I'm not a Columbus Crew supporter. I don't live in Ohio...but I do follow Major League Soccer and i've watched more than a few Crew matches over the past two seasons. I've seen the Crew go from laughing stock of the league to MLS Cup Champions. While there were several factors that helped turn the club around and change their fortunes, there is no doubt that Guillermo Barros Schelotto was a huge part of that success. Click to continue reading...

While most of them may be a bit young to have a realistic chance of playing in the 2010 World Cup, a team of MLS Generation adidas players are about to take a trip to South Africa for an experience they won't soon forget.

Stefan Frei, Patrick Nyarko and Chris Pontius headline a team of 18 MLS players that will travel to South Africa to participate in a series of friendlies and other events later this month.

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GBS helped lead the Crew to a second straight Supporter's Shield trophy. (Getty Images)

We all expected big things in 2009 for the Columbus Crew. Anytime you win a MLS Cup and retain the bulk of a lineup that got you that title you expect to repeat or come extremely close to do so. As we saw last week the Crew fell short of that this year as they lost to Real Salt Lake at home in the semi-finals of the eastern conference.

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Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena, ably assisted by Assistant Head Coach Dave Sarachan, revitalized the fortunes of the once-moribund Galaxy this season and has the team in the Western Conference Final against the Houston Dynamo at 8 p.m. Friday at Home Depot Center.

And deservedly so after leading the Galaxy from worst to first in MLS and adding a second MLS Coach of the Year honor a dozen years after first claiming the award with D.

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LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena has been name Major League Soccer Coach of the Year, beating out Sigi Schmid and Robert Warzycha. Arena wins the award for the second time, joining current US National...

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A storm of off-season change is coming. I just have this feeling that this is going to be a real shape shifter as off-seasons go, with more flux than usual in MLS management and personnel.

Today I learned that this season of significant winter movement will begin on Nov. 25, when manager Peter Nowak and his Philadelphia Union will cherry-pick off 15 MLS rosters.

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With J Hutcherson -- That crack media contingent that put Columbus Crew coach Robert Warzycha in the final three for MLS Coach of the Year? Well, the biggest playoff breakdown in recent memory wasn't an overwhelming display on the part of Real Salt Lake. It was Columbus playing for the draw in the first game and not getting it. Click to continue reading...

Where to begin with this one? If you approached fans of Columbus and let them know in advance of the game, that they would take a two goal lead within the first 35 minutes at home, against the worst road team in MLS, they would have taken that in a hearbeat. And that's just what did happen, as two Guillermo Barros Schelotto goals got the Crew off to the start they needed.

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

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The Columbus Crew quest for a repeat MLS Cup championship will ride on tonight's First Round playoff decider against Real Salt Lake at Crew Stadium (8pm, ESPN2).

The Crew will need to erase a 1-0 deficit from its first-leg loss at Rio Tinto Stadium to do win the series, and will welcome back reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is expected to start after being benched for the first game.

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The Columbus Crew quest for a repeat MLS Cup championship will ride on tonight's First Round playoff decider against Real Salt Lake at Crew Stadium (8pm, ESPN2).

The Crew will need to erase a 1-0 deficit from its first-leg loss at Rio Tinto Stadium to do win the series, and will welcome back reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is expected to start after being benched for the first game.

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So again, we take a look at the Orange Crystal Ball moving from the unidextrous to bidextrous results.
The first weekend, I have to say, was more than a little strange. From the sublime of the Dynamo/Seattle match to the ridiculous of Warzycha sitting Moreno AND Schelotto to the utterly predictable of a Steve Nicol-team being Lucy to the Chicago Fire's Charlie Brown to the completely surreal of the HDClasico draw. Click to continue reading...

The first Eastern Conference finalist will be determined tonight, when the first seeded Columbus Crew play host Real Salt Lake in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series (7 p.m. CDT on ESPN2).

The Crew fell to Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the series opener last Saturday and they'll need a win to have hope of continuing their 2008 title defense.

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1) I've updated the home/away records for each MLS team in each season through 2009:
Check them out here.
2) If Omar Gonzalez wins the Rookie of the Year award, he'll be the youngest winner ever. He was 20.72 years of age as of July 1st. The current record-holder is Carlos Bocanegra in 2000, at 21. Click to continue reading...

Here are a few links to get your day started...
The 'Players Only' section of the Chicago Tribune did a fun little piece with Fire midfielders John Thorrington and Logan Pause the other day. Thorrington interviewed Pause for the entry, asking Logan all sorts of things in rapid-fire format. Click to continue reading...

Over the next few days bloggers far and near are going to be offering up their opinions on the MLS Year End Awards nominations.
The main reason for this isn't that they honestly care that much. Almost no one really does.
But for a blogger - and I know whereof I speak - this provides one of the "automatic topics", like the traditional six part "Preseason Preview" or more recent "Playoff Preview", whose main value is to relieve the author of the nerve wracking chore of coming up with something to write about. Click to continue reading...

Goalkeeper of the year -- Nov. 4
Nominees: Kasey Keller (Seattle), Donovan Ricketts (L.A.), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)
Who will win: Thornton. Veteran might have put up his best year in the league.
Who should win: Thornton. This team overachieved and its MVP is the reason why.
Fair Play Finalists -- Nov. Click to continue reading...

Here's the full list as released today by MLS:

Goalkeeper of the Year
Kasey Keller - Seattle Sounders FC
Donovan Ricketts - Los Angeles Galaxy
Zach Thornton - Chivas USA

Fair Play Finalists - Individual
Kasey Keller - Seattle Sounders FC
Pat Onstad - Houston Dynamo
Steve Ralston - New England Revolution

Comeback Player of the Year
Brian McBride - Chicago Fire
Ben Olsen - D.

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Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham are the finalists for MLS MVP honors and just three of the MLS players identified as finalists for season-ending awards by Major League Soccer.

Donovan is one of several members of the Los Angeles Galaxy to be selected as finalists for honors.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham are the finalists for MLS MVP honors and just three of the MLS players identified as finalists for season-ending awards by Major League Soccer.

Donovan is one of several members of the Los Angeles Galaxy to be selected as finalists for honors.

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Hot off the presses from the league front office. Major League Soccer has announced the finalists to their season ending awards today. Only a few shockers jump out at me here with these but I'll get to that in a moment.

Keeper of the Year (to be announced Nov. 4)
Kasey Keller, Seattle
Donovan Ricketts, Los Angeles
Zach Thornton, Chivas USA

Defender of the Year (Nov.

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With J Hutcherson -- Credit Columbus Crew coach Robert Warzycha with one thing: he's not afraid of creating a potential problem. That's what happens with the roll of the dice that was leaving out his club's designated player. Who is also Major League Soccer's reigning MVP... averaging a goal every other game this season. Click to continue reading...

It wasn't the prettiest match either team has played this season, but Real Salt Lake stole a late goal Saturday afternoon to claim a 1-0 victory over a defensive-minded Columbus Crew squad. Seemingly happy to leave Rio Tinto stadium with a draw, Columbus coach Robert Warzycha fielded a surprising lineup devoid of reigning MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto or attacking options Alejandro Moreno and Emmanuel Ekpo. Click to continue reading...

It's Halloween, and I'm scared.

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.

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The Columbus Crew begins defense of its MLS Cup title today at Rio Tinto Stadium against Real Salt Lake in Game One of their Eastern Conference series (6pm, Direct Kick).

The Crew will come into the match with a surprising lineup that does not include MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto or forward Alejandro Moreno.

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The Columbus Crew begins defense of its MLS Cup title today at Rio Tinto Stadium against Real Salt Lake in Game One of their Eastern Conference series (6pm, Direct Kick).

The Crew will come into the match with a surprising lineup that does not include MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto or forward Alejandro Moreno.

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As their defense of the MLS Cup hits the postseason, Columbus Crew and head coach Robert Warzycha are still waiting on the injury status of Chad Marshall. The Crew's defender of the year has been missing in action since spraining his left knee in practice on September 15. While there was no reason to rush him back from the injury as Columbus secured their second consecutive Supporters' Shield, it looks like he will be ready to make his first start since the injury on Saturday night.

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As their defense of the MLS Cup hits the postseason, Columbus Crew and head coach Robert Warzycha are still waiting on the injury status of Chad Marshall. The Crew's defender of the year has been missing in action since spraining his left knee in practice on September 15. While there was no reason to rush him back from the injury as Columbus secured their second consecutive Supporters' Shield, it looks like he will be ready to make his first start since the injury on Saturday night.

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The regular season is done, over, finished or whatever other adjective you want to use. For the second straight season WVH got to participate in the league's media vote for the season awards. Voting is now over and I felt it was time to share my votes with you all.

I'll have to admit some awards were tougher to vote on than others but I tried to span the entire season's body of work as much as I could for these awards.

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The Columbus Crew owes The Chicago Fire a favor. Actually, the Crew owes Eduardo Lillingston a favor. Maybe a beer next time Chivas comes to town.

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.

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For most folks out there the Coach of the Year debate is a three person race. Depending on the how the final week goes we could include one or two others into the discussion.

Some coaches have lead their clubs from loads of draws early to the top of their conferences, one has lead an expansion club to the playoffs for the second time in league history, while others have just done what they always do.

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It might be one of the easier categories to vote for, but the 2009 MLS coach of the year race has more than just one worthy candidate.

Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena is the clear front-runner for the award, as he should be, but some other coaches have also enjoyed quality seasons.

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This simple little story is blowing up!
From one team blog, to a couple soccer blogs, to a couple bigger sites, and now Columbus Crew coach Robert Warzycha addressed Tyrone Marshall allegedly stamping on the penalty-kick mark at a press conference.

"It's just ridiculous," an agitated Warzycha said today.

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Just a short post tonight. Man is it weird being back. The reporters are going nuts. Both Sean Michelle and Creepy Jose did retrospectives and interviews with me on the topic of coming back. From Sean Michelle's:

Schmid on the continued success of the Crew:
"I'm really happy for Robert (Warzycha).

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