I'm not really sure it's a "prediction" to note our week schedule. From 2014 - 2015 MLS added two additional playoff spots in MLS. We had 2 new teams make the playoffs in 2015, Montreal and TFC. SKC moved to the West and took that spot. From 2015 - 2016 we had 4 new teams make the playoffs (Colorado, Philly, RSL, and NYCFC). The 67% of the playoff teams remained the same. Going back to 2014->2015 we've seen 6 out of 22 possible playoff spots change hands. There has been little turnover in playoff teams the past few years. It's been pretty consistent. After 5 weeks in 2016 Orlando City was top of the East, and Chicago was above the red line. We know what happened there. We've faced one playoff team from 2016 in the first six weeks. Rosters change, of course. Regardless, we'll have faced Chicago twice without Juninho and once without Bastian. We faced a Portland team that's one once on the road since MLS Cup. Are we putting more weight in 2 OCSC games in 2017 than 68 the previous two years? I'm looking at the big picture. Objectivity. Common sense. In regards to Manneh. I've been clamoring for young attacking talent for years, and even more loudly since the Kamara trade. I've laughed at the likes of Duka being the answer to our problems. We traded my favorite player on the team, Midfield Boss Tony Tchani, for Manneh. Lesser men than myself would have seen that as a problem. This isn't about me though. This is about our team. I see a guy who scored over 20 MLS goals before his 22nd birthday. A guy who's been recognized as top 5 in the 24 under 24 in the past two seasons (even missing time last year with injury.) A guy who Bruce called into camp first chance he got once Manneh received citizenship. I'm thrilled! I've given Gregg credit for the trade. He's done what I've clamored for! Of course when you acquire a young attacking talent, who is in the US player pool, for a guy who wasn't making the 18 this seasons. Expectations are raised. This is the common order of things. Consistent. Am I, @hangthadj, an artist? Hard to say. I'm only one man. I'm only one fan. Ornette Coleman and Lou Reed were artists, their medium was music. Rothko and Van Gogh were artists, their medium was mainly paint. Houdini and Magic Simon Elliot were artists, their medium was magic. If I'm an artist my mediums are common sense, objectivity, and consistency. But they are also my cross to bear. I realize in an ever more fractured and partisan society that these are mediums that are met with hostility. Especially on the internet. Nevertheless, I persist. I persist #ForColumbus and for truth. It's all I know how to do.
Well it's obvious to me. Manneh has such huge potential that with him we should be able to bring all the trophies home. I know he didn't do that with Vancouver but that's because he wasn't utilized appropriately. If GGG has any sense and is able to bring out the most in him, something that GGG defenders say is his strength, then we should be very disappointed if we aren't playing with two stars above the crest next year. Serious questions should be raised
Much obliged. I do not need the recognition of our generations great artists. Just the kind words of my fellow Columbus Crew fans are enough.
Your both saying the same thing while stressing 2 different points that you value differently. My opinion Portland is overachieving at this point but they are significantly better. Chicago is slightly better but I'm not sold they don't end up sucking again. Houston is playing better but not sold they will make the playoffs.Orlando could fall either way . So honestly I think the jury is out on how tough our schedule is. I think this is something we can more accurately discuss at a later time.
I don't think anyone said this slate of games is murderer's row. If fact I think they explicitly said they weren't saying that. I think the point is that we can no longer assume that it's a patsy schedule either. By the time we know for sure whether the first 6 games as an easy schedule, a hard one, or an average one, it will all be moot because we'll be halfway done with the season.
I will say that one thing this early schedule has afforded us is a reprieve to the "Berhalter teams always start slow, give it more time...." line that was the mantra of the Berhalter Believers into early August of last year. So, praise be to Garber for that gift....
the team has achieved what "we" said in preseason are the minimal expectations so far this year so we must at least give pause
I have said it before and will let others know my secret. There is no making hangthadj happy as a Crew fan. He could look at a SS winning season and be disappointed we didn't go undefeated. He could be a Barca fan and complain about not spending enough money on stars. He is the OSU fan that is angry Michigan is even still an accredited college.
Pretty much my response. Barcelona, please. Lol. Like I would stoop that low. But anyway yeah, many people were unhappy with Andrulis when he won a Supporter's Shield and a US Open Cup. He's still one of the most reviled people in club history. And I'm supposed to be impressed that with Gregg's greatest accomplishment is a Carolina Challenge Cup title with much greater backing from ownership and investment. Cool....
MLS Cup Final. That has to carry some weight. Let's be real here. And I do think that carries with it a divisional title, as I recall.
There is no second place trophy. Also people will point out that a knock out tournament does not always favor the best team in the league but the most in form teams at that time.
Meaningless. Eastern conference table is more meaningful. How many games did we play to become conference champions?
Gregg totally deserves credit for helping us reach the MLS Cup final, just as he deserves blame for a system that helped ensure that we lost it. The Eastern Conference trophy is neat and all. However, I'm sure Red Bulls put more stock in their Supporters Shield trophies than there 2008 Western Conference Champions trophy. The playoffs are totally a crapshoot, which makes losing a final at home all the more painful. You must take advantage of those opportunities.
Yes, it's not the big one we want. But you'd not turn down a League Cup trophy for your English team, would you? The Indians are having a ring ceremony and pennant raising at their Opening Day next Tuesday. Sure, it wasn't the one they wanted. But it still is of some value. Even if it is "second place".
I get the disappointment. I was there, after all. BUT, to say that GGG's best achievement is a Carolina Cup is overstating your case just a bit. Would you really have rather not gotten that far as the MLS Cup Final?
But the league cup is a winners trophy not a trophy given for winning the semi final. And just to state I think reaching MLS cup final is a big accomplishment. Given the circumstances of the game I would consider us very unlucky in the nature of the loss
I can't imagine what it's like to be a fan who is only happy when my team wins every championship ever.
Neither can I!!!! As a Columbus Crew, Roma, and Philadelphia Phillies and Sixers fan I fully understand that I may see 1-2 trophies a decade between them!!! Thankfully in my 40 years of living and interacting with persons of all kinds, sports fan or not, I have realized when someone is critical of a performance or idea that their critique and their wish for more is not mutually exclusive of any joy that said performance or idea has brought them. The audacity of human existence and emotions to exist outside of just black and white. How dare she?!?!?