November 25, 200816 yr MASSIVE! GO CREW! Video: Crew's return --- http://wwwphp.10tv.com/vplayer.php?clip=2008_11_25_crew_return_to_airport_11pm.wmv Slideshow: Hundreds crowd Port Columbus to greet team --- http://www.wbns.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/11/25/slideshow_crew.html
November 25, 200816 yr Theres a rally planned at the statehouse west lawn at 5pm today. Hopefully there will be a large crowd attending!
November 25, 200816 yr Kingfish hanging out in the studio with the stars of the Crew back in April (I wrote all their ads). I really gotta work on my "posing with celebrities" face.
November 25, 200816 yr congrats to da crew! Funny. You would never see that in Cleveland for our soccer teams yuh huh. yes you did. the city even had parades when they won. You mean to tell me there was a parade and all the regional local rags had front page headlines when Cleveland won the USL Championships last August - in only their second season as a team, I might add. Wow, I must have been drunker then I thought. well, you could have been drunk? i dk?!! :laugh: but i was referring to the force/crunch. maybe sober, but too young? enough of the cleve --- yay crew. i loved those newspaper headlines, very cool. keep'em coming. mayor coleman is lucky, mayor bloomies chow gift was the better deal. not for the beer, i am no brooklyn brewery fan, but for basilies/carnegie deli -- good stuff!
December 2, 200816 yr So, have we celebrated the Columbus Crew winning the MLS Cup enough? Well, ready or not, the harsh reality of professional sports will need to be dealt with... After winning MLS Cup, Columbus working to keep Schelotto, Schmid By Ridge Mahoney, Special to SI.com, Soccer America Posted: Wednesday November 26, 2008 - 4:24PM Having won their first MLS championship, now comes the hard part for the Columbus Crew. As tough as it is getting to the top -- remember this is a team that won the Supporters' Shield in 2004 before fizzling in the playoffs and hadn't been back to the postseason since -- any coach and any player in any sport will tell you staying up there is a true test of championship mettle. "Everybody's always out gunning for you in every game," Landon Donovan said about his time in San Jose, the 2001 champion that lost in the '02 playoffs and rebounded to win in '03. "Everybody wants to knock off the champs so they bring their 'A' game." The Crew's ownership, Hunt Sports Group, is engaged in discussions regarding the contracts of double MVP (regular season and MLS Cup) Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid. Columbus holds an option on Schelotto's contract but doesn't have enough salary to retain him without utilizing the Designated Player option, and Schmid -- who is Seattle's first choice to coach the expansion team when it begins play next year -- will be free and clear by the end of the week. MORE: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/soccer_america/11/26/crew/index.html
December 2, 200816 yr Crew Analysis: No news yet on status of three key parts Sunday, November 30, 2008 By Shawn Mitchell, The Columbus Dispatch The business of Major League Soccer waits for no one, not even its champion. Only a week after winning its MLS Cup, the Crew is back to work, facing a tall task of retaining a trio of men at the heart of the best season in club history. Where it stands with each: Coach Sigi Schmid The contract of Schmid, the MLS coach of the year, expires today. He jumped at none of the offers made by the Crew to re-sign him and will explore his options, most notably those provided by the Seattle Sounders, who begin play next season, and an expansion team in Philadelphia that will join the league in 2010. (. . .) Chad Marshall Marshall, the MLS Defender of the Year, was a monster in the air, scoring six goals on three assists from Schelotto during the regular season and two in the playoffs. Marshall, 23, is the only Crew player without a contract at the end of the season. He started 28 games this season after multiple concussions ended his 2007 season prematurely and has garnered a lot of interest from Europe, agent Richard Motzkin said. (. . .) Guillermo Barros Schelotto Indications are that a deal is done and could be announced this week. A team source said last week that Schelotto, the league and MLS Cup MVP, will return, possibly as a designated player if that's what it takes. A designated player doesn't count against the salary cap. Schelotto had an option year remaining on his contract, and if MLS were to exercise it, he would have to be made a designated player and the first $415,000 of his reported $600,000 salary would count against the $2.3 million cap. The rest would have to be picked up by Hunt Sports Group, which owns the Crew. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/11/30/crew30.ART_ART_11-30-08_C3_PIC2MHP.html?sid=101
December 3, 200816 yr Guillermo has been resigned! http://columbus.crew.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081202&content_id=207414&vkey=pr_coc&fext=.jsp&team=t102 1/3 resigned now 2 more to go!
December 3, 200816 yr Guillermo has been resigned! http://columbus.crew.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081202&content_id=207414&vkey=pr_coc&fext=.jsp&team=t102 1/3 resigned now 2 more to go! That is some great news! Out of the big three to resign for next year, I think Schelotto is the most important. I would not be surprised if Coach Schmid bolts for the Seattle expansion team and if Chad Marshall bolts for a european team. The money may be too much for both of them to say no. There was an excellent profile piece on Schelotto in the most recent Sports Illustrated magazine. I haven't seen it on SI.com, only the paper publication. That article made the point that Schelotto is the most important foreign import to the MLS, not David Beckham. Schelotto led the MLS in assists and acted like the premier playmaker that Beckham was supposted to be for the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy was last in their conference, while Schelotto led the Crew to the MLS Cup.
December 4, 200816 yr Guillermo is our designated player for next year which means his salary will not count against the salary cap! Even if Marshall leaves, we will get some money which we could use to buy another defender but I think if he leaves that Andy Iro will step in. That kid is great!
December 4, 200816 yr As long as we hold on to Rogers, Gavin, Schelotto, Moreno, Padula--and of course Hejduk--we'll be in good shape. Sigi or no...
December 10, 200816 yr Schmid's tenure with Crew ends MLS champion announces coach's departure Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 3:14 AM By Shawn Mitchell, The Columbus Dispatch Coach Sigi Schmid will not return to the Crew after leading Columbus to the Major League Soccer championship last month. The team confirmed Schmid's departure in a statement released late last night. "Sigi was the ideal person to turn around our competitive program and create a championship mentality within our club," the statement read in part. "As a result, we are well positioned moving forward and toward continued success. We respect his desire to seek the next challenge and wish him nothing but the best." Schmid won the coach of the year award after leading the Crew to 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in the MLS Cup title game on Nov. 23 in Carson, Calif. His contract expired at the end of November and an agreement on a new contract could not be reached. Schmid made no secret of his plans to explore other opportunities and met with officials from the expansion Seattle Sounders last week. MORE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/12/10/crew121008.ART_ART_12-10-08_C1_GQC6GMD.html?sid=101
December 11, 200816 yr One gets the sense that if this team hadn't started to win in July that things would have gotten very ugly quickly.
December 11, 200816 yr Almost made me cry. Oh well, time to turn the page I guess and start the Warzycha era in Columbus.
December 23, 200816 yr It's Official: Warzycha to lead the Crew Warzycha named Crew head coach Former Columbus player, longtime assistant coach takes reins of club Columbus Crew Media Relations Posted: 12/22/2008 - 2:05PM COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew has announced that former Crew standout and longtime assistant coach Robert Warzycha has been named the fifth head coach in club history. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. "There was significant interest in our head coaching position and we considered several candidates, but none of them brought more soccer expertise, experience or potential to lead our club than Robert Warzycha," said Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers. "And certainly, none approached the commitment and loyalty to the Crew that he possesses. "Robert's resume is impressive, from his playing experience in the English Premier League and at the international level to his experience playing and coaching in Major League Soccer. He was influential in building our program and understands what has made us successful, but he also has the vision to put his stamp on this team with his own brand of soccer. He is one of the most knowledgeable soccer minds in our league and he's ready to assume the head coaching responsibilities of our club." A 45-year-old native of Siemkowice, Poland, and naturalized U.S. citizen, Warzycha is one of the Crew's all-time greats on the field, who recently completed his seventh season on the club's coaching staff and sixth as a full-time assistant. In the midst of that tenure, Warzycha distinguished himself during a 16-game stint as interim head coach from July 12, 2005 through the end of that season. Warzycha took over a 4-10-2 team and went 7-6-3 the rest of the way. Following that season, he accepted the club's offer to remain on staff as Sigi Schmid's top assistant and became the first Crew assistant ever to sign a multi-year contract. Over the next three years, he played a vital role in the construction and development of the most successful team in club history. The 2008 Crew won the Supporters' Shield with a 17-7-6 record and 57 points, then went on to claim the club's first MLS Cup championship. "I would like to thank the Hunt Family and Mark McCullers for this opportunity," Warzycha said. "My family and I have been with the Crew and called central Ohio home for the last 12-and-a-half years and I am looking forward to this next chapter, leading the club as its head coach. I am proud to have been with the Crew since the first season and that I will have the opportunity to lead it into its 14th as MLS Cup champions." Warzycha's retirement as a player following the 2002 season capped a highly decorated, 16-year playing career. He remains the club's all-time career assists leader, with 61, and ranks fifth in games played (160) and fourth in points (99). He added 19 goals in regular-season play and finished with two goals and nine assists in 17 career playoff games. http://columbus.crew.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081222&content_id=209789&vkey=pr_coc&fext=.jsp&team=t102
December 26, 200816 yr zanesvilletimesrecorder.com December 26, 2008 Marshall re-signs with Columbus Crew COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Chad Marshall has re-signed with the MLS champion Columbus Crew. The club said Friday that Marshall agreed to a multi-year contract. No further details were released. The 24-year-old Marshall, who missed 17 games with a series of concussions in 2007, was the 2008 MLS Defender of the Year. He helped the Crew’s defense allow the third fewest goals in the league (36), behind only the Houston Dynamo (32) and the Chicago Fire (33). The 6-4, 190-pound Riverside, Calif., native was drafted by the Crew No. 2 overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft.
December 30, 200816 yr We are in great shape for next year. We only lost Sigi and Brad Evans but we have Warzycha as head coach and we have various options to fill Evans' midfield position.
January 28, 200916 yr Q&A with new Crew coach Robert Warzycha Sunday, January 25, 2009 By Shawn Mitchell THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Crew will begin defense of its first Major League Soccer championship Wednesday. It will do so under new coach Robert Warzycha, a longtime Crew player and assistant who took over last month when Sigi Schmid left to coach the expansion Seattle Sounders. When the Crew convenes for its first practice session, it will mark the start of Warzycha's 14th season in Columbus. The veteran of MLS, the English Premier League and the Polish national team sat down with Dispatch reporter Shawn Mitchell to discuss his approach to 2009. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/01/25/crew25.ART_ART_01-25-09_C5_MBCLLTT.html?sid=101
January 28, 200916 yr It may be snowing and freezing cold outside, but the MLS defending champs Columbus Crew are thinking about their 2009 season. Here are some early practice and exhibition dates... Soccer: Important Crew dates Monday, January 26, 2009 By Shawn Mitchell, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Crew was originally slated to begin team practice today but will instead undergo fitness testing and physicals until Wednesday, when it will convene at the SuperKick/TeamZone facility in Lewis Center for its first full indoor practice. The defending MLS champions will remain in Columbus through Feb. 5 before departing for Bradenton, Fla. The Crew will open the regular season March 21 at Houston. The full regular-season schedule is expected to be released in the next few weeks. Training sites - Feb. 4: Lewis Center - Feb. 5-19: Bradenton, Fla. - Feb. 21-24: Columbus/Lewis Center - Feb. 26-March 6: Liverpool, England - March 10-15: Austin, Texas Preseason exhibitions (subject to change) - Feb. 10: D.C. United - Feb. 12 or 13: Puerto Rico Islanders (United Soccer Leagues Div. 1) - Feb. 14: United States Under-20 national team - Feb. 18: TBA - March 1: Everton reserves (English Premier League) - March 5: Liverpool reserves (English Premier League) - March 12: Laredo Heat (Premier Development League) - March 14: Austin Aztex (USL-1) Regular season - March 21: at Houston, 8 p.m. (Fox Soccer Channel) - March 28: Toronto, 4 p.m. - April 2: at Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m. (ESPN2) http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/01/26/crewpreseason09.ART_ART_01-26-09_C2_A2CM6DE.html?sid=101
January 28, 200916 yr Anybody going to the USA vs Mexico world cup qualifier february 11?? Not sure where our seats are but there with the Nordecke. Does anyone know if they are moving them for the WC qualifier?
January 28, 200916 yr Im making the drive down from cleveland the day of the match, gonna be a cold one
January 28, 200916 yr Anybody going to the USA vs Mexico world cup qualifier february 11?? Not sure where our seats are but there with the Nordecke. Does anyone know if they are moving them for the WC qualifier? I think I heard they might be on the section to the left of the stage but I'm not sure.
January 29, 200916 yr From today's Columbus Dispatch (1/29/09)... "Tickets for the United States against Mexico FIFA World Cup qualifier at Crew Stadium on Feb. 11 sold out 90 minutes after going on sale to the general public yesterday. The match is the first of five home qualifiers for the United States this year. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 and Univision."
January 29, 200916 yr From today's Columbus Dispatch (1/29/09)... "Tickets for the United States against Mexico FIFA World Cup qualifier at Crew Stadium on Feb. 11 sold out 90 minutes after going on sale to the general public yesterday. The match is the first of five home qualifiers for the United States this year. It will be broadcast on ESPN2 and Univision." That's going to be one cold, rowdy crowd.
January 30, 200916 yr First look at the Crew's 2009 schedule Posted by Shawn Mitchell on January 28, 2009 - 8:15 AM http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/crew/index.html 3/21 Sat. at Houston Dynamo 8 p.m. (FSC) 3/28 Sat. Toronto FC 4 p.m. 4/2 Thurs. at Real Salt Lake 9 p.m. (ESPN2 / Deportes) 4/5 Sun. at CD Chivas USA 8 p.m. 4/11 Sat. Colorado Rapids 7:30 p.m. 4/25 Sat. Chicago Fire 7 p.m. (FSC) 5/2 Sat. at Toronto FC 4 p.m. 5/9 Sat. Kansas City Wizards 7 p.m. (FSC) 5/17 Sun. at Los Angeles Galaxy 3 p.m. (TeleFutura) 5/27 Wed. San Jose Earthquakes 7:30 p.m. 5/30 Sat. at Seattle Sounders FC 10:30 p.m. (FSC) 6/6 Sat. at Kansas City Wizards 8:30 p.m. 6/14 Sun. CD Chivas USA 3 p.m. (TeleFutura) 6/20 Sat. at FC Dallas 8:30 p.m. (FSC) 6/27 Sat. New York Red Bulls 7:30 p.m. (FSC) 7/4 Sat. D.C. United 7 p.m. (ESPN2 / Deportes) 7/11 Sat. at Chicago Fire 8 p.m. (ESPN2 / Deportes) 7/18 Sat. Real Salt Lake 8 p.m. 7/25 Sat. Toronto FC 7:30 p.m. 8/1 Sat. at Colorado Rapids 9:30 p.m. 8/8 Sat. at San Jose Earthquakes 10:30 p.m. 8/15 Sat. FC Dallas 7 p.m. 8/30 Sun. at New York Red Bulls 6 p.m. 9/13 Sun. Houston Dynamo 5 p.m. 9/20 Sun. at Chicago Fire 3 p.m. (TeleFutura) 9/26 Sat. Los Angeles Galaxy 7:30 p.m. 10/3 Sat. Seattle Sounders FC 7:30 p.m. 10/10 Sat. at New England Revolution 7:30 p.m. 10/17 Sat. at D.C. United 8 p.m. 10/25 Sun. New England Revolution 5 p.m. Under the new, 15-team format, the Crew will play 13 teams twice and rivals Toronto and Chicago three times. What dates have you circled? Looking forward to the July 4 home game against D.C. United (ESPN2)? http://blog.dispatch.com/crew/2009/01/practice_ppd.shtml
January 31, 200916 yr I'm only interested in seeing them crush Seattle. Welcome back to Columbus, Sigi!
February 10, 200916 yr Ive an extra ticket for the USA vs Mexico game tomorrow night at 7pm due to a friend dropping out last minute, if anyone is interested let me know. Ticket is in the Nordecke section (or wherever the Nordeck is moved to for this game), assigned seat but seating is treated as general admission in this section. Price is $50.00 even, face value was 48.00 with a $2.00 shipping fee, im not looking to make a profit just want to get rid of the ticket.
February 13, 200916 yr U.S. v. Mexico - The Aftermath http://www.columbusunderground.com/us-v-mexico-aftermath Two to zero. Unlike the movies, this sequel was just as good for U.S. fans as the previous two World Cup Qualifiers in Columbus. The weather was suitably awful, but the wind whipping and torrential rain did nothing to cool the passions in on both sides from a Mexican assistant coach slapping Crew captain Frankie Hejduk, the red clad Sam’s Army supporters group cheering all night long, or a father and his two sons driving all the way from New Jersey. United States 2, Mexico 0: American Tradition Hejduk proud to take one for team
February 13, 200916 yr It was a fantastic game. Fortunately, we were at home in Westerville when the skies opened up and got down there after the weather cleared up. They wouldn't let folks park on the grass which totally screwed up the parking situation.
February 15, 200916 yr me and my cousin drove down from cleveland for the match, about 20 minutes away from the stadium a wall of water came out of nowhere and pretty much couldnt see the front of my truck on the highway. Once getting off the highway it took 50 minutes to get to a park which was in the sheep auction (?) building for the fair, then took another hour to get on the highway after the game. The match itself and the atmosphere was amazing, we were standing in the sams army section where the stage is and didnt sit the entire game.
February 19, 200916 yr Parking at Crew Stadium is a nightmare (but a good nightmare to have). I usually park in the neighborhoods west of the stadium and cross over the train tracks. Tons of folks do the same, and I'm pretty sure it's my son's favorite part of the game.
March 4, 200916 yr Crew renews broadcast deal with ONN Business First of Columbus Friday, February 27, 2009 The Columbus Crew has signed a new deal with the Ohio News Network that makes the television station the team's exclusive regional broadcaster through the 2011 season. The Major League Soccer team said Friday that the deal calls for ONN to broadcast 21 regular-season games, beginning with a home game against Toronto FC March 28. The deal, financial terms for which weren't disclosed, means all of the Crew's games will be available on television for the third consecutive year. National broadcasters of Crew games for the upcoming season include ESPN2 and the Fox Soccer Channel, according to the team's online schedule here. In addition to the broadcasting agreement, the Crew will have a weekly show dubbed CrewXtra on ONN every Wednesday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ONN is part of the Dispatch Broadcast Group, a subsidiary of the Columbus-based Dispatch Printing Co. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/02/23/daily53.html
March 21, 200916 yr The Crew begins their defense of the MLS Cup tonight at Houston. If you have the Fox Soccer Channel, it will be shown at 8:00PM. GO CREW!! 2009 SEASON PREVIEW Crew will face many obstacles in quest to repeat Friday, March 20, 2009 By Shawn Mitchell, The Columbus Dispatch AUSTIN, Texas -- These guys are junkies, hooked on soccer to the point where they would kick a ball of dirty duct tape if that was all they had. They are recipients of salaries, shoe contracts and free gear, sure, but at heart the Crew's players are men playing the simplest of games, the one to which they've dedicated their lives. A ball. Two feet. That's all that's needed. So it shouldn't really matter that the soccer balls the Crew will use this year are colored silver and not white like in the past, but it does. For that silver ball, the one they've been staring at and chasing since preseason began more than two months ago, is the mark of a champion, and only the champion of Major League Soccer gets to use the silver ball for home games. It means everything. "It's all changed," midfielder Eddie Gaven said last week, referring to the new target on the Crew's back, the one that comes with being defending MLS Cup champion. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/03/20/crew_target_3-20.ART_ART_03-20-09_C1_HTD9UHC.html?sid=101
March 21, 200916 yr 2009 SEASON PREVIEW Columbus Crew Crew Stadium (20,145) Web site: www.columbus.crew.mlsnet.com Coach: Robert Warzycha (first season, 7-6-3 as interim coach in 2005) Key additions: MF Alex Grendi, D Eric Brunner Key departures: Coach Sigi Schmid, MF Brad Evans, D Ezra Hendrickson Outlook: The biggest change for the defending MLS Cup champs is the absence of Schmid, who became the first MLS coach to leave a team after winning the championship. The transition of Warzycha, a longtime assistant, has been smooth, but major injuries to Pat Noonan, Adam Moffat and minor ones to Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven might make a fast start difficult. The Crew has to stay healthy if it wants to repeat. A schedule packed with national-team games and, later, the CONCACAF Champions League demands it. ADDITIONAL LINKS BELOW: MLS Eastern Conference preview MLS Western Conference preview Crew Stadium turns 10 - Landmark Soccer Venue
March 22, 200916 yr A tie is better than a loss! Here's the Dispatch re-cap at "Crew comes away with tie: Schelotto scores in 81st minute of Warzycha's debut".
March 26, 200916 yr The Columbus Crew prepares for their Saturday home opener against Toronto. It looks like the Crew will be a little short-handed with Hejduk away with the U.S. national team for a match in El Salvador. CREW NOTEBOOK Warcyzha: Practice games beat drills Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 3:07 AM By Shawn Mitchell, The Columbus Dispatch It's hard to argue with the methods of former Crew coach Sigi Schmid. The 2008 Major League Soccer Coach of the Year, now with the Seattle Sounders, rebuilt and led the Crew to its first MLS championship last season and has won more postseason games than any coach in league history. His successor, longtime Crew assistant Robert Warzycha, readily admits that he learned a lot from his successor. He also wants nothing more than to put his stamp on this year's team and make Schmid a pleasant memory. If yesterday's training session was any indication, he already has. (. . .) Signs of victory Mayor Michael B. Coleman appeared at the Crew's media day yesterday and unveiled a new street sign that reads "MLS Champions Way" and features the Crew logo. The signs are hung on Silver Drive at Hudson Street and on Silver Drive at the I-71 ramp. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/03/26/crew_3-26.ART_ART_03-26-09_C3_KIDBTIK.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
March 26, 200916 yr I wish MLS would start honoring the FIFA calender and stop scheduling matches on international dates. Its not fair to the players, coaches, or fans to be missing their best players for key league matches. Ive to work saturday night but plan on taping the match and watching it when i get home, should be a good, fast, and physical match with Columbus winning 2-1. Does anyone know how many fans Toronto are brining down with them and where their sitting??
March 27, 200916 yr The South Endzone and rumor is that the MLS is still 3-5 years from seriously considering a shift to FIFA schedule. They have to get all their teams into soccer only stadiums and then figure out how to maintain their support against the NFL and youth soccer. The NFL expansion to 18 games would not make a shift the FIFA schedule any easier - though they could go with a long winter break like the Bundesliga has.
March 27, 200916 yr According to today's paper, Toronto's estimating up to 1,500 fans for Saturday's game. That's down from the 2,400 who came to last year's Crew home opener.
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