Posted by Matt Barry

Last November, Crew Soccer Nation was rocked by the news of what was almost immediately tabbed “Black Monday”. After a second consecutive first-round playoff exit, this time at the hands of eventual MLS Cup Champion, the Colorado Rapids (and in PK’s no less), the Columbus Crew front office decided it was time for change. On a Monday in mid-November Crew President and GM Mark McCullers, Technical Director Brian Bliss, and Head Coach Robert Warzycha held their annual post-season meetings with all of the players. The meetings are meant to review the season and to discuss the future of each individual. Change is inevitable at any club, but no one was truly prepared for the front office’s decisions. The team had decided that it was time to cut ties with Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008 MLS and MLS Cup MVP and Crew all-time great), Frankie Hejduk (long-serving club captain and US Soccer Legend), Duncan Oughton (longest tenured player in club history), and Gino Padula (fan-favorite left back from 2008 cup-winning team). The Crew also decided that it was time for more auxiliary players like Jason Garey to join the November cuts. More moves would come in the inaugural expansion draft in December, as the Crew lost Eric Brunner and Adam Moffat to the expansion draft and midfield stalwart Brian Carroll in the re-entry draft. By the time the New Year had rolled around, many in Columbus wondered whether the Crew would be fielding a team at all in 2011.

The funny thing about the off-season was that it seemed like it was all out and no in for the Crew. This, however, was a wrong assertion. While all of these jettisons made the headlines, the team of McCullers, Bliss, and Warzycha were building their “New Crew” under the radar. Soon to be Crew and MLS all-time leading scorer Jeff Cunningham was brought in via the same re-entry draft that saw Carroll go. Tommy Heinemann of the NASL Carolina Railhawks, whose style of play often draws comparisons to one Andy Carroll, was also acquired to add depth to the strike-force. January saw the Super Draft selections of versatile defender and midfielder Rich Balchan from Indiana, striker Justin Meram from Michigan, midfielder Cole Grossman from Duke, midfielder Eric Gehrig from Loyola, and midfielder Bernardo Anor from South Florida. It should also be noted that Meram’s selection was part of a deal that sent big striker Steven Lenhart to San Jose. MLS journeymen Josh Gardner and Julius James were acquired to round out the off-season moves along with the acquisition of veteran right back Sebastian Miranda.

The story for me, at least, was that the Crew had sent away some of its greatest ever players, while replacing them with guys past their prime (Cunningham), unproven on the big stage (Heinemann), rejected by other MLS teams (James, Gardner), and totally inexperienced and fresh-out of college (the Super Draft picks). Moreover, the Crew were asking a lot from players like Emilio Renteria, newly-DP’d Andres Mendoza, Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers , Chad Marshall, Emmanuel Ekpo, Will Hesmer, and Danny O’Rourke. These players were referred to by McCullers as “the core”. They would shoulder the burden for leading the Crew in 2011.

Ok, so based on this evidence, where do you think the Columbus Crew sit in the league come August 1st? My guess coming into the season was mid-table, in the hunt, but not spectacular. McCullers consistently refused to use the word “rebuilding”, the dreaded R-word, to describe the off-season between 2010 and 2011. But that was what this was right?

The Crew currently sit in first place in the Eastern Conference. They have no stars, literally. Of the 32 total MLS All-Stars selected to face Manchester United last week, not one of them dons Crew black and gold. Well, at least fans from around the league can see what all the excitement is about in Central Ohio this year right? Wrong. The Crew have no ESPN appearances this season and will make one of their few Fox Soccer Channel feature appearances this Friday at Colorado. The point? This is Robert Warzycha’s vision for HIS Crew. They don’t need to be flashy. They’re quick. They’re gritty. They buzz around the field. They get results. Have they had their low-points? Absolutely. The thrashing they took at the hands of Real Salt Lake in the Champions League and a loss at home to Chicago come to mind. Yet they are also capable of the unprecedented. Away wins at Houston and Salt Lake were never accomplished in the Schelotto era.

Warzycha has built his team. Schelotto, Hejduk, Oughton, and Padula were great players. Maybe more importantly, they were incredible club servants. They were a lot of things to the Crew, but they were certainly not Warzycha’s guys. Nope, those guys are Josh Gardner, who has filled in heroically for first-choice left back Shaun Francis. Those guys are Julius James, whose athleticism has paired nicely with the towering Chad Marshall to form one of the best centerback pairings in the league. Those guys are Rich Balchan, who has played along the back line and in central midfield, a younger (dare I say better) version of Danny O’Rourke. The list goes on and on. I haven’t even mentioned the much maligned Andres Mendoza, who is living up to his high salary by leading the team in goals. Chad Marshall is having another MLS Defender of the Year type season. Eddie Gaven and Will Hesmer are having their usual solid seasons. In recent weeks, Robbie Rogers is showing flashes of his 2008 form, form that made him one of the top prospects in the US pool a few years ago. Emilio Renteria and Andres Mendoza have had minimal playing time together up top, and they are the team’s first choice strike pairing. That’s scary. Even scarier is that the likes of Dilly Duka, Tony Tchani (just acquired from Toronto), Balchan, and others are young and in Columbus to stay. This is a team performing well now and built for the future. This is Warzycha’s team. MLS fans: the Crew have reloaded, and they aren’t going away. Kudos, Robert. Guillermo who?

Follow me on Twitter: @bearinthebus