Three-and-a-half years ago, Sean Kelly invited me to dinner and told me of his moral compulsion to document the fight to save the Crew. Born in England and primarily based out of San Diego, Kelly had fallen for a Columbus girl a few years earlier, then subsequently fell for the city’s soccer team. Despite being … Continue reading Save The Crew: The Battle for Columbus
Columbus Crew
Warzycha Knows and Appreciates Zelarayan’s Free Kick Wizardry
The whistle blows for a foul. There’s a deadball opportunity just outside the opposing penalty area, well within shooting range. As you take measure and do your internal calculations, the goalkeeper shouts instructions to the several men comprising the human wall designed to take away half the target. It’s the final minute of stoppage time. … Continue reading Warzycha Knows and Appreciates Zelarayan’s Free Kick Wizardry
Legendary Lucas and His Big Apple Brilliance
It’s been a few hours and I still can’t process what I witnessed. After Eloy Room made some incredible saves to keep the Columbus Crew alive, Lucas Zelarayan stole the show, single-footedly flipping a one-goal deficit to a one-goal victory with a pair of late free kick goals. New York City FC, poised to claim … Continue reading Legendary Lucas and His Big Apple Brilliance
The De-Brand Debacle: It’s Time to Re-Respect Our Roots
I took no joy in writing that De-Branding the Crew piece earlier this week. I much prefer fun to glum. I did, however, need to get my own thoughts on paper and maybe try to give voice to those who felt the same way but didn’t know how to convey it without, like, ripping off … Continue reading The De-Brand Debacle: It’s Time to Re-Respect Our Roots
De-Branding the Crew
On Saturday, the Columbus Crew benefitted from a pair of own goals to pick up a big win. That was on the field. Off the field, the club was preparing to launch an epic own-goal of its own and take a big loss, as word leaked out about a disastrous rebrand that would remove the … Continue reading De-Branding the Crew
Through Josh’s Eyes: Lucas Zelarayan
LUCAS ZELARAYANAge at MLS Cup: 28Hometown: Cordoba, Argentina 2020 IN ALL COMPETITIONSGames: 21Starts: 17Minutes: 1515Goals: 8Assists: 9 In 2017, Crew fans were told by a now-former owner that they needed to respect his ambition. In 2020, the Crew's new ownership group took a different approach by actually demonstrating honorable ambition. They took a quick break … Continue reading Through Josh’s Eyes: Lucas Zelarayan
Through Josh’s Eyes: Gyasi Zardes
GYASI ZARDESAge at MLS Cup: 29Hometown: Hawthorne, CA 2020 IN ALL COMPETITIONSGames: 26Starts: 25Minutes: 2183Goals: 15Assists: 5 Gyasi Zardes accomplished a lot in 2020. With his 12 regular season goals in the COVID-shortened season, he became the first player in Crew history to lead the club in goals scored on three separate occasions, doing so … Continue reading Through Josh’s Eyes: Gyasi Zardes
Through Josh’s Eyes: Vito Wormgoor
VITO WORMGOORAge at MLS Cup: 32Hometown: Leersum, Netherlands 2020 IN ALL COMPETITIONSGames: 2Starts: 2Minutes: 107Goals: 0Assists: 0 On March 1, 2020, Vito Wormgoor took the field in Columbus in his expected starting role as Jonathan Mensah's center back partner. He played a terrific game as the Crew beat New York City FC 1-0, despite Vito … Continue reading Through Josh’s Eyes: Vito Wormgoor
Through Josh’s Eyes: Milton Valenzuela
MILTON VALENZUELAAge at MLS Cup: 22Hometown: Rosario, Argentina 2020 IN ALL COMPETITIONSGames: 24Starts: 22Minutes: 1902Goals: 0Assists: 3 After missing the entire 2019 season due to ACL surgery, the Crew's young left back rebounded spectacularly in 2020. Like 2008 left back Gino Padula and I joked in December, the common ingredients for a Crew MLS Cup … Continue reading Through Josh’s Eyes: Milton Valenzuela
Through Josh’s Eyes: Andrew Tarbell
ANDREW TARBELLAge at MLS Cup: 27Hometown: Mandeville, LA 2020 IN ALL COMPETITIONSGames: 10Starts: 9Minutes: 859Record: 5-3-1Goals Against Avg: 0.73Shutouts: 4 It's not often that a backup goalkeeper has a such a crucial on-field role for a championship team, but Andrew Tarbell rose to the occasion. When Eloy Room missed time during the season with an … Continue reading Through Josh’s Eyes: Andrew Tarbell
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