What We Could Have Been

What We Could Have Been

by: Vidda Grubin

 Are there still soccer fans in North America who believe in McFranchise League Soccer?

Seriously?!? Who are the mouth breathers hanging out in stadiums and jersey/scarf adorned soccer dens watching the latest rich guy, marketing genius version of…

WE (a handful of greedy, ego-maniacs) TOOK OVER YOUR (generational & wide-eyed newbie soccer players, fans, parents, kids, coaches, referees) GROWING AND BEAUTIFUL SPORT AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WE REALIZED IT (soccer in North America) WAS ON THE VERGE OF ORGANICALLY, FROM THE ROOTS UP, BECOMING A BEHEMOTH POPULATED BY HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS OF UNIQUE CLUBS SUPPORTED BY MILLIONS OF PASSIONATE PARTICIPANTS AND SUPPORTERS.

WE (a handful of greedy ego-maniacs) HAVE OVERSEEN THE REVERSAL OF GRASS-ROOTS TRENDS, A REDUCTION IN YOUTH PARTICIPATION, THE CHOKING-OFF (soccer don’s version of erotic asphyxiation) OF WHAT SO OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE BECOME, IN TIME, A NORTH AMERICA-WIDE MULTI-TIERED OPEN PYRAMID OF AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL SOCCER CLUBS, THEIR PLAYERS AND FANS COMPETING YEAR ROUND FOR GLORY AND THE DREAM OF GREATNESS BASED ON SUCCESS ON THE FIELD, BETWEEN THE LINES.

As all of us (soccer fans here in North America) recently watched millions of UK and European football fans tell their greedy, egotistical owners to fuck-all-the-way-off to Toledo and then to fuck-off more to the left or right, depending on your travel direction, and jump the fuck into Lake Fucking Erie, some of us (soccer fans here in North America) continue to swallow the impotent ejaculate of well paid marketing pricks and red-haired, goatee wearing McFranchise lackeys.

I miss my sport. I miss the beautiful game and what it was quickly becoming in North America: millions of us as the creators of thousands of unique clubs in competition, but as one, united in the energy, beauty and unfolding mystery of shared glory and agony every Saturday afternoon.

I would gladly trade the last 25 years and McFranchise soccer for the promise of what we were quickly becoming not long ago. 

Crew Season Ends

After a couple hard-fought games, The Columbus Crew were knocked out of the MLS Cup competition last night by Supporters' Shield winners NY Red Bulls.

Columbus was about as Columbus could be this year as they floated around a zero goal difference and went on long stretches of bad play. In the end, finishing 10th on the overall table. There's a little more to it, obviously, so let's take a closer look.

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All the hallmarks of a Gregg Berhalter lead team were here this season. The team held possession in most games, led MLS in crosses and were 3rd in short passing per game. This formula has worked, for the most part, for the Crew since Berhalter took over, albeit a little watered down this year.

The top issue for the Crew this year was always going to be scoring. Before the season started it was obvious what the outlook was for the team. I don't write about the team much anymore but I did manage a few words back in February:

"So much depends on Gyasi Zardes goals and how invested Higuain is. This season will be long and meandering with the World Cup, this team will be looking for a breakout performer."

That's pretty much how it worked out. Zardes. After Kei and Ola Kamara, he was ver 3.0 of a Berhalter number nine. In the goals department, he delivered. But that was about all he has in common with ver 1 and 2. He didn't hold up or work it back out wide when there wasn't anything for him and was ineffective in helping anyone else in the attack.

With zero assists on the season, we can point to him for the decreased production from the wings like Pedro Santos and the return of Justin Meram.

QUICK COMPARE OF BERHALTER'S NINES

- In 2015, Kei Kamara added 6 assists to his 26 goals, + a key pass per game to go along with 64% passing on 748 passes.

- In 2017, Ola Kamara had 19 goals, 4 assists, 74% passing (624 total passes) + 0.8 key passes per game.

- In 2018, Zardes had no assists, 20 goals, 0.9 key passes per game and 72% passing an 474 passes (25, 40% less than the Kamara's, respectively).

Outside of that, Zardes' goal tally on the road was unacceptable. Just 2 of his 20 coming away from Columbus. This lead to an anemic attack. 43 overall goals for the team this year was tied for 2nd worst in MLS. The team's 11 goals from 17 away from home was dead last, only Colorado with 12 comes close. The next nearest team was four goals up the ladder.

The goal here is certainly not to pick on Zardes and his season. Pedro Santos, despite being one of the better players with the ball in the middle third of the pitch, was ineffective in attack and Mike Grella was injured / out of the lineup to make up for the loss of Justin Meram and the speed of Ethan Finlay (going back a bit).

Santos, Grella, Niko Hansen, Meram and... I think that's it on the wings, just couldn't get anything going with Zardes up top to make this team anything better than mid-table.

Anyhow, outside of a stout defense that included Mensah, Williams, and Gaston Sauro - this is about the season for the Crew - Home effort kept the team in the mix and Away games ultimately killed it.

The Advocate's Devil

There are moments in time, moments when the rampaging crowd is armed, liquored-up and encouraged by a modicum of righteous indignation, that scream out for some poor misguided soul to step directly into the path of the blood-sacrifice seeking horde. I come in peace. Please don't kill me.

Recent events regarding The Columbus Crew have conspired to turn the (usually cynical-at-worst) Crew fan base into a mob of Twitter, Facebook and blog posting demons. The vitriol spewed throughout social media, vitriol aimed at The Crew and Time Warner Cable, is certainly merited in many regards. Yet, if recent events: TV contracts, a new owner, a new coach and a seemingly more competitive and enjoyable team to watch on the field are viewed without seething hate and anger, very interesting mid and long term implications for The Columbus Crew, their fans and their partners can be seen.

The most obvious of these "implications" is The Columbus Crew having a television broadcast partner who is just as interested in seeing the team succeed as the organization itself. Pre and post game shows, multiple replays of each Black and Gold game and a regional marketing push can only be a good thing. A multi-year contract lends depth to the above facts.

A less obvious advantage to our Crew is what Time Warner Cable buying the broadcasting rights means to TWC, besides the hoped for profits. They are a business, right?

To make the purchase of broadcasting rights a net positive, TWC must find ways to leverage The Crew brand and draw more customers to their service. It goes without saying that soccer is at the core of this broadcast partnership; so, soccer must be at the core of all efforts to leverage The Columbus Crew brand.

Put down your pitchforks, Uzi's and hyper Twittering fingers for a moment and think about some of the things that TWC could do with, and alongside, The Crew game broadcasts. The list grows rather quickly.

How about a high school game of the week sponsored by TWC, The Crew, Barbasol, etc?

How about Ohio's College Game of the Week?

What about the new Dayton affiliate?

Perhaps broadcasts of the highest level youth club matches. Say...U16 and above age groups, things like state cup semi's and final, Crew Academy games, there are loads of potential matches.

Add to those local possibilities other desirable national and international soccer related opportunities, and Time Warner Cable in Columbus, Ohio and the region has a very real chance to create a unique space within their portfolio of channels. This "unique space" would be attractive to thousands, if not tens of thousands, of potential new customers, as well as TWC's existing base.

The above thoughts are of little solace to the many Crew fans who are currently missing out on watching The Black and Gold on TV. And indeed, Time Warner Cable may not have the slightest intention of doing any of those things. Undeniably though, a creative, forward looking company will have already begun to plan how to leverage the purchase of broadcast rights to our Columbus Crew. If TWC executives are creative and forward looking they will have already come up with these and many more ideas.

I cannot speak for the hundreds of thousands of soccer fans reading this blog; but, I do believe that many of you would switch to Time Warner Cable if the company leverages The Crew brand and the popularity of soccer across all demographics. Crew fans, The Crew and TWC would end up singing Kumbaya down by the Scioto River in the intimate 35,000 seat Crew Brew District Stadium, on Saturday nights, as the sun sinks in the west and The Black and Gold destroy the latest in a long line of over-hyped, over-priced, no-talent City's, United's, Galaxy's and FC's.