Massive Report

Views From Field Level (Crew vs FC Dallas "Pioneer Cup" Edition)

2012-05-18T01:42:27Z

HA HA, you all thought I forgot about this, didn't you? Na, I was actually fairly frustrated with the last home result, not the performance, that I decided to refrain from writing a post due to the possibility of it consisting of a lot of profanity.

jump. JUMP. NOW. I promise a soft landing..... maybe.

The Crew took on FC Dallas for the "Pioneer Cup". The two teams remain the only standing Major League Soccer clubs still owned and operated by the same entity in Hunt's Sports Group. The "Pioneer Cup" was created as a means of honoring Lamar Hunt, the founder of both clubs and a key figure in the American soccer landscape and American sports in general.

Crew supporters in section 139 kicked off the festivities with a fantastic display honoring Lamar Hunt's legacy by raising two-stick banners baring his initials, image and words that people have used to describe him.

The festivities on the field were much of the same that we have seen the last few games from the Crew. Lots of pressure from the home team with NOTHING to show for it. However, there were some glances of scoring chances, but still, no one capable of putting those chances within the frames of the goal. The Crew's attacking core took another hit as Ethan Finlay went down after taking an elbow to the head. Within a few minutes, Justin Meram would take Finlay's place at forward with Emilio Renteria. Hey, look, we have a few more offensive sparks. The ball is starting to get closer to the frame.

Um, hey, Toni Tchani, TONI!!! NO WHISTLE. KEEP PLAYING. URGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

goal................ FC Dallas.

The Crew enter the locker room for the half down 1-0.

The Crew come out swinging in the second half and so does Dallas. Except that Dallas came out swinging elbows, arms and feet. Dallas players were seeing how far they can foul Crew players until Zach Lloyd proceeded to use his elbow to stop Meram from reaching the ball, quickly earning him a second yellow and and a chance to shower all by himself.

The Crew waste no time in FINALLY making things right, and it came from the least expected places. Dallas is trying to clear the ball out of it's half of the field when it is met by the defensive wall of Eric Gehrig. The returning ball finds Meram who takes a couple of touches, looks up, and proceeds to fire a shot from 30 yards out. Someone forgot to tell Meram that shooting the ball from outside the box is not a forte of this Crew team. No one really cared though as the shot proceeded to fly past the defenders, past the goalie, and actually crossed over the line for the Crew's first goal in more minutes than I want to mention.

Once a ball by a Crew player actually went on target and broke the goal line, other players seemed to remember how this game of soccer is to be played. Milovan Mirosevic gets a cross in the box from Eddie Gaven and rips a volley ON TARGET that forces a save and a corner.

The scene is set. Nemanja Vukovic is taking a corner kick in front of the Nordecke. The kick is sent curling AWAY from the box to where a ready Sebastian Miranda is waiting. What everyone thought was going to be a send back into the box turned into what should be a goal of the year winner. From 20 yards out, Miranda heads the cross as hard as he can and beats a goal box full of players and a goalie for his first goal as a Crew player.

The Crew win the "Pioneer Cup". More importantly, the team manages to score, come from behind, and actually held on to win the game.

Here are some thoughts:

- Toni Tchani should be benched for one game. You play till the whistle blows. PERIOD. Then again, I am really not impressed with him as a winger. Tchani's defense is better than his offense, but he is liable to make stupid tackles that will get him booked. With Dilly Duka coming back, I see Tchani as being the first to hit the bench.

- As good as Justin Meram's goal was, as much I don't see him starting against San Jose especially with Olman Vargas now being available to play. I can see him coming in as a sub sooner rather than later though.

- Josh Williams and Eric Gehrig have been a fantastic tandem in the center of the defense. The fact is that they will probably go back to the bench once Chad Marshall, Julius James and Carlos Mendez recover from their injuries.

- Nemanja Vukovic (right) is confirming how I thought he would fit with this team back when I saw him in preseason. Vukovic may be the Miranda of 2012 with a better offensive touch. Is he the absolute answer at left back for the Crew? right now, yes.

- Players are starting to get healthy at a good time. There is a crunch of games coming up with San Jose, Seattle, Chicago and an US Open Cup all in a 10 day span. All hands need to be on deck. Good thing the reserve guys have seen a lot of action.

- FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea was suspended for three games today by MLS for kicking the ball at the assistant referee at Saturday's game. Shea did not receive a booking for his action from the game's referee. That should say something about how inconsistent the officiating team was on Saturday.

Crew Enticing Naming Rights Prospects

2012-05-17T03:27:25Z

The Crew have hatched a plan to make Crew Stadium's naming rights much more attractive, it includes a 100 foot tall electronic signboard. The team is hoping that the prominent placement along Interstate 71 convince a partner to pay $15 million over 10 years for prominent placement on the LED sign.

The sign is whiling it's way through governmental approvals with the Columbus Graphics Commission approving the plan yesterday and the Ohio Expositions Commission will hear the proposal tomorrow. The sign however may take much longer to be built. The team has said it won't be built until a naming rights deal is in place.

Crew Stadium has never had a naming rights deal in place in the 13 years the facility has been open. Mark McCullers has made getting naming rights for the stadium a chief goal in shoring up the financial situation of the franchise. It's one of the three keys to making the team profitable. The Crew sealed up one of the keys in February with their partnership with Barbasol to sponsor the Crew jersey. They currently appear to be short of the 10,000 season tickets they also need.

Around Columbus, the trend is strongly moving towards naming rights. The Blue Jackets home, Nationwide Arena's rights were just renegotiated for $28 million until 2022. Huntington Park, home of the Clippers, naming rights sold for $12 million for 23 years. All recent MLS stadiums have had naming rights deals in place, including Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium, Philidelphia's PPL Park, and Salt Lake City's Rio Tinto Stadium.

It's apparent that the Crew are playing catchup in the Columbus market and around the league. They have struggled to complete a deal and the LED tower is an eye catching idea that may just bring new bidders to the table.

Crew Host 3rd Round Open Cup Game

2012-05-17T02:38:44Z

Crew Host 3rd Round Open Cup Game

The Crew will host the 3rd round Open Cup game on Tuesday, May 29th at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. Columbus will learn their opponent next Tuesday when the Dayton Dutch Lions travel to face the Chicago Fire PDL in the 2nd Round game.

Tradition, More Than A Word

2012-05-16T03:51:38Z

Chris Birchall and Frankie Hejduk weren't in Washington D.C. today for the L.A. Galaxy's recognition ceremony at the White House. I was very surprised; I thought it was a given to bring back the key cogs for this type of event. Birchall even played in the Cup final. However, the Galaxy chose differently.

This reminded me of when the 2008 Crew came together for the last time in July 2009. Sigi Schmid, Stefani Miglioranzi, Brad Evans, Ezra Hendrickson, and Pat Noonan were all invited to come to the event at the White House even though they weren't part of the team any more. Teammates, current and past, came together to remember something great, a Massive Season. It was the final time that the 2008 team would get back together, even if it was for a photo op.

In isolation, it was a very nice gesture by the Crew front office, but they have shown several times over now that they understand the role the past plays in supporting a club like the Crew. The Crew made some very difficult cuts in 2010, letting go of some of the best and most recognized players in Crew history. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Gino Padula, Frankie Hejduk, and Duncan Oughton were gone in an instant.

It was a decision that riled long time fans, the team's longest serving players like Oughton and Hejduk were dropped. One of the best players in team history, Barros Schelotto, was cut when he said he wanted to come back. It was catastrophic public relations. The most recognizable faces of the team were all cut in the same day.

Team President and General Manager Mark McCullers said that there would always be a place for Crew greats to come back in non-playing roles. It was a nice sentiment, but one that did little to heal the wounds of a fan base that lost a deep connection to the team.

McCullers has now backed up that statement with action. Duncan Oughton was brought back with the humorous title of Assistant to the Technical Director, but soon turned up at practices, helping the coaching staff, providing color analysis for the team's television coverage, and being an ambassador for the team around town. It was the perfect fit for someone who found a home in central ohio and bleeds black and gold.

The recent addition of Frankie Hejduk continues to bring back Crew legends. He's officially the Brand Ambassador; the public face of the team in the community. It's a role he's born to do. His energetic outgoing personality is the perfect fit for the task. He's more than a marketer. He turns up everywhere, at practices talking with players, coaches, and even reporters, bouncing around the stands during games, and events in the community. He even gave an impromptu lesson to Danny O'Rourke on how to celebrate with the Pioneer Cup on Saturday.

Many fans I've talked to hope the team will add Barros Schelotto and Padula to the staff in some capacity, and perhaps it's a matter of time. It's only natural to want to bring legendary players back to the team. The last several years have shown the Crew are actively trying to keep those options open and respect the work of past teams. It certainly makes me smile when I look at the Crew at the White House in 2009, or cross paths with Duncan or Frankie. It's reminder of the tradition that the Columbus Crew have built since 1996.

Birchall and Hejduk Won't Meet Obama Today

2012-05-15T18:54:11Z

Birchall and Hejduk Won't Meet Obama Today

Curiously, the L.A. Galaxy didn't invite Chris Birchall and Frankie Hejduk to the recognition event at the White House for the MLS Cup Champions.

One of my favorite memories of the 2008 Crew championship team was bringing back players who were no longer with the team. It was a very nice gesture to the players who made the season great, even if they weren't with the team.

I've requested more information from the Galaxy, but their (probably extremely busy) media staff hasn't replied yet.

Crew v. FC Dallas: Notes and Grades

2012-05-15T03:33:03Z

The Crew break a five game losing streak and do it behind some impressive goals.

Tony Tchani's error was monumental, but with a very tight roster due to injuries, he may be back at right wing again. He's shown a distinct lack of soccer intelligence at times and he's miscast out wide. He doesn't add much to the offense.
Danny O'Rourke and Milovan Mirosevic continue to improve in the middle of the field. Mirosevic is showing increased confidence to get into attack with O'Rourke there to clean up behind him.
Justin Meram has been maddeningly inconsistent in his Crew tenure. He's looked lost with the reserves, but came up very big in relief of Ethan Finlay.
The entire defense put in a great effort. Josh Williams continues to impress with another outstanding performance. Eric Gehrig was much more solid than last week.
Sebastian Miranda is looking a lot like the player he was in 2011. He was very solid on defense and he pushed up at the right times to provide some width. His goal was excellent.
Nemanja Vukovic is becoming a real find. He's very dangerous on crosses and set pieces. His defensive play has been impressive considering how much he gets forward.
The forward situation remains a mess. Finlay struggled to make an impact with his speed. He looked more at home on the left. Emilio Renteria still doesn't look dangerous and was a non factor. Eddie Gaven added some stability and possession, but he didn't get off a shot through 90 minutes.

Gruenebaum (6): Didn't have much to do as Dallas had few opportunities. He played shorter than usual to build from the back. Played nicely out of trouble, even if it looked dangerous.
Miranda (7): Beautiful headed goal off the new corner kick routine. He also played very good defense except for Castillo's near miss in the 7th minute when he lost his mark.
Gehrig (6): Played very solid defense and was smart with the ball. Won several headers to protect against the long ball.
Williams (7): Another impressive game from the Ohio native. He got good reads and picked off some passes and won the areal battle. Outstanding work.
Vukovic (6): Dangerous on offense and solid on defense. His corner for the goal was perfectly placed for Miranda's header. Created plenty of space for Meram and Anor with his overlaps.
Tchani (2): A poor game in general was made even worse by his dismal mental error on the Dallas goal. His passes were errant. The only positives was his one on one tackling. Had the most touches of anyone on the Crew.
O'Rourke (7): Very good performance to cover a lot of ground in midfield while being extremely sharp with his passes. A performance that could be easy to overlook. He allowed Mirosevic to get forward more than most games this season.
Mirosevic (6): Looked very lively and nearly had a beautiful goal off a stellar Gaven cross. He's getting more involved in the offense as he develops a partnership with O'Rourke.
Gaven (6): Played well as the target forward and dropping into midfield. Didn't get any shots off, but held possession and set up those around him.
Finlay (5): Struggled at forward as he didn't get much service. Looked better when he could play wide and get into space. Evening ended early with a misplaced elbow knocking him out of the game.
Renteria (4): Missed a couple of good chances, but was much more lively than recent games. Still needs to do more to keep his spot in the lineup once players start getting healthy.
Meram (7): He made an impact with his speed and tenacity. His shot was a beauty; placed in the perfect spot. If there is one place he could improve, it's placing his passes better.
Anor (6): Provided energy off the bench and was tidy in possession and with his passes.
Francis (NR): Clock killing sub.
Coaching (6): Savvy move to push Gaven forward to add stability to the center of the field. The Crew possessed better when he and Finlay swapped. New corner kick routine worked very well.

Note on Grades: I have set 5 as an average performance. The player had both good and bad events on the field. Under 5 is a disappointing performance. Above 5 is a notable performance.

Horton Recalled From Loan

2012-05-14T20:08:52Z

Horton Recalled From Loan

The Dispatch's Jardy confirmed that forward Aaron Horton was recalled from the Dayton Dutch Lions on Friday. Horton didn't make the Dutch Lions 18 for his only game with the team. He joins a thinned roster as now Ethan Finlay is likely sidelined with an apparent concussion.

Columbus vs. Dallas (Match Recap)

2012-05-13T17:01:08Z

It all may have been because of a FC Dallas red card in the 63rd minute, but the Columbus Crew came back from an early deficit to win the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup on Saturday night, 2-1.

The Crew used their same starting XI from the Portland game last weekend. Emilio Renteria started up top with Ethan FInlay. Dallas lined up in a 4-4-2.

Both teams had multiple chances to score in the early minutes. Dallas had the first good chance of the match seven minutes in. A Jackson cross from the right wing found Fabian Castillo, who slid in past Crew right-back Sebastian Miranda. Castillo's right-footed volley went just wide of the right post.

A minute later, Renteria almost put Columbus on the board with a right-footed shot that bounced and skipped before Dallas goalie Chris Seitz parried it wide. In the 10th minute, Dallas midfielder Brek Shea's attempt from outside the box went just wide. Two minutes after that, Crew midfielder Milovan Mirosevic struck a long-distance shot with the outside of his right boot that ended up fizzing just past the top-right corner.

More after the jump...

After hinting at scoring for a while, Dallas finally took the lead in the 22nd minute on a terrible error by the Crew's Tony Tchani. Castillo received the ball on the left side of midfield, right in front of the Crew's bench. Thinking the ball had gone out of bounds, Tchani stopped playing and raised his hand in an attempt to get the referee to award a throw in to Columbus. Instead, Castillo dribbled right past him and all the way into the box. He dragged the ball onto his left foot, and slotted it past Crew goalie Andy Gruenebaum. Gruenebaum managed to get a touch on the ball, but he couldn't deter it from reaching the back of the net.

Right before the half, Ethan Finlay received an elbow to the side of the head. He was shaken up for quite some time, and had to be helped off the field. He was later diagnosed with a concussion. Justin Meram came on for Finlay. Eddie Gaven moved up to play forward, and Meram took over the left-mid position.

The Crew had the first good opportunity to score in the second half after seven minutes. Renteria slotted a low cross across the box, but Meram's lunging legs were just a split second too late from reaching the ball and hitting it into the goal.

Dallas had already started their attempts to waste time and seem determined to play out the rest of the game for a 1-0 victory. However, in the 63rd minute, after some clever footwork by Meram, Zach Lloyd received his second yellow of the game for a second high elbow. The dangerous play would prove to be very costly for Dallas.

Columbus didn't waste time in taking advantage of playing with an extra man. Four minutes later, Meram collected the ball in the center of the field. He took a few touches toward goal before unleashing a low, hard shot from outside the box. The ball flew past Seitz and right into the bottom-left corner of the net for Meram's first goal for the Crew.

Milovan Mirosevic almost scored his second of the season in the 71st. Eddie Gaven turned in the box and lofted a pass to Mirosevic on the right side. Mirosevic ripped a volley that unfortunately went right to Seitz, who was able to palm it over the bar.

On the subsequent corner, Nemanja Vukovic drilled the ball to Sebastian Miranda. Miranda met the ball at the top of the box with a header which went all the way to the bottom-left corner of the goal, beating Seitz. It was the farthest headed goal I've ever seen in person, and Miranda seemed just as shocked as the 11,120 fans in attendance.

The Crew saw out the last remaining twenty minutes to keep the Pioneer Cup trophy in Columbus until the two teams face off again next season.