Columbus Crew SC Discussion Thread

[LittleOzzy]

The Official Columbus Crew SC Thread

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[LittleOzzy]

With the start of the 20th Major League Soccer season just fives days away, a new era has begun on RealGM with the creation of an MLS forum.

Come discuss the Crew on the NEW MLS Forum.

[LittleOzzy]

HOUSTON DYNAMO vs COLUMBUS CREW SC
BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, Houston, Texas
March 7, 2015 (WEEK 1, MLS Game #4)
7:30 p.m. CT (ROOT-HOU; TWC-OH)

Game one for Columbus is tonight, anyone following the Crew this season?

[LittleOzzy]

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs TORONTO FC
MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
March 14, 2015 (WEEK 2, MLS Game #15)
7:30 p.m. ET (TWC-OH; TSN2)

Game day in Columbus, is no one interested in the Crew?

[edfmx86]

Early candidate for celebration of the year


Loved it!

[LittleOzzy]

All fun and games, but since it was against TFC, that should have earned him a yellow card for delaying the game.

[LittleOzzy]

Canadian international Julian de Guzman trains with Columbus Crew SC on short trial

With Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani already in the fold and Mohammed Saeid fresh off a strong debut, Columbus Crew SC have plenty of talent in the central midfield.

The club might be looking to bring in a little more.

Former Toronto FC and FC Dallas midfielder and Canadian international Julian de Guzman has been training with Crew SC this week, with Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter considering adding the veteran 33-year-old to his young group.

“Julian is a player with a lot of experience, both internationally and domestically, so he’s someone that we’re taking a look at,” Berhalter said. “He’s a player that could potentially fit into the type of guy we’d look for. Then you add the experience to the mix, and it’s something that could help a young group.”

De Guzman, who has been without a club since May 2014, logged 77 MLS appearances from 2009-12, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists. Prior to signing with Toronto as a Designated Player in the summer of 2009, de Guzman spent time in Germany and Spain, notably winning player of the year honors for La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña in the 2007-08 season.

With 76 career caps for Canada and set to turn 34 next Wednesday, de Guzman trained with Columbus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Berhalter did not say what the veteran midfielder’s status would be after the short stint, but he did admit it was de Guzman’s agent who had contacted the club.

“We were contacted by his representative, and they asked if he could come train with us for a little bit,” he said. “We said, ‘Sure.’”

De Guzman’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... us-crew-sc

[LittleOzzy]

Rivalry game for Columbus tonight.

Game time 7:30pm.

[LittleOzzy]

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS vs COLUMBUS CREW SC
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
April 8, 2015 (WEEK 6, MLS Game #46)
7 p.m. PT (TSN)

For some odd reason Columbus and Vancouver play tonight.

Likely the result of the nasty road trip MLS created for Columbus. Coast to coast games can't be fun in just a few days.

[LittleOzzy]

ORLANDO CITY SC vs COLUMBUS CREW SC
CITRUS BOWL, Orlando, Fla.
May 30, 2015 (WEEK 13, MLS Game #129)
7:30 p.m. ET (MLS LIVE)

Two teams both looking to remain in the playoff picture tonight.

[LittleOzzy]

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
June 24, 2015 (WEEK 17, MLS Game #162)
7:30 p.m. ET (MLS Live)

Columbus has a shot to move up to 3rd or 4th with a win tonight.

[LittleOzzy]

Orlando City SC vs. Columbus Crew SC
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Aug. 1, 2015 (MLS Game #217)
7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, FOX 35/MY65, TWCSC-OH)

Good team this year, I can't believe no one in Ohio cares.

[Manny Phresh]

Outside of the bigger market teams and the cities where soccer is popular (i.e. Seattle... St. Louis) Soccer is just not that important. Couple with the fact that the Crew were never this exciting growing up. I started watching soccer in 2006. The Crew were just another Ohio team to us Ohioans outside of Columbus. I'll give Garber props for trying to improve the skill level of the league and it looks a lot better but I still barely watch MLS in comparison to the main European leagues. With that being said, the Crew look really good and I hope they perform great for the whole state.

[LittleOzzy]

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
August 22, 2015 (Week 25, MLS Game #250)
7:30 p.m. ET (MLS LIVE)

The battle of 3rd placed teams tonight as Columbus (3rd in the East) take on Sporting KC (3rd in the West).

[LittleOzzy]

NEW YORK CITY FC vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
YANKEE STADIUM, Bronx, N.Y.
August 29, 2015 (WEEK 26, MLS Game #260)
4 p.m. ET (MLS LIVE)

A win today would move Columbus into 2nd.

[LittleOzzy]

NEW YORK RED BULLS vs COLUMBUS CREW SC
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, N.J.
October 3, 2015 (WEEK 31, MLS Game #309)
7 p.m. ET (MSG; TWCS-OH)

Huge game in the East for both New York and Columbus.

[LittleOzzy]

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs. D.C. UNITED
MAPFRE STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
October 25, 2015 (WEEK 34, MLS Game #332)
5 p.m. ET (FS1)

When MLS original rivals Columbus Crew SC and D.C. United meet for the third time this season on Decision Day, it will be a massive contest in the final Eastern Conference lineup for the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Both clubs can finish anywhere from second to fifth in the East – meaning they can go anywhere from a first-round bye to traveling for a Knockout Round match at midweek. United have the upper hand, sitting in second place in the decision following their 4-0 win against the Chicago Fire last weekend at RFK Stadium. But Crew SC can claim the second position with a victory, coming off a 2-0 victory at Toronto FC last weekend.

[LittleOzzy]

NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. COLUMBUS CREW SC
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
November 29, 2015
Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, Eastern Conference Championship Leg 2
7:30 pm ET (FS1, FOX Sports GO, FOX Deportes in US, MLS LIVE in Canada)

Home-field advantage in the playoffs: You can take advantage of it or waste it away. Columbus Crew SC took full advantage in their 2-0 first-leg win over the New York Red Bulls in front of a sold-out MAPFRE Stadium to move within one game of their first MLS Cup final since 2008. Crew SC midfielder Justin Meram wasted no time in scoring the fastest goal in MLS Cup Playoffs history with his goal 9 seconds into the match (watch here). Cedrick Mabwati, one of the catalysts in the Crew SC's second-leg win over the Montreal Impact in the Eastern Conference semifinals, came on in the 80th minute for Ethan Finlay and made a quick impact. In the 85th minute, Mabwati blew by Dax McCarty and Gonzalo Veron and forced Luis Robles into a diving save, only for Kei Kamara tap the loose ball into the back of the net to double the lead (watch here). The last time the Crew SC advanced to MLS Cup was in 2008, against the New York Red Bulls, when they won the title 3-1 at The Home Depot Center.

The Red Bulls will have some work ahead of them to make up the two-goal deficit at Red Bull Arena, but there's reason to think they can. The Red Bulls were 12-3-2 at home during the regular season. The Red Bulls scored two or more goals in 12 out of 17 regular-season home games and ended the year having scored at least two goals in nine consecutive home games. Forward Bradley Wright-Phillips was tied for second in the league with Kei Kamara for the most goals scored at home during the regular season with 13. In their one home game against Columbus on Oct. 3, New York defeated the Crew 2-1 behind goals from Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lloyd Sam. Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year Luis Robles will have to be in superb form at home, where he's posted seven shutouts at Red Bull Arena during the regular and postseason, if the Red Bulls are to advance to their first MLS Cup since that same 2008 final.

Who's excited for tomorrow's game?

[LittleOzzy]

COLUMBUS CREW SC vs. PORTLAND TIMBERS
MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
December 6, 2015
MLS Cup Final
4 pm ET (ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMás in US, TSN, RDS2 in Canada)

THE MATCHUP

It's a meeting of one of the oldest clubs in Major League Soccer history against one of the youngest when Columbus Crew SC meet the Portland Timbers in MLS Cup 2015 at MAPFRE Stadium. The MLS original Crew SC will be looking for their second MLS title in their second trip ever to the league championship game, after winning MLS Cup 2008; for the Timbers, which came into Major League Soccer in the 2011 season, it's their first trip to the championship game.
* * * * *
Columbus Crew SC are making their second appearance in the MLS title game, their first coming in MLS Cup 2008, when they defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Crew SC are looking to become the sixth club in MLS history to win multiple MLS Cups (D.C. United, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes)
* * * * *
The Portland Timbers are looking to be the 10th team in league history to win MLS Cup and would become the third expansion team ever (created from an expansion draft) to claim the league championship (Chicago Fire, 1998; Real Salt Lake, 2009).
* * * * *
The Timbers are the 13th club to reach the league's title tilt. Toronto FC (2007), San Jose Earthquakes (2008), Seattle Sounders FC (2009), Philadelphia Union (2010), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2011), Montreal Impact (2012), Orlando City SC and New York City FC (both 2015) all have yet to play in the MLS championship game, while Miami Fusion FC, formed in 1998, did not reach the MLS Cup Final in their four-year existence, nor did Chivas USA in their 10 seasons (formed in 2005).
* * * * *
The teams met once during the regular season, also in Columbus -- a 2-1 Portland Timbers victory on Sept. 26. Fanendo Adi scored a pair of goals, in the 28th and 50th minutes, to lead the Timbers' victory; he netted a team-high 16 goals in the regular season. Kei Kamara scored the lone Crew SC goal in the 43rd minute, one of his 22 goals scored in the league campaign, tied for the most in MLS this season.
* * * * *
The win by the Timbers was their first in three trips all-time to Columbus, Crew SC having come away with 1-0 victories in the first two meetings in the Ohio state capital.
* * * * *
The all-time series has been split exactly down the middle since both teams have been in the league. In six matches all-time, each club has won two (with two draws), and each has scored six goals.
* * * * *
Crew SC scored 58 goals in the regular season in 34 matches, tied for the second-best attacking record in MLS, an average of 1.71 goals per game (even with Toronto FC, behind the New York Red Bulls 1.82 goals per game). Crew SC conceded 53 goals, an average of 1.56 goals per game, the 15th-best defensive mark in the league.
* * * * *
The Timbers scored 41 goals in the regular season in their 34 matches, tied for the 17th-best attacking record in MLS, an average of 1.21 goals per game. The Timbers allowed 39 goals over the campaign, an average of 1.15 goals per game, the third-best defensive record in MLS.
* * * * *
In home matches, Crew SC recorded a 9-4-4 mark in the regular season, tied for the 10th-best winning percentage (.647) on their home ground in the league. Crew SC won both of their home games in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, defeating Montreal Impact (3-1) and New York Red Bulls (2-0).
* * * * *
On the road, the Timbers were 7-8-2 -- their .471 winning percentage in away games tied for second-best in MLS (only Vancouver Whitecaps FC were at .500). The Timbers did not lose either of their away matches in this year's MLS Cup Playoffs, winning at Vancouver (2-0) and gaining a draw at FC Dallas (2-2).
* * * * *
Both teams will be wearing their primary home uniforms, continuing a trend from their previous appearances. Columbus Crew SC will be in their all-yellow first strip, which they also wore in their 2008 MLS Cup appearance. The Portland Timbers will be in their primary uniform of green shirts with the white and yellow chevron and white shorts. The teams wore the same uniforms in their Sept. 26 meeting in Columbus.
* * * * *
For the second time in MLS Cup history, two teams outside the Top 10 media markets in the country (per designated market area) will be contesting the league's championship match -- Columbus, Ohio is ranked No. 31, and Portland, Ore. is No. 24. The first was MLS Cup 2013, which featured Kansas City (ranked No. 31 at the time) and Salt Lake City (No. 33 at the time).
* * * * *
The Timbers are just the third team to begin in the Knockout Round and reach MLS Cup. The other two met in MLS Cup 2012, when both the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo started in the opening round and reached the title game, won 3-1 by the Galaxy.
* * * * *

http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2015-12-06-columbus-crew-sc-vs-portland-timbers/preview

[LittleOzzy]

The MLS Cup winning goal for Portland came from a ball two yards out of bounds...

How mad are the people of Columbus right now?