Crew depart Columbus for offseason
With MLS Cup dream over, players say bittersweet goodbye
The Crew were on the grounds of their suburban Obetz facility again the Tuesday prior to this year's championship match, as well but a 30-degree increase in the temperature wasn't the only difference.
Instead of packing their bags for Seattle and a defense of their MLS Cup title on Sunday, the players said "goodbye Columbus" for the year.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto headed home to Argentina on Wednesday still unclear about his status for next season. Adam Moffat is driving to California where he will marry the sister of teammate Steven Lenhart on Dec. 5.
Venezuelan Alejandro Moreno will stay in town while he awaits approval to become a naturalized U.S. citizen after passing the citizenship test. Other players such as Brian Carroll and Danny O'Rourke will undergo surgeries to mend chronic injuries.
The Crew wish their offseason plans had been delayed until next week but a first-round exit in the playoffs for the Supporters' Shield winner against Real Salt Lake ended those hopes.
"It's hard to watch the final with Los Angeles and Salt Lake because we were there last year and you want to be there again," Gino Padula said.
Instead, coach Robert Warzycha kept the team together for four workouts last week and two more this week.
"We didn't want to give them 2-1/2 months off. That's too long," he said. "We can go through our routines and talk to the guys and at the same time they needed treatment. Some of them have issues and if you let them go home they won't take care of it.
"I don't think anyone is going to get better being out here. It's having some fun and working up a sweat."
Another factor in the continued training was the Crew will begin competitive matches sooner than the rest of the league when they open the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League at home against Toluca, with the first leg March 9-11. The teams play the return leg March 16-18 in Mexico.
"It stinks the way the (MLS) season ended but we've got an earlier start than a lot of teams and you want to get in the same frame of mind," Duncan Oughton said. "We might as well be out here having a little fun and kicking it around with the guys. You know it was such a gut-wrenching end to the season that you want to get the bond back."
It was only two years ago that the players kept training after missing the playoffs for a third season in a row.
"Back then it was about it was having crazy tryouts, 10 new guys coming in," Oughton said. "Now it's like we had a great season -- we won the Supporters' Shield, which is huge for the regular season. We fell short of our goal of winning the MLS Cup but we got to the second round of the Champions League as well.
"Now everything is getting sorted out for next year where in the past everything might be changing for the next year. We're in a lot better place than we were back then in '07."
There are still unresolved personnel matters. Oughton, for example, would love to come back for a 10th season but doesn't know if he'll be asked to return.
The biggest question is Schelotto. He was the 2008 MLS MVP and led the Crew with 14 goals, but is out of contract.
"We want him back," Warzycha said. "Like everybody else his contract expired. We'll do what's best for the club."
Schelotto wants another crack at winning the MLS Cup.
"Last season when we got the championship we kept the same lineup all year," he said. "This year we got results but did not keep the same lineup. We played a lot of games so maybe we can't keep it the same but we have a very good team. If they keep the players we can have a very good season next year."
There will be changes starting with the expansion draft for Philadelphia next week. The Crew lost midfielder Brad Evans to Seattle Sounders FC a year ago.
Columbus has two first-round selections in the MLS SuperDraft but likely will trade at least one of them.
"These draft picks could easily be turned to players who already exist in the league. They can be traded," Warzycha said. "We may use the draft picks for something else. I'd like to bring some players that maybe would spark the team."
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
