In Need of Change Black & Gold part with Warzycha after 18 years of service as player and coach COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew announced today that it has parted ways with Head Coach Robert Warzycha. In his fifth year in charge, Warzycha led the Crew to a 8-13-5 record (29 points), with the Black & Gold currently sitting in eighth place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, eight points outside the fifth and final MLS Cup Playoffs position. With eight MLS regular-season matches remaining, Technical Director Brian Bliss becomes the Crew’s Interim Head Coach following six years in his previous role. Bliss will retain his Technical Director duties during this transition. http://www.thecrew.com/news/2013/09/crew-parts-ways-head-coach-robert-warzycha
Early Goal Dooms Crew in Kansas City In its third match over a seven-day span, the Crew couldn't capitalize on the momentum from Wednesday's midweek win over the Houston Dynamo in Saturday's road clash at Sporting Kansas City. An early penalty awarded to the home side set the tone as the Black & Gold eventually fell 3-0. Following Claudio Bieler's seventh-minute tally from the penalty spot, it was an uphill battle for Brian Bliss' side. Soony Saad added a second just before halftime, while C.J. Sapong provided Sporting's third in the 55th minute. "It's tough to play from behind early on," Bliss said after the match. "It's very difficult to play from behind against a quality side playing on their home field. I thought tactically we were set up pretty well to do what we wanted to do. Things seemed to be going our way, but we had a mental lapse on a short corner that caused the PK. Then the giveaway in the back, whether it was field-induced or not, I don't know, but that was the second goal and it was uphill from there." Added defender Chad Barson: "It's ever easy [going down early]. You give them momentum, you're on the road. It kind of just dampens your spirit a little bit when you let them get up early on you." Slated to return from a two-match suspension, Designated Player Federico Higua� - n was a late scratch after an adductor strain in Friday's training session. Bliss would not use Higua� - n's absence as an excuse. "He was injured, he was scheduled to play," Bliss admitted. "If I could have, I would have used him. Trust me, it had nothing to do with the tactics on that." The Crew will have a full week of training under Bliss before its next match against Montreal next week. "That will be big, just to get a week under our belts to kind of figure out the way we want to play and actually have a full week of practice," rookie forward Ryan Finley said. "No midweek game will be big in gearing up for Montreal."
Crew falls in Montreal, 3-0 In an MLS Reserve League game, the Montreal Impact beat the Columbus Crew 3-0, Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo The Impact scored its two first goals of the game in a two-minute span. At the 20th minute, midfielder Andrea Pisanu opened the scoring following a rebound from a shot by forward Andrew Wenger. Wenger then doubled the lead at the 22nd minute, when he went around Crew goalkeeper Daniel Withrow before scoring in an empty net. Forward Blake Smith added the third goal for the Impact at the start of the second half, at the 48th minute, with a point blank shot at the 18-yard line that beat the goalkeeper to his left. It was his fifth goal of the season in MLS Reserve League play. The Crew played the last 10 minutes of the game a man short after Kyle Hyland was ejected at the 86th minute with his second yellow of the game.
Crew Eliminated from Playoff Contention The scoreboard watching and cheering for rivals to help Columbus in its push for the postseason is over. In a back-and-forth match with the postseason on the line for both sides, the Crew lost to the New England Revolution in a 3-2 heartbreaker Saturday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Black & Gold came back to equalize from each of the Revs' first two strikes, but Diego ***undez's 76th-minute tally proved to be too much for the visitors to top. Coupled with Montreal and Chicago wins on Saturday, the defeat ensured that Columbus will miss out on the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season. "It's a tough one to swallow, for sure," Rookie midfielder Wil Trapp said after the match. "Coming back twice and then giving up that third one was kind of a dagger. I thought we battled hard and I'm proud of our guys." The loss was not for a lack of fight or effort as the Black & Gold desperately pushed forward to create chances in the second half to keep hope alive. Second-year forward Aaron Schoenfeld was a catalyst in the attack, providing his first-career goal and an assist as a halftime substitute in the defeat. "Everyone was hungry and everyone knew what was on the line," a disappointed Schoenfeld told media following the defeat. "We knew we had to win to try to control our destiny to try to make the playoffs. "Everyone fought and gave all their effort, we just came up short." The Crew will close out its season next Sunday in a re-match with the Revolution at Crew Stadium. Despite being out of the playoff race, don't expect the Black & Gold end 2013 on a whimper. "We owe to our fans to put the best product out there [next week]," Interim Head Coach Brian Bliss said. "It's not going to be all of a sudden turn around and throw out seven guys that haven't played all season. "We've got to go play and we've got to go play for our fans and for ourselves."
Columbus Crew announce affiliation with USL PRO's Dayton Dutch Lions The Columbus Crew announced Thursday that the club has formed an affiliate partnership with Dayton Dutch Lions FC of USL PRO. The agreement between the two Ohio teams enables the Crew to loan a minimum of four players on its Major League Soccer roster to Dayton for the 2014 USL PRO campaign. “We are proud to unveil our new partnership with Dayton Dutch Lions FC,” said Columbus Crew President Mark McCullers in a statement. “We have known the Dutch Lions organization since they came to Ohio. This partnership creates a formal alliance that encompasses player development at its heart but also allows the Columbus Crew to partner with Dayton Dutch Lions FC in growing our respective fan bases and brands." http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ounce-affiliation-usl-pros-dayton-dutch-lions
Columbus Crew sign USMNT defender Michael Parkhurst after trade with New England Revolution Michael Parkhurst is coming back to MLS, but not as a member of the New England Revolution. Columbus and New England announced on Monday that they have agreed to a trade that sends the MLS rights to Parkhurst to the Crew in exchange for the fourth overall selection in Thursday's 2014 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money. The versatile, 29-year-old Parkhurst has already agreed to terms with Columbus and will be added to the club's roster once his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) is received. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...er-michael-parkhurst-following-trade-new-engl
Crew announces new video boards at Crew Stadium ahead of 2014 campaign Multi-million dollar investments made in effort to enhance fan experience COLUMBUS – The Columbus Crew today announced that manufacturing is underway for new state-of-the-art Crew Stadium video boards, most notably on the main scoreboard on the facility’s south side. Installation of a Daktronics main and auxiliary video board on the scoreboard, as well as ribbon displays on the east and west sides of the seating bowl, are set to be completed ahead of the Crew’s Opening Match on March 22 as the first topflight soccer-specific facility built in the United States opens its doors for its 16th season of Major League Soccer. http://www.reddit.com/tb/1w265h
Club re-design: Graphic designer gives Columbus Crew a brand new look In retaining the hard hat from the Crew's current logo, Willis leaves plenty of connection to the history of the club, all while giving it a new age look and an extremely versatile theme — the "Crew" theme invokes mental images on a construction crew, again harkening back to the club's hard-nosed mentality. Alternate looks branching off the base design: http://mwillis.com/post/75161598280/identity-sketches-for-the-columbus-crew
2014 Columbus Crew Preview: Does a new era mean a new direction? And now for something completely different: Well, not completely different, but I'm morally obligated to reference Monty Python as much as possible. Anyway, Gregg Berhalter's regime is the official break with the old Sigi Schmid/Robert Warzycha/Brian Bliss era that stretched all the way back to 2006. And while the high points were high – the 2008 Supporters' Shield/MLS Cup double in particular – there's no doubt that the downward trend of the last five years has taken a toll on the fans. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...s-new-era-mean-new-direction-armchair-analyst
Dutch Lions Receive Five from Crew The announcement of an affiliation between Dayton Dutch Lions FC and the Columbus Crew came in December. The agreement means that Columbus will send a minimum of four players to Dayton on loan. Those players can be recalled to the Crew as needs might dictate, but at least four players must be available to Dayton throughout the season. It’s a potential win-win situation. The Dutch Lions receive quality players, while the Crew gets experience for their players who aren’t quite ready for regular time with the first team. http://www.recklesschallenge.net/dutch-lions-receive-five-from-crew/
Shorthanded Toronto FC Topples Columbus 2-0 Despite fielding a weakened starting lineup, Toronto FC was able to knock off the only remaining perfect MLS team, beating the Columbus Crew 2-0 at Crew Stadium on Saturday in a game highlighted by an early Michael Bradley goal. The match pitting Gregg Berhalter's upstart Crew and Toronto's star-studded roster was marred before the game began by Toronto's absences. The Reds' prolific Designated Player Jermain Defoe missed the match due to injury, while captain Steven Caldwell served a one-game suspension. Rookie Nick Hagglund started the match in the center of defense alongside Bradley Orr, and Kyle Bekker got a rare start in place of the injured Jonathan Osorio. Building off of his dominant midweek performance against Mexico, Bradley opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Mark Bloom found a streaking Bradley down the right side of the Columbus defense, and Toronto's captain took goalkeeper Steve Clark by surprise on a shot from a tight angle near the endline, putting it through the 'keeper's legs and into the side netting. OPTA Chalkboard: Michael Bradley bosses the midfield for TFC The remainder of the first half was frenetic for both sides. A plague of turnovers in the middle of the field prevented the Crew from playing the possessing brand of soccer that they prefer, while Toronto largely relied on those giveaways to start attacks that often ended in crucial tackles by Columbus defenders Michael Parkhurst and Giancarlo González. For the second week in a row, the Crew went into the locker room trailing at the half, and much like the Seattle match, the team responded after halftime by controlling the opening minutes after intermission. Though they couldn't muster an early goal in the second, a foul on Federico HiguaÃ-n gave the Crew a dangerous free kick in the 49th minute. Bernardo Añor knuckled a hard shot, but J"lio César punched the driven ball away, preserving the Toronto lead. Midway through the half, Toronto seemed comfortable with their lead, and largely played to contain the Crew attack. For long stretches, Columbus passed the ball around in the Toronto third and pumped crosses into the box, but very few attacks had any merit, and most fell harmlessly by the wayside. A flurry of action in the final ten minutes saw the Crew squander several more chances after loading the field with attackers to deal with the defensive-minded Toronto. Last week's hero Justin Meram and Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta couldn't provide enough offense, and despite a flood of attacking movements, Columbus couldn't find a goal. Completely against the run of play, Toronto forward Issey Nakajima-Farran came off the bench for his first MLS appearance, found space on the counterattack and clipped home a Justin Morrow cross in the 85th minute to put the match out of reach for the visitors, clinching the TFC win and handing the Crew their first loss of the Berhalter era, giving both teams a 3-1-0 record. Next week, the Crew travels to San Jose April 13 to face the Earthquakes, while Toronto hosts the Colorado Rapids on April 12. MLSsoccer.com Men of the Match Rank Player What We Saw 1 Michael Bradley Fresh off his USMNT performance, Bradley was dominant and led a seemingly-undermanned TFC to the win 2 Bradley Orr Shook off an apparent injury to keep the clean sheet on the road, in a new position, alongside a rookie. Not bad 3 Julio Cesar Made a few key stops when Toronto needed them, preserving the clean sheet for the visitors Press release from the Columbus Crew
Crew Stays Unbeaten on the Road with Draw at San Jose For the third time in as many matches away from home this season, the Crew picked up a point on the road following Sunday's 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes. Looking for an inspired start following last week's 2-0 loss at home to Toronto FC, the Crew came out of the gates firing in the first half to dictate the tempo early. Just before the halftime whistle, leftback Waylon Francis found Federico Higuaín alone in the box for his team-leading fourth goal of the season and move him into ninth place on the Crew's all-time scoring list. After the break, however, it was the Earthquakes who imposed their game on the Black & Gold to test goalkeeper Steve Clark early and often in the second half. It took all of six minutes for San Jose to equalize as forward Chris Wondolowski headed Shea Salinas' corner kick into the net to put the match on level terms, where the match would remain for the next 40-plus minutes. "We came into the game very well," Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter said after the match. "I thought we had a good first half. The first five minutes in the second half could have been better. We gave the ball away too much in spots that led to corner kicks or throw-ins deep in our end. Unfortunately, we paid for that. After the goal, we got together and we played okay and I am pleased with the result." He continued: "We treat home and away [matches] the same way. We want to go out and play our game. We want to try to impose our game on the opponent. It doesn't matter where we are, we try to accomplish that." Forward Dominic Oduro had the best chance to win it for the Crew later in the half, but his shot deflected off the crossbar to leave the Black & Gold with a point to take back to Columbus. "From my end, it looked like the ball was dipping," Oduro said of the attempt. "I thought it was a goal, but the goal post is always the goalie's friend. I think the goalie's friend helped [the Earthquakes] out." Though disappointed with the draw, the Crew now has sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with the point earned on Sunday. The Black & Gold continue to look for improvement despite wins in four of their first six matches this season. "I'm disappointed that we let them come from behind, disappointed that we gave up a set-piece goal" said Clark. "Moving forward, it's a point on the road, right? Moving forward, we look to continue to get better." The Crew returns to action next Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET / Time Warner Cable SportsChannel), hosting D.C. United at Crew Stadium. Press release from the Columbus Crew
Crew Moves to Top of Eastern Conference with 1-1 Draw The Columbus Crew (3-1-3, 12 points) secured a home draw against the New York Red Bulls (2-2-5, 11 points) in front of a season-high 18,026 fans on Saturday evening at Crew Stadium. The draw moves the Black & Gold back into pole position in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, as Gregg Berhalter's side now sits atop the standings by a point. Forward Jairo Arrieta put the Crew ahead in the 39th-minute of play after Justin Meram earned the spot-kick for the Black & Gold moments earlier. Bradley Wright-Phillips leveled the score for the visitors in the 66th-minute after receiving a Lloyd Sam pass and hitting a clean strike on the volley. Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark put in another Barbasol Man of the Match performance by matching his season-high in saves, as the netminder denied the Red Bulls on five different occasions to preserve the draw. The Crew opens a six-match clip in the month of May with a road test at Sporting Kansas City in a nationally-televised match on Sunday, May 4 (3:00 p.m. ET / NBC Sports Network). Press release from the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew SC 2, Toronto FC 1 Columbus Crew SC continued their hot start to the 2017 season at the expense of previously-unbeaten Toronto FC, and vaulted back atop the Eastern Conference standings in the process. Jozy Altidore's corner-kick header from outside the box staked the Reds to a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute, but Federico Higuain -- back from an ankle knock that sidelined him for a week -- had a pair of secondary assists as Columbus came back to win 2-1 on Saturday night in the first match of the Trillium Cup series. Read more http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-15-columbus-crew-sc-vs-toronto-fc/recap
Columbus Crew SC 2, New England Revolution 0 Columbus Crew SC snapped a two-match losing streak on Saturday night, beating the New England Revolution 2-0 behind goals from Ola Kamara and Federico Higuain. Read more https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/m...umbus-crew-sc-vs-new-england-revolution/recap
Montreal Impact 2, Columbus Crew SC 3 Columbus Crew SC took the lead early and let the Montreal Impact tie up the game, but rallied late to win 3-2 at Stade Saputo on Saturday courtesy of a Justin Meram hat trick. Read more https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-13-montreal-impact-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap
Columbus Crew SC 4, Montreal Impact 1 Columbus Crew SC appeared destined for a frustrating home draw with the Montreal Impact at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday evening, only for Kekuta Manneh to play the supersub role with a goal and assist in a three-minute span just moments after entering the match. With the match deadlocked at 1-1, the Gambian-born winger stroked home a pretty layoff from Ola Kamara to push Crew SC back into the lead, then returned the favor with a booming cross that Kamara volleyed into the right side netting 18 minutes from full time. Read more https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-06-24-columbus-crew-sc-vs-montreal-impact/preview
