Crew steal a point from Blanco…er…Chicago

By: scott | August 6th, 2007

Nope, sorry Blanco. You only get the one point.

On the road. In Chicago. With an excited, sold out stadium. Sure we’ll take a point.

The Crew’s 0-0 draw against Chicago Fire Saturday had all the makings of something awful for our boys. Lifted by the arrival of Blanco and Wanchope, the Fire might have been a force to be reckoned with. Their “excitable” fans, at the very least, might have been a force to be reckoned with. So, I’m happy with the point. We maintain our distance from the playoff chasers and we don’t slip too far away from those we’re chasing. If we can do the same this weekend at Dallas then I think the two-week road trip will have been a success (of course, I’m convinced we can come back with more, but then again, I’m easily convinced). Important to note, Crew v. Dallas will be broadcast live on FSC so the world can finally get a taste of what we in the Crew Nation already know. Some nights, more often than not, when we feel compelled, or maybe obligated, and if the weather seems just right, with not too much humidity, and maybe a light breeze, Columbus Crew is playing the most attractive soccer in MLS. We’ve got attacking prowess, we have a stingy backline, and a more than capable midfield who continue to come together. All this plus Will “Farrell” Hesmer between the sticks. It’s a team made for TV. The hardest working team in the country deserves their own national live feed–all Crew, all the time–but for now, we’ll take it one game at a time.

Now I’ll talk about management a little.

While I’ve not had much time to spend thinking about the Black and Gold lately–finishing up summer courses, you know–I did recall an incident from the Aston Villa game I feel is worth including here. As I was sitting in my usual seats behind the north goal, soaking up EPL talent and the clever banter of Columbus’ own, I heard some folks a section over shouting to a man in a fancy suit walking swiftly toward the tunnel. Since I’m not too familiar with the Crew head office I can’t say who this man was, but based upon the ribbing he was getting from the fans, I’m guessing he’s someone who influences decisions. So here’s the tenor of what was shouted–Hey, guy in the suit, we want a DP (designated player–aka, our very own BeckhamBlancoAngel). The suit, being a suit, walked on with his head down as far as the tunnel. There he stopped, looked up, and approached the disgruntled section with a (dare I say) business-like grin on his face. He then said–We have a team on the field, are they not good enough for you?–and walked on into the tunnel. His departure was countered with silence from the crowd.

Ok, I’m not naive enough to think we couldn’t do without a DP. I would love to see someone of the caliber of a Robbie Fowler or even a Kasey Keller (Maybe Onyewu, he’s still looking for a job, right?). But I have to say that I liked this guys response to the justifiable questioning by the crowd. We do have a team on the field. Not only that, but for the first time in awhile we have a good team on the field. A team that holds its own. We should always be looking to the future–how to improve the team, how to get more asses in seats, how to win trophies–but lets not get too caught up in the Beckham/MLS hype machine. We’re doing pretty damn well without some high-priced international (actually we’re better off, with a number of dedicated and talented internationals). How else should the hardest working team get by? In the most difficult way possible of course.
And let’s learn from our recently learned lesson–Do I need to remind anyone of the “fire Sigi” calls that recently rang through the corridors of Crew Stadium? I for one am happy with that team on the field, and so long as the suits continue to do whatever they have to in making the team stronger, I’m going to hold onto my complaints and stay positive.

We make the playoffs. We win the trophy. We get a DP. How’s that for a plan of action?

Until the weekend Crew Nation.