The flip side is that whenever a current player gets a sad and would really prefer to leave and play somewhere else, rather than fulfill the terms of their deal, we say "no problem" and agree to tear up the contract (or part with them for a reasonably fee). Which, I understand, has gotten for us a great reputation as a place to play, as being an organization that's treats players well. Hard not to be in favor of that. But I do sort of wonder where it's gotten us more recently. We've let players go to pursue their dreams - presumably further burnishing our pro-player reputation - and yet seemingly can't convince top/replacement talent to come to Columbus.
How many legit professional teams lose games because they don’t have enough players to field a team? I understand selling players and moving them on but we still have games to play. You have to field a team. We had no offensive options off the bench last night. It was plan A or lose. Nancy chose the latter. No way you can win a supporters shield with that mindset.
I understand Nancy has made a reference to wanting to win a SS. But his decisions - and those of lots of coaches and GMs in MLS - contradict that statement. Everyone knows the SS is a 2nd tier accomplishment in MLS. That the vast majority of the attention and spoils go to the MLS Cup winner. Which is why you hear so often (from some of us, anyway) that MLS is structured in a way that incentivizes teams to treat the regular season as a warm up for the playoffs. Nothing about how the Crew has functioned implies they are battling for every regular season point. They - and lots of other teams - just want to stay in the playoff hunt, ideally high enough get some sort of home field advantage; get to the summer window, where they stock up on prorated talent; and hope to get hot as the regular season winds down and playoffs commence. So we lost 3-0 away to a conference rival? Shit happens. But in the aggregate, does it really matter? We'll see.
I think this is probably because MLS roster rules make it incredibly difficult to build a team specifically with the goal of winning a Supporters Shield. It's almost impossible to build quality depth past the 14th or 15th guy on the roster, which is really what you need to win a Supporters Shield. Even if you do build that depth, you have to hope you don't get hit by injuries. You don't even need a lot of injuries to sink your season. Just one or two injuries to the wrong players can totally sink your chances. If we lost Rossi or Nagbe for an extended period of time, we'd be toast (in terms of SS chances). If FCC lost Fereira, they are toast. You have to have DPs healthy and performing, otherwise you won't be able to hang. And even if those things go right for you, you have to hope that the conferences are somewhat balanced in terms of quality. If one conference is pretty weak with just one or two good teams at the top, they can really run away with things while teams that are just as good, or better, in the other conference are beating each other up. This is why, in my eyes, the SS really isn't all that meaningful. The schedules are so imbalanced that the conferences are practically playing completely different seasons.
Agreed. In terms of Nancy, he's also playing a longer game than most coaches. He's willing to risk sacrificing points in order to push and develop young players. In fact, at times it feels as though he'd rather take 6-12 months (or even longer) to mold a young player in match conditions - accepting all of the brain farts that occur during that timespan - rather than sign and play a veteran with a proven skillset (but who might need to unlearn some things in order to adjust to Nancy's style of play). Obviously, he talked about this stuff far more in his first season as coach here. But a coach who truly believes (as I think he does) that "it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but the stories you tell", how you play, that you constantly place yourself in uncomfortable positions. That style of coach is going to accept short-term failure (and dropped points) if he feels players are making progress toward much longer-term goals.
I don't understand the reference. Can you give a little more context? Or in AZ's case about 180 seconds before getting subbed! Nancy's schedule is absolutely measured in seasons and not by match days. It is frustrating as hell to watch sometimes, but, gosh darn it, I will continue to lap it up!
While I really liked his energy initially, I just haven't seen much come from that this season. Agree with the point that we're not full and don't have to make room for incoming players, but don't really have an issue selling AZ, even if it's for peanuts. I have no idea what Taha's ceiling is, but I'm all for throwing some of our youngsters in in place of AZ.
Since we all love updates from random Twitter accounts writing in foreign languages, here's an update: Wesam Abu Ali's agent informs Al-Ahli management that Columbus Crew's offer is final, with no further negotiations, and requests approval ($7.5 million + $1.5 million in bonuses + 15% resale percentage) Al-Ahli informs the player's agent that Columbus Crew's stance is irrelevant and the club will not compromise on its demands for an increase منصة 24/7 : وكيل وسام أبو علي يُخطر إدارة الأهلي بأن عرض كولومبوس كرو نهائي ولن يكون هناك تفاوض جديد ويطلب الموافقة عليه (7.5 ملايين دولار + 1.5 مليون مكافآت + 15% نسبة إعادة البيع• الأهلي يُخطر وكيل اللاعب بأنه لا يعنيه موقف كولومبوس كرو ولن يتم التنازل عن طلبات النادي بزيادة pic.twitter.com/tYQdlJwc9g— 🇵🇸🦅👑King Hossame gamil👑🦅 (@Hossameking74) July 17, 2025
Not having paid much attention the Nordecke in recent months, but knowing we have a starting defender who's hometown is in Russian occupied Ukraine, does that get a lot of performative attention from the Nordecke? Personally, every time I hear Cheberko's Ukranian home town announced before a match, I can't help wonder what must be going through his mind. This is a worthwhile read (from Oct. '23) for anyone who missed it: Arace: 5,000 miles from his war-torn home, Yevhen Cheberko makes case with Columbus Crew Anyway, maybe some in the Nordecke will choose to display their politics in some way. But I have my doubts that there will be some sort of unified mass protest. Regardless, there really is shit going down in the world that's a helluva lot more important than what happening in some soccer stadium in Central Ohio.
With the unbalanced schedule of MLS, where you only play six out of the 15 non-conference opponents, the Supporters Shield seems silly to even still award. Now, if MLS went to a format where you faced every club at least once during the regular season, via something like going to a 38 game season and three 10 team conferences (9x2=18 conf, 20x1=20 non-conf, Total of 38 games). Or stay at 34 games with six 5 team 'conferences' or divisions (4x2=8 conf/div, 24x1=24 non-conf/div, 1x2=2 non-conf/div, Total of 34 games). Then the Supporters Shield would mean something, since the schedules would be much more balanced among the teams. Though the above would pretty much eliminate the current East / West playoff format.
Ohh, I missed that part. I thought he was Danish... or at least from a country that exists. ***Ducks*** I'm just glad that we won't have to worry about him wanting to play in Spain to secure a WC roster spot.
He was born in Denmark and played in the Danish national program (which has nothing to do with yummy breakfast pastries) before declaring for Palestine fairly recently. Al-Ahly meanwhile has just today excluded him.from preseason camp because everybody is swinging their purses at one another. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/549754.aspx "Wissam has an offer from a US club that didn’t meet Ahly’s terms. Until now, he remains under contract, but he missed training and the club has enforced its internal regulations,” Youssef told Ahly TV. Who's bluffing? Who isn't? Who the hell knows. It does seem to me thatif they bought the guy about 2 years ago for $1.5 or so and now they have a live one on the line for $7.5 plus, plus, that you dont slam the door over a lousy half million. Still, you have to admire.their consistency: they've been saying 8 mil all along and apparently aren't taking a nickel less.
Not a peep from the Crew about this guy, right? This whole... conversation is just his Egyptian team talking to itself (and anyone willing to listen). It would be unprecedented, as far as I recall, for the Crew to actually make a major acquisition that's been so public. We've been the associated with lots and lots of potential signings, but they never actually materialize. I do recall previous ownership regimes being less tight lipped about who they wanted to sign; the inestimable Maciej 'Magic' Żurawski and Mix Diskerud come to mind. But more recent ownership has kept things under wraps until i's are dotted, t's crossed and the marketing team has video ready to go. I know that past practices don't necessarily have any meaning moving forward, but it wouldn't distress me terribly if this thing falls through and the Crew don't end up overpaying for this player.
Along these lines, all this for some dude no one had heard of until last month that plays for a team only sickos have heard of in a league that's basically as good as MLS seems like a bit much.
Columbus Crew forward AZ Jackson is on his way to Poland to sign for Jagiellonia Białystok.The club just put up a video of AZ at the airport: "I'm very happy and grateful to join the club." pic.twitter.com/VDaUsEtYUY— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 17, 2025 AZ gone