This group could look a lot different in 2010. (Getty Images)

Moving forward once again in our expansion draft coverage. Today we take a look at the Supporter's Shield winning Columbus Crew. More than likely we will see a player picked from this bunch, anytime you go through the regular season and are as good as the Crew were this year you will most certainly see a player picked off in an expansion draft.

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Year end award nominees are coming out, and while no Wizards players are up the big awards, 3 Wizards are nominated for 2 awards.
Davy Arnaud and Claudio Lopez are both up twice for goal of the year. Arnaud's first blast against Toronto on the opening week of the season is one of his two nominated goals. Click to continue reading...

One of the things you've just got to love about soccer is that, although the game has been played a zillion and one times (no, really, that's the actual count) for a hundred years and in every country, county and flyspeck island on Earth, somehow, something is always happening that leaves you shocked, stunned or amazed. Click to continue reading...

Huge props to the Seattle Soccer Examiner guru David Falk for this incredible story find.
Apparently the official Columbus Crew blog has discovered the conspiracy behind Guillermo Barros Schelotto's penalty miss against Seattle last Saturday.

After referee Ricardo Salazar whistled Jhon Kennedy Hurtado for bodyblocking Eddie Gaven in the box, Hurtado and James Riley undertook a lengthy appeal.

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Lies and slander this morning from Steve Sirk, who has ungratefully forgotten who delivered him from the championship-free existence of a Clevelander, and who claims, in Guillermo Barros Schelotto's words, we "broke the floor" before his penalty attempt Saturday night:

After referee Ricardo Salazar whistled Jhon Kennedy Hurtado for bodyblocking Eddie Gaven in the box, Hurtado and James Riley undertook a lengthy appeal.

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FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted MLS player of the month for September after his seven goals and three assists helped FC Dallas post a 3-1-1 record during the month.

Cunningham edged out a group of players including Shalrie Joseph, Josh Wolff and Eddie Gaven.

The award is the second player of the month honor of Cunningham's career.

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FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted MLS player of the month for September after his seven goals and three assists helped FC Dallas post a 3-1-1 record during the month.

Cunningham edged out a group of players including Shalrie Joseph, Josh Wolff and Eddie Gaven.

The award is the second player of the month honor of Cunningham's career.

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A little later than usual, here is your weekly Major League Soccer roundup. It was a great weekend for the Crew while many around them floundered. It's getting mighty exciting on the other side of the Atlantic and the play-offs are fast approaching. So with LA, Seattle and DC all tripping up, here's the lowdown:
It was a tale of two spot kicks at Dick's Sporting Goods Park last Wednesday. Click to continue reading...

Just as the playoff race gets hot, the goals of the week get hotter. Something about a playoff race that makes the goals just a little bit better if you ask me.

Order of goals: Jamie Moreno, Ramon Sanchez, Ryan Johnson, Sacha Kljestan, Juan Pablo Angel, Dwayne De Rosario, Chad Barret, Brian McBride, Jeff Cunningham, Eddie Gaven, Fredy Montero, and Shalrie Joseph.

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Eddie Gaven and Emilio Renteria are leading the charge for the Crew. (Getty Images)

And just with one weekend the playoff race really cleared up in my eyes. I may end up being wrong about a team or two but for the most part I have a pretty good feeling about six of the clubs that should be in the playoffs this season.

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QUESTION ON MY MIND
Will Richie Williams be the new head coach at DC United next season?
STARTERS
Tahiti has played in two U20 World Cup group stage games so far and lost them both 8-0. The first was to Spain. OK. But the second was to Venezuela, a country that barely plays the game. Click to continue reading...

An absent David Beckham. An invisible Landon Donovan. A Galaxy loss.

The Galaxy went meekly down 2-0 to the Columbus Crew Saturday even though the co-MLS leaders rested the likes of reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, former Galaxy striker Alejandro Moreno and Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers ahead of Tuesday's CONCACAF Champions League game against Costa Rica's Saprissa.

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STARTERS
Sunday is the return of the Derby du Nord!! Lens v Lille in the French Ligue 1! This makes me a very happy man!
THE LATEST WORD ON USA V HONDURAS VIEWING IN THE TWIN CITIES
So if you haven't heard yet, we have a real mess on our hands for viewing this World Cup qualifying game on Sat Oct 10. Click to continue reading...

Eddie Gaven scores the game winner at The Monster's Cave

While most people were still nursing their hangovers from a two day orgy of UEFA Champions League matches, the CONCACAF equivalent was contested at sites around Northern and Central America the past three nights. So perhaps you missed what is arguably the finest result yet by an MLS team in the 2009 edition of the tournament.

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The Columbus Crew ended MLS and American struggles at Estadio Saprissa last night, becoming the first American team to win at the fabled stadium in San Jose, defeating Saprissa 1-0. An Eddie Gaven goal in just the fifth minute of the match stood up as the difference, as Will Hesmer made some nice saves to keep the clean sheet.

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The first place Columbus Crew won their CONCACAF Champions League group stage match against Saprissa last night, upsetting the Costa Rican side 1-0 on the road. Midfielder Eddie Gaven scored the winner for the Crew in the 5th minute of play, when forward Steven Lenhart played him in behind the Saprissa defense, giving Gaven a golden-opportunity that he made no mistake with.

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The Columbus Crew beat Saprissa at the Monster's Cave on Wednesday night, taking the three group stage points on an Eddie Gaven goal in the fifth minute. The Crew are second in Group C, trailing Cruz Azul by one point. How do you make things more difficult playing in Mexico? Play the second-half with ten men. Click to continue reading...

Americans Abroad / USMNT
SBI's 23 For 2010: September '09 Edition - Soccer By Ives
USA-Honduras: The Venue - US Soccer Daily
Despite Uphill Battle, US Leads Qualifying Fight - ESPNsoccernet
Which Team Is Better: 2002 Or 2009? - MLS Talk
Nguyen Training With Arsenal - Yanks Abroad
Spector: Eyes On Europe - Yanks Abroad
Chicago Fire
Fire Practice Report: 09/16 - Chicago Fire Confidential
Fire Sign Costa Rican Defender David Myrie - Chicago Fire Confidential
'Three Points A Must' For Fire vs. Click to continue reading...

The CONCACAF Champions League continued on Wednesday with three more group stage matches. The Columbus Crew visited faced Saprissa, Pachuca hosted the Houston Dynamo, and Pumas traveled to W Connection. It's about halfway through the group stage with the Columbus Crew the only MLS team in position to advance to the quarterfinals.

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Eddie Gaven scored on a penalty kick in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Columbus Crew a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo at Crew Stadium Sunday. The match between the top two teams in the league and the winners of the past three MLS Cups, had all the makings (and drama) of a playoff encounter. Click to continue reading...

Another Major League Soccer week, another unsavoury incident featuring David Beckham. After suggesting the former England captain would be good for MLS in the long-term despite the revelations made by Grant Wahl upon Beckham's return, it's disappointing to witness some of his more immature behaviour since heading back to LA from Italy in July. Click to continue reading...

The MLS Goal of the Week race isn't much of a race this week. While Dwayne DeRosario, Steve Zakuani, Chris Rolfe and Maykel Galindo had nice finishes, the Columbus Crew's Eddie Gaven should walk away with the award for his half-field run and finish in the Crew's 2-0 win vs. FC Dallas on Saturday.

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The MLS Goal of the Week race isn't much of a race this week. While Dwayne DeRosario, Steve Zakuani, Chris Rolfe and Maykel Galindo had nice finishes, the Columbus Crew's Eddie Gaven should walk away with the award for his half-field run and finish in the Crew's 2-0 win vs. FC Dallas on Saturday.

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A Chad Marshall goal in the 10th minute and an insurance tally from Eddie Gaven propelled Columbus to a 2-0 victory over visiting FC Dallas. Last ... Click to continue reading...

Two straight weeks of bliss for FC Dallas ended in a Columbus Crew defensive swarm Saturday night in Columbus as a 10th minute header from Chad Marshall and an 87th minute sealer from Eddie Gaven led the Crew to a 2-0 victory. Click to continue reading...

We are Massive.

The Columbus Crew have officially shown the world that winning the 2008 MLS Cup wasn't a fluke. The Crew traveled to San Jose to play the Earthquakes in the early half of a day/night doubleheader that also featured CD Guadalajara and FC Barcelona.

After a first half which was at times painful to watch, Columbus coach Robert Warzycha decided it was time to change things up.

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Before you start typing a half-thought out, rager of a comment because of the photo please read this article. I ain't calling anybody names, I'm just quoting our man Jason Garey. As he tells it to the Columbus Dispatch he's something of a ruralist who's down with fishing, firearms and Eddie Gaven yet he's still too chicken to touch a 9-foot hammerhead shark. Click to continue reading...

A list of all penalties can be found on the league stats page (scroll to the bottom). However, on that page they don't list who earned and conceded the penalties like they used to a few years back. I've always missed that, so I keep track of it myself by looking through match reports.
This seems to be the year of the handball. Click to continue reading...

Rapids striker Omar Cummings kept Columbus defender Chad Marshall, right, off balance throughout Saturday's game — but couldn't find a goal for Colorado. (photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Call it yellow-and-black magic.

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The American football psyche may have been dominated by the Gold Cup and the All-Star game lately, but the relentless march of Major League Soccer continues. Week 19 got underway at Rio Tinto on Friday, where FC Dallas gave their hosts a fright - briefly.
Jeff Cunningham mugged Real Salt Lake's Will Johnson on 20 yards and fired past Nick Rimando to put FCD ahead in the 13th minute. Click to continue reading...

The best news for TFC this week is that Montreal is still being considered for MLS membership. The sooner we don't have to consider Columbus as our main rival - the better. Don't get me wrong, going to Crew Stadium with a couple of thousand Reds' supporters is fun but there is one problem with this rivalry. Click to continue reading...

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The CONCACAF Gold Cup is front and center in the minds of many American soccer fans this week, but while the U.S. national team is playing on Saturday there will also be a handful of great MLS match-ups.

Like rivalries? Want to see the league's best face off? Then this is your weekend.

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The CONCACAF Gold Cup is front and center in the minds of many American soccer fans this week, but while the U.S. national team is playing on Saturday there will also be a handful of great MLS match-ups.

Like rivalries? Want to see the league's best face off? Then this is your weekend.

Click to continue reading...

Preliminary style, it'll be trimmed to 23 within a couple weeks. Good to see a lot of youngsters -- Pablo Mastroeni, not so much.GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Luis Robles, Troy Perkins,
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein, Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Chad Marshall, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Michael Parkhurst, Marvell Wynne,
MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu, Davy Arnaud, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Gaven, Stuart Holden, Pablo Mastroeni, Robbie Rogers, John Thorrington, Jose Francisco Torres,
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Kenny Cooper, Charlie Davies, Jeremiah White. Click to continue reading...

Via Soccernet:

Preliminary roster

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Luis Robles, Troy Perkins,

DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein, Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Chad Marshall, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Michael Parkhurst, Marvell Wynne,

MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu, Davy Arnaud, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Gaven, Stuart Holden, Pablo Mastroeni, Robbie Rogers, John Thorrington, Jose Francisco Torres,

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Kenny Cooper, Charlie Davies, Jeremiah White.

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