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Bring Back The Legend

 Posted by on June 12, 2013 at 10:06 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Jun 122013
 

 

 

 

 

Those tweets should make those of us who follow the Crew closely (and have for a long time) giddy as a schoolboy.

Guillermo wants to come back!

Not that this is news to some of us. Schelotto has been saying this ever since he left Columbus and returned to Argentina to take the heading coaching job at Lanus. And speaking of Lanus, they finished third in the first of the split season that is Argentina’s first division.

Now before you get excited, it should be pointed out that they were the only club in the Top 10 who failed to score 20 goals. They also led the league with just nine goals conceded. So much like the current Crew, a GBS-coached team struggled to score but also played stout defense.

Why am I mentioning all of this?

Because right now the entire Columbus Crew organization is stuck in limbo; both literally and figuratively. As I write this, their 4th Round US Open Cup with Chicago has been postponed until Thursday June 13 at 1pm EST. Their last competitive match was a week ago and they got thrashed 3-0 by a mediocre Philadelphia Union side. The front office has said no reinforcements are coming during the international transfer window that opens on July 1. Robert Warzycha continues to make tactical blunder after tactical blunder and seems to have lost the confidence of his entire roster.

Then there’s the people who actually own and operate the Columbus Crew organization: Hunt Sports Group.

They’re latest big announcement was for a new music festival that will be hosted by Crew Stadium and FC Dallas Stadium, the home of the other Hunt-owned team. HSG continues to show complete disinterest in the Crew and at one point said they were actively looking to get out of Columbus if they can find a local owner. They later backtracked from that statement, but their lack of organization-altering changes speaks more than any actual words that come out of their mouths.

Then we hear the second hand comments that the greatest player in the history of this club wants to return to the United States of America.

Imagine if the front office were to pull the trigger on Robert Warzycha and bring in Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The man who elevated the Columbus Crew to elite level as a player the way Brian McBride, Frankie Hejduk, and Chad Marshall never could. He made Alejandro Moreno is formidable striker for crying out loud!

Suddenly there’s new, young blood at the helm of a roster that Mark McCullers (and myself) believe can contend for the Eastern Conference title. Federico Higuain finds new inspiration playing under his countryman. Some of the magic of 2008 rubs off on the team and they sneak into the playoffs where anything can happen. Sounds like a match made in heaven for both sides.

But as long as the Hunts are in charge, they’re going to continue trotting out Robert Warzycha because he’s safe. He’s steady. He’s cheap. He won’t question the front office and their considerable lack of resources, both on and off the field. Schelotto might speak out about a lack of money to pay for good players. He might say mean things about the Hunts and about Warzycha. He’ll want to put his stamp on things and that means change.

And the Hunts don’t like change. Even if it’s change that can return Columbus to its place atop Major League Soccer.

 

“Be MASSIVE!!!”

Down, But Not Out

 Posted by on June 4, 2013 at 10:13 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Jun 042013
 

Look, I get it: We all love Eddie Gaven.

He’s a hard working motherbear who never complains and never says the wrong thing. He’s the guy you want next to you in a foxhole. He fits the mold of the cliche perfect teammate.

But his season-ending ACL tear is not the end of the world.

Quick Tangent: It bothers me A LOT when people speak with a sad/grieving tone about athletes who tear their ACL. They aren’t dying. They aren’t dead. They WILL walk again. Too many people in the world are truly worthy of our sympathy and not one of them plays pro sports. 

Yes, Eddie scored nine goals last season and set up twice as many. You could even make the case that Columbus doesn’t advance in the US Open Cup against Dayton without him. But he is not a goalscorer or even a true “trequartista” playmaker like Guillermo. He wasn’t going to reach 10 goals or 10 assists this season and he probably would’ve been lucky to notch half of those numbers. His job was to advance the ball up the wing and open up space in the middle for Jairo Arrieta and Federico Higuain to run wild.

His was a very replaceable role.

In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that his injury can HELP the Crew long term. With Gaven out, suddenly both wide midfield positions are open for auditions.

(Actually this assumes Robert Warzycha won’t continue trotting out a 4-4-1-1 with Oduro as a wide midfielder…which is probably what we’ll wind up seeing for the rest of the season.)

Justin Meram, Ben Speas, Ethan Finlay, and even Bernardo Anor are all talented young players who need regular first team minutes to achieve their potential. Think about how much more dangerous Arrieta and Oduro can be when teams have to face the prospect of containing both Meram and Speas at the same time. Both are natural wide midfielders with pace and solid dribbling skills. Finlay is even faster than those two and Anor’s left foot is sorely needed in the attack so that Tyson Wahl can stay home and defend.

Just imagine what this team could (potentially) trot out…

Barson – Williams – Glauber – Wahl

Sanchez

Meram (Finlay) – Speas (Anor)

Higuain

Arrieta – Oduro

Suddenly “the goals will come” is no longer a hollow bumper stick for the future; it’s very much real. This is a lineup that can spend the rest of this season gelling and preparing for an actual Eastern Conference run in 2014, but without fielding a dull team incapable of entertaining the masses of Columbus even in defeat.

Of course, this would require tactical flexibility from Warzycha, or perhaps even his outright dismissal. The point is that Eddie Gaven’s injury has opened up more opportunities than setbacks. Let’s hope the organization can take advantage.

Meet The Columbus Crew U-23 Squad

 Posted by on May 20, 2013 at 9:18 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States, US Open Cup
May 202013
 

Let’s lay a few ground rules before we get this underway…

-The real U-23 squads in the US Open Cup (Portland, Seattle, Orlando, New York) are NOT professionals who also happen to be on the senior roster of their respective teams. I’m breaking that rule for Columbus.

-Unfortunately, there aren’t enough players 23 or younger on the Crew to fill an 18 man gameday roster.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at what the Crew have to work with. This exercise was inspired by the lack of creativity and ingenuity shown by Robert Warzycha, even when faced with a growing injury list.

Goalkeepers (2): Matt Lampson (23), Daniel Withrow (22)

Defenders (4): Chad Barson (22), Drew Beckie (22) , Kyle Hyland (22), Kevan George (23)

Midfielders (4): Wil Trapp (20), Shawn Sloan (22), Ben Speas (22), Ethan Finlay (22)

Forwards (3): Aaron Horton (21), Aaron Schoenfeld (23), Ryan Finley (22)

I know, I know…it’s going to be tough just to fill out a lineup. But what kind of fake coach would I be if I couldn’t mold this short handed bunch into a US Open Cup contender.

So what’s my starting formation? Have a look…

Lampson

Barson – Beckie – George – Hyland

Trapp

Speas               –               Finlay

Sloan

Schoenfeld  -  Finley

Matt Lampson is the easiest selection here and thankfully he has a decent backup in Marshall product Daniel Withrow. Homegrown signing Chad Barson is capable of playing on the right or in the middle, but Drew Beckie and Kevan George are more physically imposing and thus better suited for the center back pairing. Kyle Hyland already has a couple assists from the left side of the backline; the senior team’s most short handed position. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to trot him out there if Agustin Viana is out long term and Tyson Wahl doesn’t improve.

We know all about each wide midfielder, but Wil Trapp and Shawn Sloan haven’t been seen as much. Trapp is an excellent tactical fit as a holding midfielder. He’s calm, cool, and collected on the ball and is a good passer out of the back. Unfortunately, he may get run over with his diminutive stature. He’s only 20 though, so maybe he can squeeze in another inch or two in height. Shawn Sloan has played all over the midfield throughout his high school/college career, but he managed to scored 58 goals and serve 40 assists in high school. He also had seven assists as a junior in college and ten in his senior year so he’s more than capable of distributing.

And thankfully, he has two very stellar forwards to whom he can distribute. Ryan Finley is a clinical finisher with his head and both feet while Aaron Schoenfeld has already shown us (in limited first team action) that he can hang with MLS defenders.

So how will this side fair in the US Open Cup?

Here’s what the bracket looks like:

http://thecup.us/2013-us-open-cup-bracket/

So the U-23 Crew will get the winner of Dayton Dutch Lions and Dearborn Stars SC. Even though Dearborn pulled off a shocker over the USL’s Michigan Bucks, I still like Dayton Dutch Lions to win and set up the revenge match. Several guys on this squad have been on the fringe with the first team and most of the others have impressed in the Reserve League.

Crew U-23 2-1 Dayton Dutch Lions

Crew U-23 goals: Finley & Speas

On to the next one! Assuming this is the real bracket (I don’t know if the pairings are 100% accurate) the Crew U-23 team gets a date with the winner of the LA Galaxy and Carolina Dynamo/Carolina Railhawks. Even if the Galaxy take this one off, I still like them to get past the winner of the Carolina duel.

Crew U-23 1-2 LA Galaxy

Crew U-23 goal: Finley

Unfortunately this would be the worst possible draw for the Crew if it held up; especially if the U-23 squad has to go on the road to California. Even the scrubs at LA Galaxy have enough to beat this Crew U-23 side, but it would be a very close match. With a better draw this team would be more than capable of advancing to the quarterfinals over a “senior” MLS side (depending on who takes it seriously).

So even though the lads in black and yellow couldn’t break through to the quarterfinals, they’ve still shown us that Robert Warzycha has plenty of options in his back pocket that he will no doubt waste. Ryan Finley is the best (aka most MLS ready) player on this squad with Ben Speas right behind him. I really want to see what Chad Barson and Drew Beckie can do in defense. Beckie’s college highlights were solid and he showed Josh Williams-type athleticism. When Wil Trapp finally gets back from his national team duties, he’ll be well seasoned and hungry to prove himself. He’s already told his travel days off between USMNT U-20 and Crew duties to eff-off so we know he’s a hard worker.

Thoughts? Agree or disagree?

 

“Be MASSIVE!!!”

What Could Have Been…

 Posted by on May 5, 2013 at 7:53 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
May 052013
 

So Saturday’s 1-0 loss to New York REALLY sucked, no?

The team finally looked poised to make a run over the next couple weeks as they knocked the ball around and kept Thierry Henry relatively quiet for most of the game. Hell, Federico Higuain even got a nice penalty kick to put a pretty bow on the three points that were surely headed Columbus’s way.

Then Higuain telegraphed his shot and Louis Robles kept the score level at 0-0.

After that New York sprang to life and eventually Tim Cahill headed home a rebound that flew just out of reach for Andy Gruenebaum.

Game…Set…Match…

It was an infuriating and agonizing result; a complete waste of potential. The players and coaches said as much after the game. The salt in the wound was, of course, Robert Warzycha waiting until beyond the 80th minute to make any sort of substitution or tactical change. As usual, I found myself second guessing the Polish Rifle’s lineup and tactical instructions; we all do it.

But then I started to dig a little deeper. I thought about all the good players who have left the Crew over the years. I thought about what Saturday’s game (and the rest of the season for that matter) would be like if things had broken differently for the Crew ever since their MLS Cup winning season in 2013. For the purposes of this discussion, I focused only on players the Crew have lost in Expansion drafts of years past. For example…

2008-Brad Evans (Seattle)

2009-Alejandro Moreno (Philadelphia)

2010-Eric Brunner/Adam Moffat (Portland)

2011-Josh Gardner (Montreal)

So let’s take care of the obvious first. Alejandro Moreno was on the last legs of his career when he departed for Philly in 2009 and Josh Gardner, while serviceable, was hardly a world beater at left back when he departed.

The other three guys, however, are a different story. Sure, Warzycha may never have utilized any of them or perhaps even traded them away eventually (come back Brian Carroll!) but let’s assume Evans, Brunner, and Moffat did progress and play regularly for Columbus. What would the line up look like today…

Gruenebaum

Williams – Marshall – Brunner – Wahl

Moffat

Gaven                  -                     Evans

Higuain

Arrieta      -         Oduro

OR

Gruenebaum

Williams – Marshall – Brunner – Wahl

Gaven – Moffat – Evans – Speas

Higuain

Arrieta

Wow. Just wow. Look at either of those lineups and tell me this team isn’t currently in first place in the East coming off an MLS Cup Final appearance. Suddenly there’s no question surrounding who will take over Chad Marshall in 2-3 years. There’s no debate about who is playing the center of the midfield. There’s tons of scoring options across said midfield.

If you really want to torture yourself like I did, just think about if Guillermo and Gino were the 1-2 coaching punch leading this group. What if a local ownership group suddenly came together out nowhere and came up with $200 million for a new stadium downtown; a la Kansas City’s recent gift from the heavens. Said stadium could’ve been put in the Arena District next to Nationwide and suddenly 19,000 are showing up for every game.

On and on it goes…

But we who are faithful to the MASSIVE club are not so fortunate. We must press on with what little we have and continue to hope for the best.

“Be Massive!!!”

May The Force Be With Crew!

 Posted by on May 2, 2013 at 8:57 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
May 022013
 

The Crew will host New York in a nationally televised game this Saturday May 4. This day has also become an international holiday to help nerds like me celebrate all things Star Wars.

Allow me to present a special breakdown of the 2013 Columbus Crew, inspired by one of the greatest movies of all time…

Jairo Arrieta = Luke Skywalker

Young and fairly handsome, Jairo Arrieta navigates the Death Star trenches that are an opponent’s defense. He’ll be the one who ultimately takes the game winning shot, even if his target to score is only two meters wide. The fate of the 2013 Crew’s season ultimately rests in his hands (and feet).

Danny O’Rourke = Han Solo

O’Rourke may not seem like the second best good guy in black and yellow, but don’t tell him that. Just like Han, the holding midfielder is a reckless pirate with the unenviable task of retrieving the Crew’s most precious cargo: the ball. He may look a bit past his prime, but O’Rourke is still capable of taking the Millenium Falcon through the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Unlike Han, however, O’Rourke gets the award for Crew player Least Likely To Shoot First.

Federico Higuain = R2-D2

He may not be the biggest player out on the field of battle, but the Argentine playmaker always makes the right move just in the nick of time to give his teammates a chance to succeed. Also, his English is still limited to the point that he might as well be speaking in bells and whistles.

Glauber = Chewbacca

He’s big. He’s hairy. He’ll rip your arms out of their sockets if you beat him at cards.

Let the Glauber win!

Eddie Gaven = Wedge Antilles

Much like that one guy who survived the Death Star assault beside Luke Skywalker and went on become the “Luke Skywalker” of Return Of The Jedi, Eddie Gaven is still widely under-appreciated outside of Columbus. He clocks in, puts in his work, clocks out, and goes home without complaint having performed his duties admirably.

Dominic Oduro = Lando Calrissian

No, I’m not trying to be racist!

Lando is pretty much the only Star Wars character with true swagger (other than Bib Fortuna) and Oduro is easily the flashiest player on this Columbus team. Just as Lando spent a very brief amount of time working for the enemy, Oduro joins Columbus after spending the last two seasons with Ch*cago F*re. Best be careful or the self proclaimed “Freaky Fast” will try to steal your Princess Leia.

Chad Marshall = Obi Wan Kenobi

Just as the grizzled Kenobi was the ideal man to represent the Jedi Order, Chad Marshall is Columbus Crew manifested in human form. And just as Obi-Wan was Princess Leia’s only hope, Marshall is the only hope for Columbus’s backline this season.

Robert Warzycha = C-3PO

Annoying and way more trouble than he’s worth, the Polish Rifle is always trying to tell us the odds and how he knows better than us. He’s also constantly getting in the way and the 2013 Crew will half to win in spite of him to make the playoffs.

Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Just Me?

 Posted by on April 29, 2013 at 8:41 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Apr 292013
 

YESSS!!! It feels SO good to write punderful headlines again!

Here, let me get a few more out of my system…

Columbus Offense Sets DC United Defense Ablaze!

Crew Offense Sparked By Scoreboard Fire!

At Long Last Columbus Crew’s Offense Is Heating Up! (For your NBA Jam fans)

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about the game itself…

Since Columbus scored three times on Saturday night, I have just three observations to discuss.

1. Robert Warzycha’s lineup adjustments were not that impressive.

Yes, it was good to see Jairo Arrieta back on the field at the start of the game. But Warzycha trotted out the same 4-4-1-1 formation and went back to deploying Dominic Oduro out wide on the right. Ben Speas was relegated to the bench, along with Tyson Wahl who was replaced by Agustin Viana with Tony Tchani sliding into Viana’s usual holding midfield spot next to Danny O’Rourke.

If Oduro and Eddie Gaven are going to play out wide and if Warzycha is going to insist on playing two defensive midfielders at a time, then there needs to be a new formation. It should probably look something like this…

Gruenebaum

Williams – Marshall – Glauber – Wahl/Viana

O’Rourke – Viana/Tchani

Higuain

Oduro – Arrieta – Gaven

It’s no use trying to masquerade Oduro and Gaven as midfielders since they are never going to track back and defend properly. If you insist on deploying two holding midfielders, then they can focus entirely on defending, especially out wide. Higuain gets the freedom to  roam into space and set up not one, not two, but three true attackers in front of him.

Everybody wins.

2. Josh Williams deserves a start at center back

Once again, the Crew were fortunate to be the beneficiaries of a blown offside call against DC that saved a goal.

Glauber still looks a half step too slow and does a poor job recovering if he gets beat down the middle; which has proven to be the best way to beat Columbus so far this season. Josh Williams solves that problem since he is faster and more athletic than the lumbering Brazilian.

This also opens up a spot at left back. There are several candidates who can fill the position. Agustin Viana looked capable before leaving the game in the first half. When he’s fully recovered, Bernardo Anor provides a ton of speed out wide to link up with Eddie Gaven. The third option didn’t reveal itself until Sunday’s reserve scrimmage with West Virginia. Rookie Kyle Hyland from IUPUI (what up Jaguars!) notched an assist and looked very comfortable at the position.

Warzycha will never go through with it, but it’s good to know the options are there.

3. Jairo Arrieta is the most important player on this team

Andy Gruenebaum will have to continue to be the Hebrew Hammer behind a porous backline, but Arrieta showed just how valuable he is on Saturday night. During his absence, the Crew attack found itself fizzling out quite a bit because teams would gang up on Federico Higuain, who was collecting the ball 40 yards from goal with only one option in front of him.

Arrieta, however, showed that he is more than capable of creating something of out nothing. He has a fantastic first touch and great ball control for a guy who, at a mere 5’10, constantly finds himself posting up larger defenders. The Crew can’t rely on goals from Higuain all season and Oduro is going to go six or seven games without scoring very soon.

The Costa Rica international will have to be the one who carries this team to the playoffs on his back.

“Be MASSIVE!!!”

Change Is Good

 Posted by on April 23, 2013 at 8:51 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Apr 232013
 

Mark McCullers and Robert Warzycha are the definition of “conservative”. They do not say more than what is required and they are not prone to overreaction.

But the former would be wise to consider doing something…spontaneous…after Saturday night’s loss in Chicago.

McCullers was uncharacteristically outspoken about this Columbus Crew roster prior to the start of the regular season. He spoke of aspirations that began with an Eastern Conference title and ended with the possibility of Columbus hosting MLS Cup 2013. He told us this year would be different, because this roster was different. He convinced us the sky was the limit.

Does he still believe that after Saturday’s pathetic showing against the Fire?

If he does, he needs to do something crazy. He needs to fire Robert Warzycha and replace him with Technical Director Brian Bliss.

In the first 6-8 weeks of the regular season, Warzycha has managed to alienate his best striker (Jairo Arrieta), deploy his best playmaker (Federico Higuain)  in a no-win situation as a second forward instead of a playmaking midfielder, and stood firm on the central midfield pairing of Agustin Viana and Danny O’Rourke. Of the seven goals allowed by Columbus this season, four have come from outside the penalty box. This would suggest that Viana and O’Rourke are not doing a good enough job of closing down long range shooters.

Yet Warzycha has shown no effort to make any sort of tactical or personnel changes in his Starting XI. His rigidness has become detrimental to the team’s success and McCullers should hold him responsible by not allowing him to see out the final year of his contract.

Brian Bliss is the obvious choice for an interim coach. He is the one who assembled this roster that McCullers has spoken so highly of. He is the one who can figure out how best to deploy them and start producing wins instead of draws at home. It’s time he had a chance to prov himself.

Columbus is not an organization with a history of knee-jerk reactions. But that has to change. The longer Warzycha is allowed to run this team into the ground, the more it harms the development of youngsters like Ben Speas, Wil Trapp, and Matias Sanchez. It wastes the talent of Pipa Higuain and Jairo Arrieta. The phrase “desperate times call for desperate measures” immediately comes to mind.

Let’s hope Mark McCullers is starting to get desperate before it’s too late.

 

Robert Warzycha Must Go

 Posted by on April 15, 2013 at 12:10 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Apr 152013
 

I’ve had enough. No more. My patience has been tested for long enough.

On Saturday Columbus needed a moment of magic from Dominic Oduro to save a point against the Eastern Conference leaders from Montreal.  But I take issue with the fact that Oduro was even starting in the first place.

Days after claiming that certain members of the team had grown comfortable in their starting spots, Robert Warzycha trotted out the same Starting XI he has used ever since Jairo Arrieta left to join his native Costa Rica in their quest for World Cup qualification. It looked a little something like this…

Gruenebaum

Williams – Marshall – Glauber – Wahl

Speas – Viana – O’Rourke – Gaven

Higuain

Oduro

Jairo Arrieta, who had started every match since joining Columbus last season up until his Costa Rica call up, was forced to watch from the bench as Oduro failed to hold onto the ball long enough for Columbus to create any meaningful chance. Up until Dominic Oduro’s wonderstrike, most Crew fans were tearing out their hair trying to figure out why the streaky Oduro was starting in place of the more consistent Arrieta.

Now, many are asking why the two can’t co-exist together.

And then there’s the matter of Agustin Viana and Danny O’Rourke STILL the central midfield pairing of choice for Warzycha. Both are more than capable of reclaiming the ball from an opposing side (when they avoid card-worthy tackles) but neither has much to offer going forward or even when it comes to retaining their new found possession. O’Rourke in particular is a testament to the old days of MLS as a whole; when physicality and “toughness” were valued over technical ability and tactical vision. He cannot be a starter in MLS in 2013. Viana is at least a capable aerial threat on set pieces as we saw from one first half corner kick in particular.

For a moment in the second half, right after Oduro’s goal, we thought we might get to see what Oduro and Arrieta can do on the field at the same time. But Oduro pulled up limp and had to leave just moments after Arrieta entered the game.

And so the Black & Yellow were fortunate to earn one point when three were a very real possibility after Montreal looked slow and non-threatening for most of the match.

Which brings me to my not so subtle headline.

I have long defended the Polish Rifle as the right man for this team. I applaud his professionalism both on and off the field. But his “consistency” over the years has turned to stubbornness and its time another coach take over in Columbus at the conclusion of the 2013 season. His tendency to alienate his stars (see: Guillermo Barros Schelotto in 2009) has reared its ugly head again with his decision to leave Jairo Arrieta on the bench for the last two games. There are rumblings among the players that the former Everton and Columbus striker is far too rigid with his managerial style.

I say he should be allowed to finish out the season because he is in the final year of his contract and a mid-season change is rarely the best solution. I do find it encouraging that General Manager Mark McCullers has not given Warzycha a new deal yet. It appears that he, like most of us, sees that a change is needed soon.

So who should take over should Waryzcha depart after this season? That is a very difficult question to answer. One of the reasons I felt Warzycha was a good fit initially was because he has been with Columbus since Day 1; first as a player and then as a long time assistant coach.

So with that in mind, I would give serious consideration to handing the reins over to Technical Director Brian Bliss. He’s the one who continues to find great international signings and make wise decisions in the MLS Superdraft. He knows these individuals better than most and he can find a way to put them where they need to be in order to have success.

But that’s another discussion for another day. For now it”s clear that there needs to be a change, regardless of how the season ends for Columbus.

Lessons Learned

 Posted by on April 8, 2013 at 8:09 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Apr 082013
 

I have long defended Robert Warzycha.

I respect the way he approaches managing a team both on and off the field. He is a consummate professional.

Unfortunately, he is starting to plant seeds of doubt in my mind about his tactical prowess. Part of said prowess includes managing his players’ egos on a week to week basis. Saturday’s come-from-behind draw with Philadelphia concluded the first five games of the 2013 regular season and presented Robert Warzycha with pretty much everything he needs to worry about going forward.

In no particular order…

Dominic Oduro Cannot Start

…unless he is partnered with Jairo Arrieta up top. Saturday marked the first time in his Columbus career that Arrieta was not a member of the Starting XI. Having been called up by his native Costa Rica recently for his fine form since joining the Crew, Arrieta’s ego is ripe for offense. To go another match without starting Arrieta would be a huge mistake on Warzycha’s part.

Then there’s the actual tactical issues.

After five games, I think it’s safe to assume that Oduro and his blazing fast speed are better deployed in some sort of advanced forward role rather out wide on the right. Arrieta does well to hold the ball up despite his lack of size and strength. He is more than capable of combining with Oduro and Federico Higuain to form a potent trident on the attack. I don’t have numbers to prove it, but I’m sure said numbers would tell us that the Costa Rica international finishes much more efficiently than Oduro.

The Backline Needs More Speed

Offside or not, Philadelphia’s goal showed that while Chad Marshall and Glauber are incredibly strong in the air, they are lacking in simple foot speed. Marshall would do well to avoid the offside trap as much as possible from here on out.

I’ve spoken highly of Drew Beckie’s athleticism and I still think he deserves a chance to show us what he can do, but he’s not a long term solution. Warzycha should be trying as hard as he can to cut out the offside trap from the overall game plan.

The Viana-O’Rourke Pairing Doesn’t Work

Neither of them have anything to offer going forward, which just makes life all the more difficult for Federico Higuain. Both are also very prone to “reckless” challenges and thus are high risks for cards.

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one scratching their head as to why we don’t see more of Matias Sanchez. I like him as a distributor much better than Viana or O’Rourke and he inspires a lot more confidence with the ball at his feet in general. The same can be said of Will Trapp, but he’s got enough on his plate with the US U-20 team this summer while Tony Tchani is still a huge question mark.

Sanchez is the answer in central midfield…for now.

Don’t Forget About Justin Meram And Ryan Finley

Especially Meram!

His game is the same as the newly revealed Ben Speas. He’s great on the ball and has a good shot from distance. It’s hard to find a spot for him with Speas playing so well and Eddie Gaven being Eddie Gaven, but Meram should probably be platooning the left flank with Speas for the time being.

Ryan Finley faces the same issue: there doesn’t appear to be a regular starting spot for him. But unlike Meram, Finley has something to distinguish himself from his competition: soccer IQ. Finley knows how and (more importantly) when to make all the right runs in behind the defense. He’s also as strong as he is quick and finishes just as lethally as Arrieta. Warzycha need not be afraid of playing him just because of his age.

These are the biggest issues facing the 2013 Columbus Crew. If Robert Waryzcha can solve these four riddles, there’s no reason the Crew can’t contend for an Eastern Conference crown. If he can’t then perhaps it’s time Mark McCullers started looking elsewhere for a head coach in 2014.

 

Columbus Drops Points In Home Opener

 Posted by on March 17, 2013 at 9:13 pm  Blogs/Media, Columbus Crew, MLS, United States
Mar 172013
 

*Full Disclose-I did NOT watch Saturday’s match*

That being said, I did follow along on Twitter all night and sounds like the game was just as (if not more) disappointing than last Saturday’s loss to Vancouver.

San Jose was missing half their starting lineup and the crowd in Columbus was better than I expected for such dreary weather conditions.

This game was ripe for the taking of three points.

Instead, we saw the same lineup from the Vancouver loss go out and play a disappointing match. By most accounts, Ben Speas continued to look better but I didn’t hear many other positives. I did see the highlights of both goals and San Jose’s goal was as disappointing as Glauber’s was powerful. Sure the defense gave up way too much space, but that is a shot that Andy Gruenebaum should have done better with.

There’s no beating around the bush: this is a bad sign of things to come. Sunday brings a MASSIVE opportunity to turn things around against DC United, but I just don’t see it right now. General Manager Mark McCullers’ great expectations for this team have made things even more disappointing. McCullers is hardly one talk a big game, so I raised my expectations accordingly.

But a 2-1 loss to Vancouver and a 1-1 draw at home against San Jose are not the results of a championship side. Robert Warzycha will need to put his conservative ways aside and make some adjustments for the trip to DC is things are going to change. For a man in the last year of his contract with no new deal in sight, Warzycha seems unusually calm.

Perhaps it’s finally time to light a fire under himself.

 

“Be MASSIVE!!!”

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