Crew enters 2012 season in solid shape

The Columbus Crew enter 2012 a little more settled. Changes from last year were evolutionary. There wasn't the same drastic transition at the end of 2010 that saw four starters and two more reserves leave, including 2008 Major League Soccer MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Chilean midfielder Mirovan Mirosevic and Costa Rican forward Olman Vargas were the highest profile additions.

The core is solid. Defender Chad Marshall remains one of the best players in the league. He, Julius James, and William Hesmer form a very strong defensive nucleus. Eddie Gaven is a quiet contributor whose youth belies his savvy.

Questions remain however, there are holes in the lineup and several players are expected to make big jumps in their development and take over starting roles. The team is still looking to unearth a goal scorer, either one on the team or through a big name signing. Several players are also coming off of long term injuries.

Departures

The team lost or cut ties with several contributors. Gone is last year's leading goal scorer, Andres Mendoza. The Peruvian forward was the definition of mercurial. He scored 13 goals, but alienated fans and coaches with his poor work ethic and his on the field antics.

Starting winger Robbie Rogers and midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo both left the Crew after their contracts expired at the end of last season. Part time starting left back Josh Gardner was picked in the expansion draft. Crew and MLS all time leading scorer Jeff Cunningham was also let go after only scoring two goals in limited playing time.

Arrivals

The Crew's top acquisition was landing long time target Milovan Mirosevic. The team tried to acquire him a year ago, but he was unable to get out of his contract. The dynamic Mirosevic is expected to be an offensive maestro The team also added Vargas to compete for a starting job among a group of mostly inexperienced forwards.

Defender Carlos Mendez was picked up from the New York Red Bulls. He adds considerable depth along the back line. The team also drafted seven players in the MLS college drafts, highly rated winger Ethan Finley was picked in the 1st round and is expected to vie for playing time.

The Crew also added two players via MLS's home grown rule. The team was able to bypass the draft and sign Matt Lampson of Dublin, OH and Ohio State and Ben Speas of Stow, OH to contracts that are exempt from the salary cap. Neither are expected to contribute this year, but add depth as they continue their progress

Goals

The top question facing the team is who will score. Returning players only scored 56% of the all of the Crew's goals last year. Burly Venezuelan forward Emilio Renteria who spent nearly half of the season injured is the top returning scorer with 8 goals. He's a terror to opposing defenses, he's quick and perhaps the strongest player in the league with a ferocious shot, but he's also never played a full season in Columbus since being acquired in midseason 2009.

Vargas, the offseason import, is also expected to pick up some of the goal scoring slack. He's a tall player who is good in the air. He can act as target by holding up the ball then set up other offensive players. Additionally, the coaches see him as threat on set pieces and on crosses into the box to score goals himself.

The Crew's top goal scoring threat however isn't in camp, or even on the team. Coach Warzycha hasn't been shy about the staff's pursuit of a goal scoring player who would occupy one of the team's Designated Player roster slots. The team has repeatedly said they are looking at high profile targets who would make an instant impact, but have yet to announce a player. With Mendoza gone, the team likely needs more firepower beyond Renteria, Vargas, and Mirosevic.

In Control

Crew teams of recent years have played stout defense and looked to strike on a counterattack. They would struggle against a tightly packed opponent looking to bunker. The offseason signing of Mirosevic may change that. The Chilean can play at forward, but is most at home in midfield, right in the center of the team. The 2011 edition of the Crew lacked a quarterback type player who could organize the offense and act like a coach on the field. Warzycha has already said Mirosevic is that player.

He's expected to control the tempo when the Crew has the ball, make the decisive pass to set up a goal, and even get into goal scoring position himself. That's the type of player that changes games. Mirosevic has done that consistently in his native Chile, playing for powerhouse team Universidad Catolica. The key will be how he adapts to life in the U.S. and the physical nature of MLS. How well he adjusts will be the key to the Crew's offensive fortunes.

Questions on the Left

The Crew have a very good right side combo. Right back Sebastian Miranda is an excellent defender and a worthy replacement to the departed Frankie Hejduk. Eddie Gaven in right midfield enters his 10th season in MLS at the young age of 25. The opposite side of the field isn't as set. Left winger Robbie Rogers moved to England and left back Josh Gardner was picked by Montreal in the expansion draft. The team will have two new starters in those spots this year.

The team does have a capable understudy at left midfield. Third year pro Dilly Duka appears ready for a breakout season. He scored two goals and three assists last year and starred with the league's Generation Adidas youth showcase and in the recent U.S. National Team Olympic team tryouts. The coaches expect big improvements from the young winger and if he can match those expectations, the team will have another strong offensive player to count on.

Left back is much more of a question mark. Jamaican Shaun Francis is healthy and was the expected starter last year, but he was injured much of last year and wasn't very sharp when he got to play. Second year utility man Rich Balchan played well before coming up injured as well. The team has brought in a number of trialists, but it's still unclear who will get the starting nod to line up with Marshall, James, and Miranda on defense.

The Battle in the East

Columbus was in the playoffs for the fourth straight year in 2011 and look to keep the streak alive this year. They will battle it out with 9 other teams for 5 playoff spots. The Crew appear short on goal scoring and have a few questions left to answer before they are a favorite in the conference.

They lag behind last year's regular season champion Sporting Kansas City a team that has gotten stronger on offense and has set themselves up as the preseason favorites. The Houston Dynamo are well coached and very difficult to beat.
 
The team probably outclasses rival Toronto FC, the New England Revolution, and the expansion Montreal Impact. They are all in the process of building (or rebuilding) a competitive team are likely to lag behind.

They most likely fall to the middle of the pack. They will fight it out with the big money but inconsistent New York Red Bulls and the retooling Philadelphia Union. The Chicago Fire and D.C. United just missed the playoffs, but are hoping that their rebuilding efforts pay off.

The Good and Bad

Without the top talent in the league like the L.A. Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, or Real Salt Lake, the Crew have a much smaller margin for error. They are going to rely on contributions from all over the field. If key players get injured or fail to contribute, it will be hard to weather storm and the team will be on the outside of the playoff hunt.

With all of the players coming together, much like they did last year, this can be a very tough team, well drilled and trained, they will be battle tested group ready to fight until the final whistle for the result. That attitude brought consistency. They earned points through sheer effort. That same attitude is in the 2012 team. With a little luck and a little more health, this can be a very dangerous team. Tough on defense and dangerous on the ball, a team that can make noise in the regular season and in the playoffs.