I've said this before - but if this whole situation didn't hold the fate of the Columbus Crew in the balance, it would be entertaining to see the buffoonery displayed by PSV and MLS.  But of course, it does.  Something that Sean Kelly, filmmaker of the Save The Crew documentary, noted in this tweet during the Austin City Council meeting:

 

 

Ultimately, though this Aug. 15 council vote was a big win for PSV and MLS2ATX, it still isn't the end of the road for #SaveTheCrew.  The move to Austin still hasn't reached that "done deal" status yet.  From http://www.thisweeknews.com/sports/20180815/councils-yes-vote-on-stadium-term-sheet-moves-crew-sc-closer-to-austin:

 

The celebration in Austin started Wednesday, but the cloud of active litigation still hangs over the relocation efforts.  The focus now turns to Franklin County courtrooms.

 

The Columbus and Ohio lawsuit, filed in March, centers on PSV and MLS’ compliance with Ohio Revised Code 9.67, commonly referred to as the Art Modell Law, which requires sports owners receiving public benefit to provide six months’ notice and the opportunity for locals to purchase a team before moving.

 

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a statement Wednesday that the lawsuit will continue.  “Precourt Sports Ventures and Major League Soccer still have an obligation under Ohio law to provide notice and a reasonable opportunity for local investors to purchase the rights to keep the Crew in Columbus,” he said.

 

City Attorney Zach Klein said in a statement that the Modell Law provides the city of Columbus with “clear rights” in Ohio.  “As with any litigation, all options are on the table for us to ensure we can enforce those rights,” he said. “In the meantime, we look forward to making our argument in court in the coming weeks.”  A hearing on PSV and MLS’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 4.

 

 

Also from http://www.thisweeknews.com/sports/20180815/councils-yes-vote-on-stadium-term-sheet-moves-crew-sc-closer-to-austin:

 

The Austin term sheet vote came as parties interested in purchasing the team in Columbus continue to organize and engage MLS.  Those individuals include Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer, who is under a nondisclosure agreement and participating in a valuation of the team.

 

Fischer has said Columbus investors are interested only in purchasing the current iteration of the team as opposed to alternatives once the team leaves.  He said that viewpoint does not change with Wednesday’s vote.

 

“We’ll keep the march on here,” Fischer said.  “Obviously Anthony’s had a plan to move the team for many years, and he seems damned and determined to do that regardless of the obstacles, and we’re gonna stay focused on what we can control with a group of investors here in our city.”

 

 

And from https://www.massivereport.com/2018/8/16/17698096/austin-approves-precourt-sports-ventures-mckalla-place-term-sheet-mls-2018:

 

In Austin, there is a looming threat of legal action regarding the City’s need to fully realize the cost put into McKalla Place by the Austin Water Utility (nearly $20 million) and the lack of a competitive bidding process for the sale of the land.  Attorney Bill Aleshire, an Austin lawyer specializing in open government law, sent the City of Austin a demand letter in June articulating his claim should the City Council agree to a land use deal with PSV.

 

Political activists have also threatened to force an election on the agreement as soon as May of 2019.  If this vote is granted, PSV’s deal will hit yet another roadblock.

 

PSV also has a lot of work to do before it can get down to the intricate details of moving the Crew in time for the 2019 season.  The Austin City Manger has been authorized to negotiate and execute a stadium deal with PSV by October of 2018, but that requires actually negotiating a deal by then.  There are many vague details in the term sheet that must be fully ironed out within the next two months.

 

 

Which is why leaders of #SaveTheCrew are saying this:

 

 

 

I hope they are correct.  Oh how I hope they are.  But until this "done deal" is actually a done deal - SaveTheCrew.

I will miss the crew. I hope they will be saved. It would have been a fun interstate rivalry with FCC traveling to Mapfre/columbus fans traveling down to OTR...now Chicago (in a suburban stadium no less that's a nightmare to get to), maybe Nashville (if they even approve the stadium deal with the fairgrounds) are the only close-ish nearby away options for traveling fans? Kinda sucks tbh, and doesn't benefit the league whatsoever. Sad. 

After what happened Wednesday, while the ATX deal is not completely done or official, I do think that the odds of the Crew staying are looking less and less each day.

 

The Modell rule is a longshot at best and the best that would likely come from it is not necessarily saying the team cant move because of the law but just acting as an additional roadblock to clear which could ultimately frustrate the ownership into selling.

I hope they are correct.  Oh how I hope they are.  But until this "done deal" is actually a done deal - SaveTheCrew.

 

I'm listening to ACES Radio right now and like you, hope their optimism is well founded. The STC folks have a way about them, though, and I doubt they'd not sound positive if they didn't know something was up.

 

I just wish we had some insight into what "saving" the team looks like. The silence from the league, not just regarding the Crew, but the Austin deal as well, is deafening.

 

In the end, if they let Precourt go to Austin, but also keep The Crew in Columbus as a new franchise assuming the old club's history with new owners, that's going to change the narrative on the whole expansion process.

 

Does Sacramento get left out again? How does San Antonio factor into this?

 

It still blows my mind that they're willing to screw over San Antonio's massive ownership group (and their plans) to keep Anthony Precourt around and let him go to Austin.

 

Brutus_buckeye[/member], I don't think anyone believes that the Model Law will hold, but rather, it's what it could do in court that creates the issue. During a case, certain things could come out that MLS probably wouldn't want the rest of the world to know. Not to mention, the other leagues are certainly taking a keen interest in this.

As we wait for today's 4PM match at Atlanta, the Dispatch's Crew beat reporter has another excellent recap of the current status of SaveTheCrew and MLS2ATX (linked below to the ThisWeekNews version for viewing):

 

http://www.thisweeknews.com/sports/20180816/crew-sc--questions-remain-after-austin-vote-on-mls-stadium

 

---

I thought I'd also include this MLS notice of the Austin vote - not for its content, because its just a BS press release from Precourt - but for the comments section.  If you scroll down to the comments section, you'll find a ton of support for SaveTheCrew and a ton of hatred toward Precourt, MLS/Commish Garber, and Austin.  And most of it is from fans of other MLS teams!

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/08/15/crew-sc-precourt-sports-ventures-issue-statements-austin-stadium-vote

Here is another commentary from Dispatch sports columnist Michael Arace about #SaveTheCrew (linked below to the ThisWeekNews version for viewing):

 

http://www.thisweeknews.com/sports/20180816/michael-arace--precourt-will-have-to-fight-way-out-of-columbus

 

At the end of his column, Arace cited a conversation he had with a lawyer friend in the Dispatch's Soccer Speakeasy podcast about the SaveTheCrew / MLS2ATX situation:

 

They like Austin. OK. Got it. Precourt and the league hurtling toward Austin in a demolition derby. Whee.

 

The question now is, as my lawyer friend Randy Kilbride poses on the Soccer Speakeasy, how badly does MLS want out of Columbus?

 

We’ll probably find out in court. The city and the state are suing to compel Precourt and MLS to adhere to what is known as the Art Modell law and to block the Crew from moving.

 

“The easier deal is Austin gets (an expansion) franchise and Columbus continues with the Crew and we build them a new stadium,” Kilbride said. “I think there is a Browns-like deal to be made. I don’t know if the league has decided it absolutely, positively will not be in Columbus. If that’s the case, then the (court) case gets tried.”

 

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein have said they are not about to quit. What is MLS thinking?

 

The league has asked Columbus to accept an expansion team. The city and state responded with the lawsuit.

 

Will Columbus ultimately accept an expansion team? Will Precourt accept an expansion team?

 

Is the ultimate plan to crush Columbus, and leave the city bereft of its legacy?

 

There is more fighting to do before we have an answer.

GAME #25:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-08-19-atlanta-united-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/8/20/17757880/crew-sc-win-streak-stopped-by-atlanta-united

 

Columbus roared into Atlanta on a three-game winning streak to take on the top team in the East & MLS.  Atlanta was coming off a bye week after a disappointing 2-2 home draw against Toronto.  Atlanta had the most potent offense in the league, leading MLS in Goals Scored (50) and Goal Differential (+22) going into Sunday's game.  So you would think that a defense-and-counterattack strategy would make sense for a road team like the Crew.  But that's not the 3G (Coach Berhalter) way.  It was possess-and-attack against the possess-and attack of ATL.

 

The 3G possess-and-attack did reasonably well up until the 31st minute.  But a bad build-up pass from Mensah to Trapp at midfield led to costly turnover.  The bad pass was pounced on by an Atlanta forward midfielder, who quickly passed in to Atlanta's leading scorer Josep Martinez.  Martinez then proceeded to turn Mensah inside-out with his run and uncorked a beautiful blast past Steffen to give ATL a 1-0. (This was Martinez's 27th goal of the season - leading the league and tying the MLS-record of goals with 9 games remaining for ATL!)

 

That 1-0 lead held until halftime.  Then the Crew possess-and-attack paid off early in the second half in the 50th minute.  A quick build-up found Wil Trapp in a rare unmarked forward position.  Trapp advanced and passed it forward to an unmarked Gyasi Zardes, who drove a sizzling 22-yard shot past Brad Guzan to tie it 1-1. (This was Zardes' 15th goal of the season - tied for 2nd in MLS with Bradley Wright-Phillips and Zlatan Ibrahimovic)

 

From this 50' goal until the 75th minute, I was hopeful that the Crew might escape the ATL Benz with a draw or even a win if fortunate.  But a play in the 76th minute changed that hopefulness. -- At 76', Meram hit a pass into the ATL 18-yd box.  An ATL defensive midfielder, covering the center of the box, knocked the pass down to his feet with his right arm.  Crew players called for a handball, which would have been a penalty-kick for Columbus.  Instead, the referee (who had a perfect look at the play) called an inadvertent handball and play-on.

 

The ATL midfielder did play-on and shot a long pass to Hector Villalba down the right side.  The Crew's left defensive winger Hector Jimenez tried to intercept the pass.  When he couldn't, it opened up space for Villalba to race toward the Crew goal.  Villalba's dazzling run took him past both Crew central defenders, Abubakar and Mensah, and sweet finish for an ATL go-ahead goal. -- After that, the Crew pressed forward for an equalizer and got caught on an ATL counter in the 82nd minute.  Villalba found Martinez who, instead of shooting, made a beautiful drop-pass to an on-rushing Miguel Almirón, who did not miss his chance for ATL's third goal of the game.

 

Going back to that 76th minute sequence that turned the game ATL's way.  It definitely was a handball.  A video gif posted at

clearly shows this.  The only question was - was it an inadvertent handball? - which the referee clearly thought so in live action at full speed.  Generally the standard is, was the player's arm in a "natural position".  Looking at the slow-motion gif, you could argue that the ATL player's arm was away from his body when the ball hits it - thus gaining an advantage and deserving of a handball call.  However, as Massive Report reports, "the handball non-call didn’t go to video review ... there apparently wasn’t a prompt to review.  That falls to the video review official Jon Freemon.  Freemon also declined to review the penalty awarded to Crew SC against Orlando on July 21."

 

Even if it did go to VAR, its still somewhat of a gray area.  So it wouldn't have been a slam-dunk reversal and PK for the Crew.  And its been pointed that Columbus has benefited from some plays like this in their last two wins.  So its a bit of karma returning the Crew's way with this game's handball non-call.  Ultimately, if you look at the final game stats, Columbus had nearly the same possession and nearly the same shots and shots-on-goal as Atlanta in yesterday's game.  Atlanta just did a better job of finishing their chances than the Crew.  Which is probably why ATL is first in the league and the Crew are fourth in the East.

One more look back at that controversial 76th-minute sequence that turned Sunday's game to Atlanta's favor - courtesy of Massive Report's excellent "Anatomy of a Goal" column:

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/8/21/17762708/anatomy-of-a-goal-atlanta-united-handball-leads-to-the-game-winner-columbus-crew-mls-2018

However, Coach Berhalter says the team isn't dwelling on the way they lost in Atlanta:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180821/crew-sc--gregg-berhalter-says-team-isnt-dwelling-on-atlanta-loss

 

---

Which is good because the Crew are on a short week and have a game at Chicago tonight.  This is a choice opportunity for Columbus to poach a road win from a weakened opponent - the Fire are on an 8-game losing streak!  Columbus lost a frigid early-April 1-0 match in Chicago, on a Steffen back-pass gaffe for the only goal.  The last time they played, Columbus trounced Chicago 3-0 in mid-May in Mapfre.

 

The mid-week timing of this match is a source of some controversy.  When the 2018 schedule came out, it was originally scheduled for this Saturday.  Which made sense because both CHI & CBUS had games last weekend.  The Crew's next game is the following weekend on Sept. 1 and Chicago is off next weekend, so there was no need to readjust the schedule for extra rest.  But the game was rescheduled anyway.  It was first reported that Chicago rescheduled the game.  But when asked, Chicago said it was done "at the request of MLS".

 

Chicago is the closest MLS opponent to Columbus (let that sink in for a moment).  Because of this, it is one of the most-attended road games for Crew fans.  When this game time was changed from Saturday to Thursday early in the season, many Crew fans said on #SaveTheCrew that they had planned to attend the Saturday game, but weren't sure if they could attend a mid-week match in Chicago.

 

Was MLS worried that travelling Crew fans would make a big showing in Chicago and embarrass the league?  Was it just more of the pettiness from MLS toward Crew fans?  Maybe both.

GAME #26:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-08-23-chicago-fire-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/8/23/17775794/columbus-crew-sc-manage-a-tie-at-chicago-fire-in-a-sluggish-thursday-game-mls-2018

 

This was a disappointing match in beautiful downtown Bridgeview Thursday.  First, it was a rescheduled mid-week with short rest for both teams - so the Crew went with Artur in Pipa's #10 spot (Higuain was on the bench) and Clark in Artur's midfield spot.  Second, there was an announced attendance of 8,551 (and that was being generous) - but with a mid-week match, an 8-game losing streak and Chicago's front office feuding with their supporter groups - maybe not surprising but still disappointing to see how far Chicago has fallen from their glorious past.  (But hey, its the Crew that have the attendance issues, right MLS?)  And finally, the 1-1 draw was a disappointment.

 

The Crew missed a golden chance to take an early lead in the 2nd minute.  Meram (getting his first start since returning) intercepted a pass at midfield, then raced down the left side on a two-man counter with Zardes.  Meram got off a fine low cross to Zardes, who did everything right except score.  Instead, the pass hit Zardes' left foot and just died five yards from goal.  Normally Zardes would easily redirect for what would have been a near-open net goal.  But not this time.

 

Chicago had their own missed chance in front of the net in the 29th minute when a cross was an inch from being toed in to a near-open net.  The Crew's next best chance came in the 36th minute off a corner kick.  The corner was forcefully headed toward goal by Clark, and only kept out by two Chicago defenders making saves on the line.  In the 61st minute, Artur (back in his midfield role after Higuain came on as a 2nd-half sub) nearly got the game's first goal on a long-range shot that was barely saved by the Chicago keeper.

 

Instead, it would be Chicago that scored first in the 67th minute off a horribly conceived back-pass by Valenzuela that was a gift to a Chicago striker, who beat Steffen with a fine finish.  With Columbus pressing forward, they nearly gave up a second goal on a quick counter in the 83rd minute.  But Steffen came out strongly to smother that chance.

 

The Crew finally cashed in at 87' when Santos sent a pass to late 2nd-half sub Mullins deep in the box.  Mullins drove a hard cross toward Zardes in front of Chicago's goal.  The pass got intercepted and deflected to the middle of the box where Hansen was unmarked.  The 2nd-half sub did not miss his chance and the game was tied 1-1.

 

Only two minutes later, the Crew had another controversial handball non-call go against them.  In the 89th minute, Chicago's keeper came far out to stop a Crew scoring chance.  Too far, as it looked on replay, as he knocked the ball away with his arm outside the 18-yard box where keepers can use their hands.  The MLS recap didn't show it, but this twitter feed -

- has a video gif that clearly shows it.  It probably wouldn't have been a red card or PK (i think).  But it would have at least been a free kick in a dangerous spot and could have led to a game-winning goal.

 

However, no video review was done and no penalty was called.  So the game ended 1-1.  A disappointment for the Crew to not get a road win.  But they did salvage a road draw and standings point.  The Crew still sit solidly in 4th-place and will face top-3 NYCFC on September 1.

GAME #27:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-09-01-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-york-city-fc/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/1/17810634/columbus-crew-sc-dig-deep-to-defeat-new-york-city-fc-mls-2018

 

As the Massive Report headline says, the Crew did indeed dig deep for a key comeback win against NYCFC at Mapfre last night.  The Crew looked like they scored the first goal of the night in the 32nd minute when Meram put it into the back net after the ball deflected around the NYCFC box.  But Meram was in an offside position when he scored, so the goal didn't count.

 

Instead, it was NYCFC that would benefit from a deflection in the box in the 53rd minute.  It looked like the Crew defense had stopped a NYCFC counter when Abubakar knocked the ball away from a NYCFC attacker.  However, the ball deflected off the NYCFC player into the path of another NYCFC attacker in the 18yd box.  That NYCFC player had been well-marked by Valenzuela until the deflection.  But Valenzuela mis-reacted to the deflection and was out of position when the NYCFC player got the ball.  He was then one-on-one with Steffen at the edge of the 6-yd box and was able to finish for a goal off an unlucky bounce.

 

With NYCFC up 1-0, the Crew mounted their comeback.  In the 61st minute, Afful took a 30-yard shot that was blocked by a NYCFC defender.  The ball bounced back to Afful, who smoked another long-range shot that bent away from the NYCFC keeper and into the goal!  With the game tied 1-1, Columbus kept the pressure on.

 

Only two minutes later, Columbus scored the game-winner off a corner.  In the 63rd minute, Santos struck a corner kick that went across the NYCFC goal face to the far left post.  Meram rose up over a NYCFC defender to head the ball in the net.  Actually, it looked like Meram headed the ball down onto the back of the defender's head, and then into the net!  Not the prettiest header ever (Meram is not known for his heading ability) but it certainly counts.  It was also Meram's first goal in his return to the Crew in 2018.

 

The Crew kept up the pressure after going up 2-1 with near-goals at 71' by Meram, and at 80' & 85' by Zardes - the last hitting the right post.  But fortunately, Columbus didn't need another goal to win this key home match against NYCFC.

Last night's win over NYCFC kept Columbus at 4th-place in the East and edged them to within five points of NYCFC in 3rd-place.  Philly is making a late-season run and is only three points behind Columbus now in the 5th spot:  https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings

 

The Crew are off next weekend, as is most of MLS during an international break.  Columbus' next game will be at Dallas on Sept. 15 - a tough road match against a team that's currently 1st in the West.  That will start a difficult 3-games-in-7-days stretch for the Crew - 9/15 at Dallas; 9/18 at Portland; 9/22 vs Colorado.  The stretch run for the playoffs is on!

Judge promises ruling ASAP after Crew lawsuit hearing

 

Letting the Columbus Crew SC leave town may disappoint fans, but there's a far bigger issue at stake, lawyers for the team said Tuesday in a hearing in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

 

It’s "a protection of the Constitution," Bradley Ruskin, representing Major League Soccer, said about the potential move to Austin, Texas.

 

“The relocation of a club is never a first choice and we recognize people are upset – but that doesn’t allow the state to keep the defendants from doing so,” he said.

 

For two hours, lawyers went over many of the arguments people following the case are familiar with – but Judge Jeffrey Brown made no ruling. He said he would take the arguments "under advisement with a written decision as soon as it is practical."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/04/judge-promises-ruling-soon-after-crew-lawsuit.html

Ohio Revised Code 9.67, commonly referred to as the Art Modell Law, had its first day in an open courtroom yesterday afternoon.  A hearing on the motion brought by Precourt Sports Ventures and Major League Soccer to dismiss Ohio and Columbus’ March lawsuit concluded without a ruling from Judge Jeffrey M. Brown, as expected.  “This case is proceeding well, and it will continue,” said Judge Brown, who added that the court will take the matter under advisement and issue a decision “as soon as it is practical.”

 

The parties left the courtroom much how they entered it: with PSV and MLS believing the lawsuit should be thrown out, Ohio and Columbus believing the case should continue on into the discovery stage, the court not yet having ruled on the motion to dismiss and Crew SC’s future in Columbus potentially hanging in the balance.

 

---

-- That was the assessment from the Dispatch article on yesterday's hearing at http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180904/no-ruling-yet-but-sides-get-day-in-court-in-crew-sc-relocation-battle

 

-- The Soccer Esquire also had this live blog of yesterday's hearing:  https://socceresq.com/2018/09/04/psv-mls-v-columbus-ohio-motion-to-dismiss-oral-arguments-live-blog/

No Crew game this weekend (off until next Saturday at Dallas).  But if you want to see three of the Crew's players during the break, Zack Steffen, Wil Trapp and Gyasi Zardes are on the USMNT.  They all played last night in New Jersey in a friendly vs. Brazil.  Tuesday the USMNT faces Mexico in Nashville:  https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/8/17833798/crew-sc-steffen-zardes-trapp-features-on-u-s-defeat-to-brazil

 

Harrison Afful was also called up to his home country of Ghana for this international break:  https://ghanasoccernet.com/defender-harrison-afful-joins-the-black-stars-camp-in-ethiopia

GAME #28:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-09-15-fc-dallas-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/16/17865180/columbus-crew-sc-tie-in-trip-to-dallas

 

The Crew traveled to Big D and came out with a road draw.  Not a bad result against the top team in the West, but I'm sure the team would have preferred stealing the full three standings points last night, as they began a 3-games-in-8-days stretch that will see play at Portland on Wednesday and back at home against Colorado on Saturday.

 

The Crew nearly stole the win with their best scoring chance of the match in the 83rd minute.  Meram at the left side of the 18-yd box shot a crossing pass to Higuain at the right side of the 18-yd box.  Higuain quickly shot it to the left goal post - bouncing it across the goal mouth past the Dallas goalkeeper and barely missing Zardes for a redirection into a empty net.

 

But that final touch was just not there for either team last night.  These stats say it all: 26 shots (16 C-BUS; 10 FCD), 3 shots-on-goal (1 C-BUS; 2 FCD) & zero goals.  Both teams teams generated shots and were nearly equal in possession (54% FCD; 46% C-BUS).  So neither team held back - but maybe the high heat and humidity sapped that final ability needed to the put the ball in the back of the net.

^ As it is, the draw moves the Crew to 12-8-8 and 44 points.  They remain safely in 4th place, five points behind NYCFC in 3rd, and four points ahead of Philadelphia in 5th.  Columbus used primarily a #1 lineup at Dallas - all starters except Clark in for Wil Trapp, who played in both USMNT matches during the break.  That makes you think that Berhalter might throw out a more reserve-heavy roll-the-dice lineup at Portland on Wednesday and return to a #1 lineup against Colorado back at Mapfre on Saturday.

GAME #29:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-09-19-portland-timbers-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/20/17881440/an-early-lead-slips-away-as-columbus-crew-sc-fall-3-2-to-portland-timbers

 

Both Portland and Columbus had identical 12-8-8 records with an identical +1 GD (41-40 PORT; 35-34 C-BUS) going into this mid-week match-up.  However, it was being played at Portland's amazingly renovated former minor-league ballpark - a place the Crew has struggled to see positive results.  Plus, this being the middle game of a 3-game-in-8-day stretch, the Crew used a lineup with five reserves.

 

Despite the reserve-heavy lineup, it was the Crew that had the early advantage.  Finding space in the Portland end, the Crew scored first in the 7th minute on a Valenzuela low-cross that Hansen redirected into the net.  They nearly doubled that 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when Mullins had the ball with only the Portland keeper to beat inside the 18-yd box - but he hit it just wide of an empty net to avoid the on-rushing keeper.

 

Instead it was Portland who got the next goal and began to take control of the match.  In the 18th minute, Portland executed a lofting high cross pass 12-yards from the Columbus goal that was forcefully headed past Steffen to tie it up 1-1.  Then two plays that combined good Portland play with some bad Columbus bounces determined the outcome.

 

In the 37th minute, Portland had a length-of-the-field counterattack from a Crew set play.  With the Crew defense scrambling to recover, Portland knocked the ball around and over to an unmarked player at the right edge of the 6-yd box.  As Steffen came over to stop him, the Portland player headed the ball away from Steffen and back toward the center - where Valenzuela was scrambling to cover that space.  With Valenzuela's momentum taking him away from the ball, he attempted a control touch/clearance that instead knocked the ball toward the Portland player - who executed a karate-style kick to toe-poke the ball in from a very tight angle!  --  At the beginning of the second half in the 48th minute, Portland was on another breakaway counter when the ball deflected over to a Portland player 10 yards right of the Columbus goal and nearly at the endline.  The Portland player shot the ball toward goal while falling down.  Steffen was well-positioned to make the save, but defender Abubakar's attempt to block the shot instead deflected it over Steffen and into the goal to give Portland a 3-1 lead.

 

That goal turned out to be the game-winner for Portland.  Hansen scored a 93rd minute header off a cross from Maloney (Hansen's second goal of the night).  But that turned out to be the final play of the match and Portland won 3-2.

Last night's loss at Portland - combined with a surprising Philly win at Seattle - tightened the Eastern Conference playoff race.  Columbus still holds 4th-place (which allows a team to host a wild-card game) with 44 points.  But now Philadelphia has 43 points and is threatening to overtake the Crew in the standings.  It also sets up a critical match for both teams when C-BUS hosts Philly on 9/29.

 

Montreal holds 6th-place and the final eastern playoff spot with 39 points and DC is just below the playoff line with 35 points and one game-in-hand:  https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings

One more item about the game at Portland.  Apparently the Columbus Crew's absentee owner (or investor/operator according to MLS' legal filings in the Modell Law court case) was seen wandering the concourse at the Portland Timbers stadium Wednesday night.  Some eagle-eyed Timbers fan snapped a couple of photos before Precourt retreated to where ever it was he emerged from.

 

Absentee Crew owner Precourt was last seen in Columbus during the Crew's playoff victory over NCYFC last October - 11 months ago!  This is the first time he's been seen at any Crew game since then.  All of which was beautifully summed in this Massive Report article: 

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/21/17884340/scared-to-come-to-columbus-anthony-precourt-attends-columbus-crew-sc-game-in-portland-mls-2018

 

Anthony "The Snake" Precourt's appearance certainly did not go unnoticed on the #SaveTheCrew twitter feed either:

 

 

 

If Precourt had bothered to visit Columbus in the past 11 months, he might have noticed the "Respect Your Roots" murals painted around town by #SaveTheCrew supporters.  The "Respect Your Roots" theme goes back to a tifo created for a 2017 Eastern Conference Championship playoff game against Toronto.  The theme being that Columbus is a charter member of MLS and one of the markets that sustained the league - making the current MLS possible - and that a strong league should respect and not cut off its roots.

 

The first "Respect Your Roots" mural was painted on the side of a building near the corner of Hudson & Fourth near Mapfre Stadium.  Below is the finished product and a video of its creation:

 

 

 

A second "Respect Your Roots" mural was painted on the side of trailer parked outside of the Land-Grant Brewing Company in Franklinton.  Below is the finished product and a video of its creation:

 

 

 

The style of the second mural has also been used on a number of #SaveTheCrew sponsored digital billboards around Columbus - which absentee owner Precourt might have seen if he was ever in Columbus over the past 11 months.  Here is one of those #SaveTheCrew ads on the Broad & High video displays in Downtown Columbus:

 

GAME #30:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-09-22-columbus-crew-sc-vs-colorado-rapids/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/22/17891610/columbus-crew-sc-cruises-past-colorado-rapids

 

Last night was a must-win game for the Crew if they wanted to maintain their 4th-place spot and solidify their playoff chances in the Eastern Conference.  They were using a top starting lineup in this final game of a 3-in-8-day swing; it was one of only 3 remaining home games for the Crew; and it was against a reeling Colorado team with a 1-9-3 road record going into last night match.

 

But the Crew got the job done with a 2-1 win that really wasn't as close as the final score suggests.  Columbus scored first in the 17th minute on a perfectly weighted pass from Higuain to a perfectly timed run by Zardes that broke Zardes past the final Colorado defender and got him one-on-one with the Colorado keeper, Tim Howard.  Zardes neatly finished it for his 16th goal of the season (and his 50th career MLS goal).

 

Then Colorado equalized in the 26th minute on one of the cheapest goals you'll ever see allowed by a game ref.  Colorado was awarded a free-kick about 30 yards from the Columbus net.  As it looked like the ref instructed Columbus players to go back 10 yards from the ball and Crew keeper Steffen was directing his defensive wall into position, the Colorado player on the ball quick-kicked into the far side of the Columbus net - stunning Steffen and the entire Crew team because no "ready-to-play" whistle was blown by the referee.  Instead of disallowing the goal and having Colorado re-take the free-kick, the game ref allowed the goal(!) - which couldn't be reserved by video-review because it was a judgement call!!!

 

So with the game tied 1-1, the Crew had more work to do.  They got a break from the ref early in the second half, when a Colorado defender was issued a straight red-card for a serious foul in the 51st minute.  Santos was shielding the ball in Colorado territory was a Rapids defender rapidly closed on Santos and rammed his left knee into the small of Santos' back.  It was a very hard foul that sometimes only gets a yellow - but the ref immediately went to the red card - and looking at the replay, it seemed justified.

 

The Crew took quick advantage and went on the attack against the 10-men Colorado lineup.  It paid off in the 57th minute when Artur's long pass found Valenzuela open on the left side of the 18-yd box.  This caused Howard and the Colorado defense to close in on him.  As Valenzuela moved the ball toward the center, the ball was deflected toward Higuain in the center of the box, 12-yards from the net.  Higuain deftly left-footed it past the out-of-position Howard into an empty net for the game-winning goal.

 

Despite Howard getting beat for that final goal, if the veteran USMNT keeper wasn't in net for Colorado, the final scoreline could have been embarrassing for the Rapids.  Howard had 8 saves and was just peppered all night long with shots.  Just look at the stats from last night's match and the shots-taken graphic of the left for the Crew vs. Colorado:

 

Two big weekends with playoff implications coming up for the Crew:

 

-- Tonight hosting Philadelphia (5th in the East)

-- Next Saturday going to Montreal (6th in the East)

 

Columbus is currently 4th in the East with 47 points.  Philly is 5th with 46 points.  A win or draw tonight would keep the Crew in the critical 4th-place spot that would host a wild-card game.  A Philly win would allow them to overtake the Crew for the 4th-place spot.  The Crew catch a bit of a scheduling break because Philly had to play an Open Cup Championship game on Wednesday using their starters (Philly ended up losing to Houston 3-0).

 

Montreal's a bit further back in 6th with 40 points.  But Les Impact is fighting off 7th-place DC to stay above the playoff line (Montreal plays at DC tonight).  Whatever the result of tonight's Montreal/DC match, Montreal will be facing the Crew next weekend in a virtual must-win home game for them.

 

After those two games, MLS goes on an another international break and the Crew will have only two remaining regular-season games - 10/21 at Orlando and 10/28 hosting Minnesota.

GAME #31:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-09-29-columbus-crew-sc-vs-philadelphia-union/recap

 

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/30/17918714/columbus-crew-sc-and-philadelphia-fight-to-a-tie

 

Some 0-0 soccer games can be exciting (see the Crew's 2017 playoff game at Atlanta).  This was not that.

 

The game stats showed only 2 shots-on-goal for the Crew and 0 shots-on-goal for Philly.  But despite that, Philly did get a goal in the 36th minute.  However, video review showed that the Philly player pushed Abubakar to the ground to allow him to score that goal.  So the goal was disallowed.

 

The best Columbus chance for a goal came in the 90th minute.  A shot from the center deflected wide right to an unmarked Harrison Afful.  Afful had time to gather and blast a shot from about 15 yards out with only Philly keeper Andre Blake to beat.  But Blake made a great full-extension save to preserve the 0-0 draw.

 

This draw keeps the Crew in 4th-place at 48 points to Philadelphia's 47 points.  In a battle for the 6th and final eastern playoff spot, DC pounded Montreal 5-0 to get within 2 points of Les Impact (with 2 games-in-hand over Montreal as well).  The Crew play Montreal next Saturday, in what is now a must-win home game for Montreal.  Philly gets to host Minnesota - a team with an MLS-worst 1-12-2 road record.  So although Columbus maintained the critical 4th-place spot with a draw - Philly has a good chance to overtake us next weekend because we couldn't get the win.

The highlight of Saturday's game was the halftime commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Crew's 2008 MLS Cup Championship.  Here are a few photos of that halftime ceremony from https://www.massivereport.com/2018/9/30/17921232/gallery-columbus-crew-sc-vs-philadelphia-union

 

Former players goofing around with their kids - led by Frankie Hejduk, of course:

 

2008 MVP - the incomparable Guillermo Barros Schelotto - is currently coaching in Argentina and couldn't attend.  But he did send a video message which was played during the ceremony:

 

Posing with the 2008 MLS Cup.  A good reunion with Head Coach Sigi Schmid, assistant coach Robert Warzycha ("The Polish Rifle"), Steven Lenhart (still wearing the Garfunkel Afro), and I believe that's Brian Carroll wearing the Philly Union "Bimbo" jersey (he played 3 seasons with the Crew, followed by 7 seasons with Philadelphia before retiring this year):

 

Then they celebrated with the Nordecke:

 

Also from the J.D. Smith twitter feed (aka T-Bone on 97.1 The Fan).  The 2008 MLS Cup Championship ring:

GAME #32:  https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2018-10-06-montreal-impact-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap

https://www.massivereport.com/2018/10/6/17946116/columbus-crew-sc-crash-out-in-montreal

Well, that game just sucked.  The 3-0 loss in Montreal drops the Crew into 5th-place after Philly crushed Minny 5-1 last night.  The loss drops Columbus to 13-10-9 on the season with 48 points.  They're 2pts behind 4th-place Philly but still 5pts up on 6th-place Montreal.

The Crew have only two games left after next weekend's international break to try to get some momentum going into the playoffs.  To do that they're gonna need to get their offense going.  Only Colorado has scored fewer goals than Crew's 39 for the season.  The Crew's -2 goal differential is also the second worst for playoff teams.  Columbus has now gone two straight games without a goal and has been shut out 12 times this season.  The defense may be keeping the Crew in games, but the offense will need to step it up if Columbus hopes to finish the season strong and make any noise in the playoffs.

Very good news will likely be coming fairly soon regarding the saving of the Crew. Stay tuned. 

1 hour ago, cbussoccer said:

Very good news will likely be coming fairly soon regarding the saving of the Crew. Stay tuned. 

 

Let's just say there will be a connection to another Ohio pro sports team....

1 hour ago, cbussoccer said:

 

Let's just say there will be a connection to another Ohio pro sports team....

 

Official announcement could be coming today....

4 hours ago, cbussoccer said:

 

Let's just say there will be a connection to another Ohio pro sports team....

I really want some good news about this!

 

*I wish I could find if that old witch woman I visited in the Short North about 20 years ago is still alive and around. She is the person I got some voodoo dolls from way back then and if I could find one of them now it would be Precourt and would be full of pins that lying devious snake.  

 

Short North, great as it is now, is a little lesser for not having places where you could find quirky things like old witch women with voodoo dolls. *sigh* Such is progress! lol

Awesome (unconfirmed) news for a Friday!  Let's hope the Haslams are willing to invest in the team. 

 

If done properly, I could see a wave of support with the grassroots energized, and the wider market being more willing to support an owner not named Precourt.  Thrilled for Crew fans! 

#SavedtheCrew

Good news - Crew is saved

Bad news - Haslam 

29 minutes ago, freefourur said:

Good news - Crew is saved

Bad news - Haslam 

Satan would be an improvement over Precourt.

I wonder if common ownership of the Crew and the Browns might mean more cross promotion between Cleveland and Columbus for both teams.

1 hour ago, DarkandStormy said:

#SavedtheCrew

 

With all that has happened over the past year, I'm still waiting for this to be a "done deal".  But it looks good.  Real good.  And I'm hoping for the best!

 

Here's the official statement(s) on today's big news:

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/10/12/cleveland-browns-owners-emerge-potential-buyers-columbus-crew-sc

3 hours ago, X said:

I wonder if common ownership of the Crew and the Browns might mean more cross promotion between Cleveland and Columbus for both teams.

 

Kind of a smart business decision by Mr. Haslam, a power move as the Bengals, Browns, and Steelers continue to fight over Central Ohio.

 

But his plan won't work unless he can get both teams to WIN.

1 hour ago, mu2010 said:

 

Kind of a smart business decision by Mr. Haslam, a power move as the Bengals, Browns, and Steelers continue to fight over Central Ohio.

 

But his plan won't work unless he can get both teams to WIN.

Maybe he could have the Browns play an exhibition game in Columbus and the Crew play one in Cleveland. Perhaps help expand both team's markets.

Edited October 13, 20186 yr by freefourur

Wow, great news for Save the Crew, it’s rare to see the little guys win so more power to you for putting up such a fight. Way to go and look forward to years of healthy rivalry in future Hell is Real derbies. 

Edited October 13, 20186 yr by ucgrady

Deal reached to keep Crew SC in Columbus; Browns owner, Edwards family lead investors buying team

 

 

The Columbus Crew SC, it seems, will stay in Columbus after all.

 

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, CEO of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain, and Columbus' Edwards family, led by long-time Crew team physicianPeter Edwards Jr., are buying the team from owner Anthony Precourt, a year after he announced he wanted to move the team to Austin, Texas.

Other investors are involved and will be named later, sources say.

 

"This is great news for the City of Columbus," Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a release. "As I have said repeatedly over the past year, the Crew SC belongs in Columbus. There are many details to work out, but I am grateful for the Columbus Partnership, Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Pete Edwards, Jr. and all of the loyal fans."

 

"MLS, the Columbus Partnership and the investor group all agree that for the Club to be successful in Columbus, it requires strong local partners, long-term corporate support, a strong season ticket base and long-term plans for a stadium, practice facilities and associated sites," Major League Soccer said in a release. "MLS is committed to keeping Crew SC in Columbus should we continue to make progress on these critical components and agree to key terms with the investor group."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/12/deal-reached-to-keep-crew-sc-in-columbus-browns.html

9 hours ago, ucgrady said:

Wow, great news for Save the Crew, it’s rare to see the little guys win so more power to you for putting up such a fight. Way to go and look forward to years of healthy rivalry in future Hell is Real derbies. 

Yes it will be nice to have a new rivalry with Cincinnati. This could actually help both teams and cities-a win/win.  As long as it does not get to the hatred level of say, OSU and the team up north and all. ?

What a difference a year makes!

 

 

What's next after Friday's announcement?

 

https://www.dispatch.com/sports/20181013/crew-cuts-whats-next-after-announcement-of-local-ownership-group-intent-on-keeping-crew-sc-in-columbus

 

For Columbus:

• Friday’s news, while on its surface appearing quite sudden, follows months of collaboration and meetings between potential investors and league leadership, including MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott, in Columbus.  The Dispatch reported about a late March meeting between Abbott, Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer and potential investors in Columbus, and those visits continued.  Currently, the Columbus Partnership, Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Edwards family are making “significant progress” toward sale but are not quite across the finish line.  A source with knowledge of the situation said there is not yet a firm timeline or deadline with respect to a sale, but that there could be one soon.  For now, “as quickly as possible” is the default.  But the parties would not have been in a position to make Friday’s announcement without confidence in a deal being completed.  A completed deal before or around the first of the year would allow a buffer period between a purchase and the start of the 2019 MLS season.  A sale, the source said, will most likely involve the buyer group purchasing Columbus’ MLS rights directly from MLS with Precourt transferring his league equity to Austin.

For the Lawsuit:

• The “Art Modell Law” on which the Columbus and Ohio lawsuit against PSV and MLS is based includes two key requirements: six months’ notice of intention to cease playing home games at Mapfre Stadium, which the city and state have argued has never been given by PSV and MLS, and an opportunity for locals to purchase the team.  The latter certainly appears to have been met.  Judge Jeffrey M. Brown has not yet handed down a ruling on PSV and MLS’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit. He might not have to.  It was believed after the motion to dismiss hearing that Brown might hold off on handing down an immediate ruling to allow for any potential deals to come together.

For Austin:

• MLS indicated Austin FC will begin play “no later than 2021” at the privately financed McKalla Place stadium in north Austin.  Before that happens, PSV and Austin first need to hammer out the final lease and development agreement for a stadium on the 24-acre, city-owned McKalla Place site.  Also unchanged by the Columbus news are the efforts of the IndyAustin PAC to collect signatures for a ballot initiative that would require PSV to pay the equivalent of property taxes and cover infrastructure costs, among other items.  The group is aiming to get enough signatures in time to be on the May 2019 ballot.  Meanwhile, the USL’s Austin Bold is set to kick off at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack next season.

On 10/12/2018 at 5:54 PM, X said:

I wonder if common ownership of the Crew and the Browns might mean more cross promotion between Cleveland and Columbus for both teams.

At a minimum, I hope the new regime can get the Crew's games back on a TV network that people actually watch! 

WE DID IT. 

 

Marketing will be everything in growing the club. You should see "CREW" everywhere in metro Columbus. Then its time to get the word out over the region....Toledo, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown....hell even Detroit and Pittsburgh. Time to get ambitious.

One scary piece of random speculation surrounding the Haslams...

 

Jimmy and Dee own the Cleveland Browns as we all know.  We also know that the Browns are already getting the ball rolling on a negotiation for a future stadium in Cleveland. There are several examples around the league (Atlanta, Seattle, New England, etc.) of MLS teams playing in the same facility as their owners' NFL team, and it's a pretty attractive business model for those owners. In this particular case, it could even help the owners get additional public funding by doubling the number of active dates for a future stadium.   

 

Again it's pretty baseless speculation, but I do think it's enough to provide the Haslams with leverage over Columbus in new-Crew stadium negotiations.  And if things don't get off to a great start, or if there's a major hitch in getting a new Crew stadium, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cleveland scenario floated. 

Or, conversely, Haslam could threaten to move the Browns to Columbus if they offered to build a big new stadium that both teams could use. 

Wouldn't Haslam run into the Modell Law if he tried to move the team to Cleveland? It's a different political subdivision of the state..

Congrats to the Crew:

 

Nationwide Realty 'open' to putting Columbus Crew stadium in the Arena District

 

Now that the Columbus Crew SC might actually stay in town, where will the team play?

 

On Friday, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, CEO of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain, and Columbus' Edwards family, including long-time Crew team physician and orthopedic surgeon Peter Edwards Jr., announced that they plan to buy the team from owner/operator Anthony Precourt. (A source close to the deal told Columbus Business First that other investors are involved with the deal and will be named later.)

 

The news came a year after Precourt said he wanted to move the team to Austin, Texas. Austin City Council recently voted to work with Precourt on a stadium site north of downtown Austin.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/16/nationwide-realty-open-to-putting-columbus-crew.html