT HOT HOT"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/9/23/16355978/columbus-crew-sc-hold-on-at-home-to-defeat-the-new-york-red-bulls-3-2 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-09-23-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-york-red-bulls/details/video/135472 Crew SC were on a six-game unbeaten streak (3-0-3) facing a Red Bull club only two points behind them on a hot summer-like Saturday. Columbus struck first on a Higuain free-kick in the 6th minute that Jonathan Mensah nicely headed past the NYRB keeper. -- But on the 14th minute, the Crew's defensive inattentiveness struck again. With two Crew defenders on one Red Bull in the right corner, NYRB still managed to move the ball over to their top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, unmarked in a prime scoring spot! So the early lead evaporated just like that. The 1-1 scoreline kept until halftime. Early in second half, in the 54th minute, the Crew scored on a quick counter that saw a Higuain diagonal pass free up Meram left of goal. Meram made a quick touch to give him a shooting lane and drove it into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead. -- In the 66th minute, Higuain set up for corner kick. Center back Josh Williams deftly headed the corner to give Crew SC a 3-1 lead (and gave Williams his first goal in a Crew uniform since 2013!). Things got a bit dicey in the 72nd minute, when video review was used to rule that Mensah had fouled a NYRB player in the box - awarding a PK to the Red Bulls. It was one of the softer PK's you'll see awarded, but probably a correct call nevertheless. NYRB converted the PK to narrow the lead to 3-2. This was a chance to see if the Crew had learned from last week's match. They did. After the PK goal, Crew SC didn't allow NYRB another shot-on-target for the remaining 18 minutes + 4 minutes of stoppage time, and saw out the 3-2 lead into a win. This home win extended the Crew unbeaten streak to 4-0-3.
September 25, 20177 yr Here are the updated Eastern standings after last week's MLS action: - GP GD Pts. 1 - TFC 31 +34 62 2 - NYC 30 +13 52 3 - ATL 29 +28 49 4 - CHI 30 +13 48 5 - CREW 31 +1 47 6 - NYRB 29 +4 42 7 - MTL 30 -2 39 8 - NE 30 -5 38 Toronto and NYC have clinched playoff spots. Atlanta is on fire and in the middle of its compressed 2-per-week home schedule. At 4-0-1 over its last five home games, the Five Stripes have made up ground and passed both Columbus and Chicago to vault into 3rd. Chicago is enduring a late-season slump and stands only a single point ahead of the Crew, but with one game-in-hand. Meanwhile, though the Crew has dropped into 5th, their playoff hopes are now better than ever. The win over NYRB was crucial. Although the Red Bulls still have two games-in-hand over the Crew, they'll need to convert both of them into wins to pass Columbus in the standings. But better yet is the situation with Montreal. Les Impact has lost 5 of their last 6 games and now has a very slim chance of passing Columbus for a playoff spot.
October 1, 20177 yr - GAME #32 RECAP (aka "The Playoff Clincher"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/9/30/16391272/crew-sc-clinches-playoff-spot-as-williams-and-meram-score-again - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-09-30-columbus-crew-sc-vs-dc-united/details/video/136799 In the final home game of the regular season, Crew SC only needed a win to clinch an MLS Eastern Conference playoff spot. And get it they did! They got their first goal in the 14th minute on a Josh Williams header from a Federico Higuaín corner kick. They got an insurance goal in the 56th minute on a tremendous shot by Justin Meram that victimized former teammate Steve Clark, who was now in goal for DC United. And that was that. After reaching the 2015 MLS Cup and missing the 2016 playoffs, the Crew are back in the playoffs for 2017. And they are returning to the playoffs on a hot streak. This home win extended the Crew SC unbeaten streak to eight games (5-0-3).
October 4, 20177 yr Today was a very good day for C-BUS professional contract signings (see the CBJ thread): After previously saying that this would his final season with the team, Crew SC announced today that Federico Higuain will instead return for a seventh season with the team for the 2018 season! Higuain’s return was put in doubt in early August when he told The Columbus Dispatch that this season would be his last with Crew SC. However, he did walk the comments back a bit in early September. And now he has signed a one-year extension to his current DP contract: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/10/3/16407192/federico-higuain-returns-for-another-year-with-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017 So it looks like the Nordecke can put away the PIPA TIFO they made for last weekend's final regular-season home game and use it next year!!!
October 5, 20177 yr No Crew action this weekend. Most of MLS is off while international teams finish up World Cup Qualifying matches. The only Eastern team playing this weekend is NYRB (so they'll make up their game-in-hand). Here is the updated Eastern standings going into this weekend: - GP GD Pts. 1 - TFC 32 +36 65 2 - NYC 32 +14 56 3 - ATL 32 +30 53 4 - CHI 32 +16 52 5 - CREW 32 +3 50 6 - NYRB 31 +2 43 7 - MTL 32 - 4 39 (11 wins) 8 - NE 32 -10 39 (11 wins) 9 - PHI 32 - 1 39 (10 wins) 10-ORL 32 -13 39 (10 wins) Toronto, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago and Columbus have all clinched playoff spots. NYRB currently holds the sixth and last playoff spot with now four(!) teams tied four points behind them. NYRB hosts Western conference leading Vancouver this weekend and an NYRB would clinch their playoff berth.
October 27, 20177 yr Crew SC Roundup: Precourt's rep scuttles talk of one Austin park; Kasich says team failed to create a 'spark' We told you yesterday that four park sites in Austin are generating buzz as potential homes for a new soccer stadium should Anthony Precourt move the Crew SC to Texas. That apparently didn't sit well with Precourt attorney Richard Suttle, who went on record with our sister paper in Austin to say one of the parks – Zilker – is not on the table. "Zilker is far too dear to this community – and to Anthony – for him to consider it an option," Suttle said. As for the other three parks? No word. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/10/27/crew-roundup-precourts-rep-scuttles-talk-of-one.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 28, 20177 yr yeah there is no way in hades it would be zilker park. the rest and elsewhere are probably on the table.
October 31, 20177 yr The forum is back up and I got my new password. HUZZAH! So what's been happening with the Crew? - Made the playoffs? CHECK - Won a thrilling playoff elimination game in Atlanta last Thursday? CHECK - Found out that team owner Anthony Precourt is a snake? F***ING CHECK
October 31, 20177 yr Here's the rundown on THE SNAKE: aka California Carpetbagger aka Trustfund Fratboy aka Anthony Precourt http://nbc4i.com/2017/10/17/crew-sc-fans-devastated-over-possible-move-to-austin/ http://www.columbusalive.com/entertainment/20171025/news-anthony-precourts-game-of-deception https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/10/18/anthony-precourt-columbus-crew-austin-texas-relocation-mls https://www.thenutmegnews.com/current/2017/10/17/assholes-of-north-american-soccer-anthony-precourt https://www.elevenwarriors.com/columbus/2017/10/86684/crew-attempt-to-extort-columbus-for-downtown-stadium https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2017/10/18/16492738/moving-the-columbus-crew-is-a-betrayal-not-just-business https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/columbus-crew-fans-react-austin-relocation-everything-wrong-mls?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_m_medium=t https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/10-most-important-soccer-games-columbus-crew-mapfre-stadium-mls-usmnt-uswnt?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_m_medium=t
October 31, 20177 yr But Crew fans aren't giving up ... https://savethecrew.com/ http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171023/save-crew-thousands-rally-in-support-of-keeping-team-in-columbus https://www.columbusnavigator.com/crew-sc-fans-gather-at-city-hall-to-protest/ https://www.massivereport.com/2017/10/23/16528442/photos-save-the-crew-rally https://www.massivereport.com/2017/10/22/16516910/crew-sc-fans-gather-at-columbus-city-hall-for-the-first-savethecrew-rally-mls-2017 https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/10/24/mayor-ginther-alex-fischer-to-meet-with-mls.html https://twitter.com/MayorGinther/status/922813219068153859 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171028/michael-arace--grass-roots-effort-to-save-crew-truly-massive
October 31, 20177 yr ... and are getting the word out to #savethecrew http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-soccer/19/video/3248553/watch-savethecrew-signs-take-over-college-gameday https://www.massivereport.com/2017/10/28/16563788/save-the-crew-invades-espn-college-gameday-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017
October 31, 20177 yr Plus, a pretty big freaking playoff game tonight at Mapfre/Crew Stadium. First leg of the playoff series with NYCFC. Will be broadcast on ESPN at 8PM tonight. If you thought that the Sunday rally before MLS Decision Day and the #savethecrew banners at ESPN's College Game Day were something, wait until the Nordecke and the rest of the fans get a chance tonight!!! Not that "team owner" Anthony 'The Snake' Precourt will be in attendance to see it!!! https://www.massivereport.com/2017/10/31/16579536/massive-report-podcast-250-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017
October 31, 20177 yr For those who didn't see last Thursday's amazing win at Atlanta - here are the game highlights from ESPN: http://www.espnfc.com/video/mls-highlights/150/video/3246019/atlanta-1-0-0-3-columbus-steffen-shines
October 31, 20177 yr https://sports.yahoo.com/savethecrew-grew-hashtag-twitter-dm-nationwide-movement-080900435.html
November 1, 20177 yr 4-1 win last night in the first leg against NYC. Nearly guarantees they advance, but of course nothing is guaranteed. Very Stable Genius
November 1, 20177 yr Highlights from last night's 4-1 win: http://www.espnfc.us/video/mls-highlights/150/video/3253536/columbus-4-1-nycfc-crew-sc-shine-at-home What a win and what a rowdy crowd! Chants of "Save the Crew" ringing throughout the stadium all night long. But the best was a packed Nordecke chanting "C - R - E - W; F*** You Precourt, We Are The Crew!" - with Anthony 'The Snake' Precourt in attendance!!!
November 1, 20177 yr Any new developments in Cbus on the Crew or do most people think it is a lost cause?
November 1, 20177 yr Any new developments in Cbus on the Crew or do most people think it is a lost cause? I'm surprised you don't already know! It's not over! Go to the website at https://savethecrew.com/ or look up #savethecrew on twitter for all the updates, because...
November 4, 20177 yr Just listened to this 35 minute interview with Morgan Hughes - one of the leaders of the #SaveTheCrew movement - from the Total Soccer Show podcast. An excellent interview and rundown of what's been happening over the past few weeks. Here's the link to the podcast. https://twitter.com/TotalSoccerShow/status/926552340483756032
November 5, 20177 yr All of this is just absolutely tragic. I still have a tiny bit of hope left that this could work out but im not expecting anything. I think an ideal outcome would be Precourt not being able to secure land in Austin and/or a decent temporary home, and coming back to Columbus with his tail between his legs.......and then finding no friends left in Columbus after burning all his bridges and no ability to accomplish any of the things he was going to do for Austin, in Columbus......so he sells the team to the local group, makes his little profit (like 80 million) and runs back home to California. The very fact that he wants to move the team, and that it was never just about flipping the team and making some quick cash, makes me have little faith that it will work out........but who knows. The worst part about it is that if it doesnt work out for us......we wont have the benefit of the league coming back to us and offering us a new expansion team. Theyll be done with Columbus and let Cincy and/or Detroit absorb the market. So its either THIS Crew stays here, or were done for unfortunately, as I see it.
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