It’s the offseason in Columbus, and that means rumors about players and contracts and whatnot are as easy to find as a Buckeye hoodie. Robbie Rogers seems to have become the first player to fall victim of fan speculation.

First, to grease the wheels of gossip, Robbie himself tweetered that he was on his way out of Columbus. Of course, those of us with rational heads on our shoulders assumed that he meant for the off season. Because, ya know, he’s from California.

But then came news from duNord that Robbie would be left unprotected in the Expansion Draft, and then a blurb from Ives saying that Rogers is out of contract, and then there’s another source who is positive that Robbie is as good as gone (and I think we all believe her word above any other /wink/).

I don’t know how much of this is truth or speculation, but I can’t wait to find out because I love Robbie, I really do. And I want him back in Columbus next year.

On two conditions:

1) He doesn’t go to Europe. I don’t want to hold back his career and if a European club come knock he should most certainly answer. He has the potential and skills to play for a first division squad anywhere outstide of England, or he could go tear things up in the Cola-ship. God knows if Newcastle signed him I’d be ecstatic.

2) He grows some cojones. Or finds the ones he has. Or stops playing at 80%. Something. I’d like to buy him a beer and say “Robbie, brah, you’ve got a stellar game, you’re wicked fast and the ladies can’t get enough. But sometimes, buddy, you just need to shoot the ball. You did it a lot in ‘08 – but in ‘09, what happened?”

(I just had a thought: Maybe since Robbie scored goals in ‘08 and crossed the ball in in ‘09, that means in twentyten he’ll put the two together and be a BAMF)

So that’s where we stand with our pretty boy winger. No one who knows anything is saying anything and the people that are saying things don’t know anything.

I know this: I don’t want to see the 2009 version of Robbie Rogers ever again.

None of us expected this, no one thought it was possible. The Crew always performs under pressure. Columbus always gets the clutch goal or Jesus-save that it needs to stay alive. Not tonight.

Tonight, we were let down. Tonight we were defeated, both on the field and in our hearts. Everything comes to an end, even the MLS season, but no one wanted it to end this way, this early, and this shockingly. Don’t get me wrong: Real Salt lake is a good team, with a good coach, but we are Columbus, we are the defending MLS champ, we are back-to-back Supporters’ Shield winners, we are The Massive. We don’t lose in big games. (I know, I know: The Crew has been mediocre at best for most of it’s 13 season existence, but this is a different team, with a new heart, a new soul, and a new mindset. In 2001, sure, we were happy just to reach the playoffs, but not anymore. I don’t want to sound entitled like a Toronto or Seattle fan, but we expect more from the Massive Canaries)

As far as a recap, the only things I can remember are: 1) we gave up a 2-goal lead, 2) The officiating was horrendous, 3) The Crew gave it their all.

Our boys left it all on the field tonight and that’s all any fan can ever ask of their team during the playoffs.

If you want to get extra personal, you can read my thoughts over on The Jock. In case you’re curious, I’m not in the best mood tonight. None of us are.

Highlights:

Not of the hordes of ghosts and goblins floating around as I type this, but rather that the MLS season of my beloved Columbus Crew will come to an end on Thursday night.

Tonight, as they took on Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the home-and-home playoff series, The Massive looked anemic. Impotent. Unimpressive.

I know that they might have been bunkering for a nil-nil draw in order to bring the series back to Columbus even, but even still – they just looked like they were unable to play their game.

The Crew have scored one goal in their past five games, and that lone tally was on a fluke free kick. The offense is stalled, and no one is stepping up and making things happen. They’ve had plenty of chances, but no one on the squad is forcing the ball into the net like earlier in the season.

Where is the fire? Where is the work ethic? Where is the veteran leadership (though I bet Frankie went off in the locker room after tonight’s match)? Where is the team that was kicking ass and taking names in August and September?

I don’t want to dig into this game to much, else I’ll just wind up repeating what I’ve said before, but you can watch the highlights here. Let’s just suffice it to say that Robert Warzycha needs to find some offense. Quickly.

Or else he’ll be watching the MLS Cup from his couch rather than the sidelines in Seattle.

In Guillermo We Trust.

Paint The Town Black & Gold from Outsider E on Vimeo.

Playoffs start Saturday, kids!

Projected lineups: New England — GK Reis; Alston, Barnes, Osei, Heaps; Nyassi, Larentowicz, Joseph, Mansally; Jankauskas, Dube.
Columbus — GK Hesmer; Hejduk, Iro, O’Rourke, Zayner; Ekpo, Burns, Moffat, Rogers; Lenhart, Garey.

This is still subject to change. The Ref is Terry Vaughn so we shall see how he will keep the flow of this match. The game is on at 6pm on ESPN2 so stay tuned. Go Crew!

Lillingston chalked up an own goal tonight when the Fire took on Chivas at Toyota Park. Chicago held on to win the affair, and in the process handed the MLS Supporters’ Shield to Columbus for a second straight year.

The Shield is awarded to the MLS side with the best regular season record, and since Columbus us sitting at 49 points and Chivas, Chicago, Houston, and LA all have 45, the Crew is the regular season champ.

This is only the second time in league history that one team has captured The Shield in back-to-back seasons. DC United did it in ‘06 and ‘07.

Columbus coach Robert Warzycha is now facing an enviable problem for Sunday’s matchup with New England: Does he rest his “A” Team for the playoffs, or does he go for the jugular against the hapless Revs, and take the Trophy going away?

Knowing Coach Bob’s style, and the fact that he is a merciless competitor, I’m going to guess that he goes for all the marbles. Maybe he’ll rest the aging Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno in favor a younger lineup that needs the experiance, but in no way do I expect him to field a team of backups.

That being said, The Massive “B” Team could walk all over the Rev’s “A” team any day of the week. And twice on a Sunday.

Either way I’m not worried.

Again, horrible music with these highlights. But you get the idea: The Crew coasted to a 1-1 draw with The Islanders on Tuesday night, playing some of the most uninspired, “lets just go play and get it over with” soccer I’ve ever seen The Massive play.

But they got the result nonetheless, and are moving on to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Too bad we have to wait till March for the next round.

If that’s true, then the coach and attacking players for Columbus’ MLS side are certifiably insane.

Fellas: No matter how many times you take the ball down the wing to the corner and cross it in hoping for someone to miracle it into the goal, it ain’t gonna happen. Not the way we’ve been playing for the past month or so.

Here’s an idea (keep in mind I’ve been a defensive player for my whole life so I might be missing something): Take the ball from the defensive third of the field into the attacking third, and then attack the goal. Cram it down the defense’s throat. Go right at them, forcing them to make decisions and mistakes. Put as much pressure as possible on the opposing fullbacks and keeper. I know that when I play the game that pisses me off, I’d much rather have the time to get set and evaluate what’s happening and where the attackers are. I’m pretty sure the guys who get paid to play feel the same way.

There are two main ways to score in soccer, or any sport for that matter: Hope for the defense to screw up and allow a goal, or force the defense to allow a goal by making them uncomfortable. And for God knows how long the Crew have been using the first method.

When Robbie Rogers takes the ball to the corner and then swings it in, which he does better than most in the league, he is allowing his offensive teammates to get set in front of the goal. However, the defense is also setting up as the ball’s coming in. So although Steven Lenhart is a Big Nasty forward, the defense has time to double team him and make sure his blonde ‘fro doesn’t put the ball anywhere near the net.

How about, maybe next week against New England, Guillermo takes the ball up the middle (or somewhere near the middle) with Steven and Eddie and Robbie and maybe even Brian spread out around him, and Danny behind in case Guillermo needs to drop it back, and attacks the defense. Take it right at ‘em, without giving them a chance to set up and call out names and coverages and drive the ball at the goal before the keeper has time to realize that Frankie’s sprinting up the wing to help.

It can’t do any worse than taking it to the corner, slowing it down, and then crossing it into the box.

Hell, Kevin Freaking Burns had the right idea last night against DC, when he lofted a shot from outside the box trying to chip the keeper. He looked up and took the defense by surprise, catching the keeper off guard and making him uncomfortable. The shot was blocked, but it resulted in a Crew corner, which is never a bad thing.

Our defense is formidable, our midfield is strong, and our attackers certainly don’t lack for much. We can usually score from set pieces with wild abandon. Our problem, as of late, is our mindset. I know that Coach Bob likes to play the wings, but everyone in the league knows that. We need to change things up. We can’t expect that all of a sudden the opposing back four will suddenly allow Big Steve to run free towards an incoming cross, or that Ale Mo will suddenly sprout wings and rise above a central defender to head one in. We need to make things happen for ourselves.

I’m not a strategist, but I do know that if Plan A isn’t working too well then it’s time to look at Plan B. Columbus’ Plan B needs to be “Operation Scare the Piss Out Of The Other Team With Our Aggressive Strikers And Our God-Like Center Mid.” That might work. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try.

None of The Massive’s shots found the net.

Columbus, who needed the win to secure their second-straight Supporter’s Shield, played as sloppy as the marsh-like field. There was little spark to be found all night, and the few times The Crew threatened to score the chance was squandered.

The defense, for the most part, played with the same passion and aggressiveness that has brought them so much success over the past two years. No man went unmarked, and overlapping runs down the wings were plentiful.

However, without the help of a well balanced attack or a sturdy midfield, they were hung out to dry. It was a mistake by the midfield that led to the lone DC goal – though Danny O’Rourke nearly killed himself trying to clear the ball off the goal line, but he was a half step too late.

Robbie Rogers finally played the game we all know he can play, taking the ball into the attacking third with authority and doing with it as he pleased. Too bad none of his crosses found a friendly target and his one shot was saved, although just barely.

I usually don’t place blame for losses, because very rarely can one person be blamed for an unfortunate result in a sport like soccer, but I’m going to throw this one squarely at the coach’s feet. We need to stop playing the wings so much and take the ball straight at the opposition. The entire league knows our style by now, therefore our style must change. We have the weapons for an all-out attack, why not go for it?

After all was said and done, our team left the field left muddy and bruised but not down and out. Columbus is still the Eastern Conference champ, still has a 92% chance of winning the Supporter’s Shield, and is still one of the most-feared teams in the league. All is not lost.

But backing into the playoffs usually isn’t a great way to get there. Here’s to hoping that our boys regain The Massive next week when New England comes to Columbus for the league finale.