Crew Player Values, 2020 Lineup

Today I'm going to take a quick look at what 2019 Crew players are world strictly based on WhoScored performances. How I did it is was take the median salary of the four players above and below them in rating by position played (MLS is all about leveling by position, sorry defenders).

Please keep in mind this is a loose valuation for a couple reasons. 1st: It's only looking at one rating, it's a good one, but merely just one. The other is that this doesn't take into account age, development, potential, soft skill, etc. It's just performance this year. Lastly, I didn't rate Room (gk), he's fine.


OUT PERFORMING 2019 SALARY

Player	Wage	Value	Diff	% off
Connor Malo	$70,250	$250,000	$179,750	256%
Luis Argudo	$57,225	$175,000	$117,775	206%
Aboubacar K	$110,000	$275,000	$165,000	150%
Josh Willia	$215,000	$475,000	$260,000	121%

UNDERPAID

Pedro Santos	$864,560	$1,300,000	$435,440	50%
Luis Díaz	$250,000	$350,000	$100,000	40%
Héctor Jimé	$200,000	$250,000	$50,000	25%

PAID ABOUT RIGHT

Waylon Fran	$199,167	$230,000	$30,833	15%
Ricardo Cla	$160,000	$175,000	$15,000	9%
Harrison Af	$363,800	$350,000	-$13,800	-4%
Eduardo Sos	$120,200	$100,000	-$20,200	-17%

OVERPAID

Alex Crogna	$104,504	$75,000	-$29,504	-28%
Wil Trapp	$593,746	$400,000	-$193,746	-33%
David Guzmá	$320,000	$175,000	-$145,000	-45%
Youness Mok	$533,845	$250,000	-$283,845	-53%
Jonathan Me	$894,000	$400,000	-$494,000	-55%
Federico Hi	$1,100,000	$450,000	-$650,000	-59%

WAY OVERPAID

Gyasi Zarde	$1,471,667	$550,000	-$921,667	-63%
Artur	$411,633	$150,000	-$261,633	-64%

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THOUGHTS ON THE OVERPAID
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 I think Columbus should take a close look at the guys overpaid. The situation clearly takes a front seat to this, but here's how I see it.

- Trapp: Has a great deal of MLS value, but not much longer. Time to move him may be now (or never). 

- Guzman: Really slow start, but grew a little bit into his role. Players can be found for a lot less and a lot younger that provide the same quality. I get that he's a Porter guy, but you don't need that stuff in year two. 

- Mokhtar: Came on strong late in the year. I think he'll easily make up his value. 

- Mensah: MLS doesn't pay defenders. Might be worth it to keep him, but that wage is huge. 

- Higuain: Best to probably treat him like Sauro. Drop him back (if possible), see if that knee is okay. 

- Zardes: Not worth that wage. Makes it up if he stays on the USMNT, but I don't see that happening. 

- Artur: He is a serviceable player, but you can find just as good for half the price.

Going into this offseason I think Columbus has to offload a couple of these guys. All of them are good players, but they are just being paid more than similar in the MLS market (bubble). You always want players to be outperforming their contracts. That's healthy.

Based on this, here's how I structure the lineup:
Leaving it open like this makes it more exciting. I think the roster is due a major refresh.

Open Spots: Forward x2, 2 starting CM's and a sub, and another backup CB unless Abubakar returns from Colorado. I think Valenzuela should start on the bench after a knee injury (backup at LB or RB). With his skill set, I'd even consider him for a CM role.

Maybe keep Zardes? I wouldn't because he doesn't offer anything outside of goals. $1.4 million is right on the edge for goal scorer that doesn't offer any support play. Like Trapp, he is at peak MLS value right now. Find a player that is a better value.

The 2020 lineup here is solid and financially stable, i.e. players outperforming their contracts. What this sets up is lineup consistency for a couple years to come.

Trapp, Williams to Crew Fans: Cool It

"So apparently Wil Trapp and Josh Williams came over to the Nordecke to tell #Crew96 fans to stop yelling obscenities at Michael Bradley after the game tonight?" - Patrick Murphy

It takes a lot for players to go off-script. Pre and post-game interviews are inevitably canned comments that we've all heard a thousand times. Even when they are playing in a game they are following orders from one coach or another. Along with that, think about other times in their life where they have to hold their tongue, especially in the social media world.

So when Wil Trapp and Josh Williams - a combined 329 games over 15 years with Columbus as well as sticking with and by the team through the potential move - come over to tell a certain section of the fans to effectively "cool it," you should listen.

NO BRADLEY FANS



My criticisms of Bradley go back almost as long as this site. His play, which can drift from good game to he's not trying today, has brought up my blood pressure many times over the years. It also pokes at my soul that he has more opportunity and safety net because of who his father is. Have you ever thought about how many players in his position have been left off rosters because he is always there regardless of form or overall ability? It bugs me to no end.

Columbus Crew fans dislike of Bradley goes back to when he started with Toronto. Sometime during that season, he made a few passing comments about Columbus that weren't flattering. Last year, as you can see in the video embedded (that, notably, hasn't reached 2k viewers), he took those feelings even further.

Bradley likes to hit a nerve with Crew fans and the fans respond, to a sadly predictable fault.

CREW FAN ODDITIES

This dark feud with Bradley is just one thing you can add to the bizarre list of Crew fan touchstones in recent years that miss the mark entirely and manifested itself in that oddly negative Pulisic USMNT tifo a few years ago (which isn't a comment on the artwork or effort, just the theme) that was in such stark contrast to the much more representative "home" that came before.

All the way from when West Ham visited to McBride going to Chicago to Mendoza to Pedro Santos and everything in between. It's not fun, nor memorable for the right reasons, and often it makes zero sense.

I am a harsh critic of MLS, so it's easy to take this as just another reason to bang on the league - but I do see things creatively going on in place like Portland, Seattle, sometimes KC and even down in Atlanta that hit the mark.

There is an awesome group of fans that regularly attend games and enjoy them. At one point, in the not so distant past, they shared a strong relationship to the Nordecke. As a matter of fact, the early connected earthy feel of the supporters' section was born from the long-time families and friends that attended games around 2008.

The long-time families and friends are still going to games and having a great time. What's changed is the northeast corner. It didn't happen all the sudden, or quickly, but here we are.

When I was a kid there was a mean-spirited saying that went; "You want to be in Ohio when the world ends because it'll take 10 years to get there," which, at the time, referred to trends. Now that I'm living here (and older), I don't hear it. Which is good, because it isn't true for a lot of the state. But I do think about it every once in a while when things like this arise, but I know it's just a handful of voices ruining it for many others.

In a couple years, the new stadium will be built and the nordecke-type experience will be a selling point, but that's about it. The move takes the stadium away from a few areas that fuel that corner of the stadium. It will be more controlled, more corporate, more expensive, more blah - but if it rids the general dark viciousness of a few fans?

Well, I'm sure that more than a few will be okay with that.

Higuain Out, TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL

Columbus must not have thought Higuain would go down with an injury because they've never really had a true backup to him, but here the team is. Higuain out with an ACL injury for the rest of the season (and beyond, possibly).

What this means is we'll probably see David Guzman or Eduardo Sosa move up into that role? Guzman is a very... deliberate player. He'd sooner give you a nudge than make a great pass and he offers little to nothing in attack, but he is Porter's "guy" and his vision seems okay. Sosa is more a black box. I'm not terribly sure what to expect out of him. He can be dangerous, but that was in Gregg Berhalter's system.

Last on the list is maybe just stick ol' Ricardo Clark in there. He could hold that role down. As a matter of fact, let's just rank it:

1. Clark
2. Sosa
3. Guzman
x. Santos

Another option for Porter is to just go with a 442 with Guzman and Trapp the two in the middle and Zardes and Mullins up top. The outside backs would have to bomb forward often, so maybe not the best option. How about a 4132 with one of the three guys I mentioned in the middle.

One positive out of this is that the team will have to change radically because of the injury. Something that should have been done a while ago is now forced on them.

ERA OVER

This team has kept bits and pieces together through three investment groups. Wil Trapp, Josh Williams, Federico Higuain fall into that group, specifically. All three of them, one could say, make up a sort of moral and cultural center of the team. They've practically seen it all. Also, this is why they probably should have kept Justin Meram - precisely things like this. These guys know how to work through it because they have been through it.

Looking up and down the roster, I don't see anyone else to step up and hold this sucker together. Afful and Mensah maybe? Just nothing there. Perhaps it's an opportunity for someone to step up. Maybe it's just time for Trapp and Williams to take the team by the scruff and see this team through the rest of the season. I'd like to see that actually.

SEASON PERHAPS LOST

For all intents and purposes, it was probably over a month ago. We may never know why the team jumped the tracks and went careening down a cliff, but it has. Higuain suffering a season-ending just makes the situation much worse (like, falling off a cliff and landing in a pit of snakes). THAT SAID! Despite being a great player, it doesn't mean that someone else can't take hold of the opportunity.

If I'm Trapp or Williams I drive down to the local NBC affiliate or 10TV, pound on the door until someone answers and then shout "I'VE GOT ALOTTA GODDAMN STUFF TO SAY ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO BATTLE THE REST OF THIS SEASON."

Anyhow, darkest before dawn and all of that. Ever wonder where and when that opportunity to become a legend comes from? Well, it's here. Sitting right on your face. I'd like to see intense passion from the guys. Nothing to lose.

Nothing to the Tin Man

America.

Crew SC Protect, Expose, Make Moves Ahead of Expansion Draft

This draft is strange animal. The purpose of it is to help along new teams without having to field an existing team before entering the league (even though Orlando City SC did have a team). In theory, it's suppose to help maintain the level playing field that the league wants - while behind the scenes it helps control cost of starting up a fully professional "top division" team from scratch (more at bottom).

Whether this mechanism works on the competitive level is up for serious debate. Recent expansion teams in Toronto, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Montreal and even Portland (save for one year) have been mid to bottom half teams since they joined. In fact, one could make the argument that the expansion draft dilutes a limited pool of players and drags the overall quality in the league down... is probably a topic worth exploring further, in another post.

On the financial front, it's been a cost saver for expansion teams because they don't have to give up anything for MLS level players. There are league granted "allocation funds" given to teams that have players plucked but it costs little else. With the next two waiver drafts coming up along with a number of picks in the college draft, new teams can have full rosters in no time for basically nothing. They don't even have to flip the bill for developing any players. Magic.

Every existing Major League Soccer team had to submit their "protected" list of 11 players yesterday as required by the expansion draft rules. Both Orlando City SC and New York City FC get to pick ten players each from every exposed list of players from each team.

Before the draft even started, Gregg Berhalter and Company got to work trying to get something in return for valuable players that they were not going to protect. That ended up coming by way of to of the longest tenured guys in Josh Williams (sent to NYCFC for reported more than the would have received from the draft) and Bernardo Anor (to Sporting KC, no word on what the Crew got in return).

PROTECTED ELEVEN
GK Steve Clark
D Waylon Francis
D Michael Parkhurst
D Emanuel Pogatetz
MF Tony Tchani
MF Hector Jimenez
MF Romain Gall
MF Ethan Finlay
MF Justin Meram
MF Federico Higuaín
F Kei Kamara

Exempt: GK Matt Lampson (HGP), D *Ross Friedman (HGP), D *Matt Wiet (HGP), D Chad Barson (HGP), CDM Wil Trapp (HGP), MF *Matt Walker (HGP), D Ben Swanson (HGP) and MF Mohammed Saied (new signing)

A couple notes: First off, it gives you an idea of what the starting line up might look like. Second off; this draft blows your 18 to smithereens (where Williams and Anor would have been).

Next up is who the MLS Columbus did not protect, along with a quick player rating (out of stars ✪) and some notes by yours truly:

Ben Sweat, 23 (LB) ✪✪✪
Admittedly didn't see as much as I should have (Crew closed scrimmages save for the one in Dayton) but I liked what I saw when I did. He's better with the ball than your average college left back, confident and makes good decisions. You can tell when a player knows what he's doing, and he's one. Too early to tell if he is starter quality but I think an expansion side is just what the doctor ordered with a player like Sweat. He needs game time.

Ben Speas, 23 (CM) ✪✪✪
In three years in Columbus, Ben has proven he can play in MLS. In fact, I should probably put him above Sweat, but I'm leaving it as is. He could easily be a four star guy. Maybe he is. There is something about him that keeps him right on the fringe of starting under two coaching staffs now. I've seen two sides of the player. One fully engaged in the action and another, towards the end of this season, where he was letting the game happen around him. In my heart of hearts, I want him to get picked up by NYCFC so he can start along side Josh Williams. Don't care what the scouts or advanced stats might say about the two. If you have both of them starting you will finish in the top half or they will die trying to get you there. What more should you ask for in MLS.

*Agustin Viana, 31 (LB, CDM) ✪✪✪
There is enough MLS footage out there to tell you that Viana is league ready. What he lacks in speed he makes up with in skill. Too often MLS teams look at speed. Viana didn't fit Berhalter's wing back role and was overlooked as a central defensive mid off the bench behind Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp. Also had a couple injuries. He's out of contract with the Crew and not likely back either way but would be a solid pick up for anyone.

Brad Stuver, 23 (GK) ✪✪
I'd give Stuver two and a half stars if I could figure out the alt-code. I think a lot of the same things about him as I do with Sweat. These guys need game time. Stuver's performance against Indy Eleven this year (in a blowout loss, but that's were you get the best looks at GKs) was inspiring. He also played well with Wilmington Hammerheads to close out the USL Pro season, including two late season shutouts against league leaders Sacramento and Orlando.

*Eric Gehrig, 26 (CB, RB) ✪✪
Playing or not, Gehrig is the quintessential team guy. That's, by far, his number one attribute. In all honesty, I hesitate to put something like that down as a label for a player this day and age. Not a sports show (especially on the MLS site) goes by without pundits mentioning how much heart and grit a guy plays with. It annoying and used so much that it minimizes the meaning when a someone actually has those things. Gehrig has mostly been role player in his four years with the Crew with the exception of the back end of 2014, where he helped propel the team into 3rd place in the East.

Tyson Wahl, 30 (CB, LB) ✪✪
Like Gehrig, contributed greatly towards the end of 2014. Even, it appeared, kept a major team signing in Emanuel Pogatetz on the bench. Plenty on Wahl. Durable, probably the first word that springs to mind. He seems to find good teams, good coaches. Something to be said for that.

*Jairo Arrieta, 31 (F) ✪✪+
Before last season, Arrieta was a four or even a five star player. Something happened along the way and I'm not quite sure what. I do believe there is another couple productive years for Jairo but I feel sort of bad for him this year as Berhalter decided to go with Adam Bedell and Aaron Schoenfeld over him. I put a little + up there because he's the perfect player for a team to pick up (expansion or otherwise). He's still on the outer fringes of the Costa Rican national team and looking to impress.

The rest:
Kevan George, 24 (CDM, CB) ✪✪
Aaron Schoenfeld, 24 (CF) ✪✪
Adam Bedell, 23 (CF) ✪
*Daniel Paladini, 30 (CDM, RM)
*Kingsley "Fifi" Baiden, 23 (CDM)

*Currently out of contract with the Crew SC.

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To fully understand why something like this exists in the world of soccer means you have to accept that a team can buy their way directly into the highest tier vs starting from the lowest tier and working their way up. Some might say that the top divisions buy their way in via best players, which is true, but those players still have to perform and you are also talking about a very small percentage of teams. The other 99% of clubs are grinding their way.

Get Well Josh Williams

Not sure the best way to approach this, so will jump right in with Mr. Adam Jardy and the Columbus Dispatch:

"The 26-year-old defender underwent a thoracic outlook procedure Wednesday to remove his first rib due to compression of the vein causing clotting problems. Williams has been discharged from the Ohio State University Medical Center and will be re-assessed in two months. For now, he has been placed on the disabled list, which means he must miss a minimum of six games."

Don't want to get too dark here but recently lost a co-worker from blood clot complications. Believe it or not, he was a former Clemson Tiger gridiron player. Lesson: It is to be taken seriously.

Josh has been one of my favorite Crew players since he started. His passion, approach and drive is infectious. I'm not alone in this. Just recently I heard a story about a roving band of female Williams' supporters in the Nordecke that strike down non-believers (true story).

When he first started getting playing time I wrote about his pretty remarkable impact HERE.

In that post, I talked about how Williams is some sort of athletic mistake. Like he was more destine to be on the gridiron or on the hardwood. I still think that. What I've seen of him over the years is a player that has all those tools you see jackass pundits talk about. Heart, effort, leadership, intangibles! More times than not, the players they describe don't have those things.

I'm not just saying that as another jackass. What he lacks in technical ability, he makes up for in all the other categories. Go back and watch the games where he is on the pitch. Note the intensity, the feel, pace. Communication from the sidelines, the crowd involvement. The sideline reporter once gave a passionate report on him taking off his wrist tape! These are things that just don't happen without certain types of player. Case and point: right now with the Columbus Crew.

What also doesn't hurt is that when he plays, the Crew have better results.

In a lot of ways, good or bad, the Crew are Josh Williams over the past 4 seasons. My favorite example comes in the form of a US Open Cup match a couple years ago when Dayton was beating the Crew. I witnessed Williams single highhandedly trying to drag 10 unmotivated teammates to victory. In the sport of soccer there are only a rare few that can change a match with talent. Messi, Ronaldo, Muller types. Rarer still, at least in my eyes, are guys that know they aren't those guys but clock in anyway with 150%, etc... Programmed to go all day, every day.

Drop him into a new spot and expect him to learn it on his own. Ask him to remain true to an organization going through a investor / operator change and three different coaches. Ask him to thank the supporters after all the dark summer nights in Columbus. Ask him, and he'll do it.

Can't wait to see Josh Williams back out there giving it his all.

Parkhurst, Williams, Higuain Shine in Impressive Season Opening Win

A prepared Columbus Crew took down a disorganized and out of shape DC United team yesterday.

 1ST HALF (0:2)     
The first 30 minutes of this game were enjoyable to watch as both teams were willing to let the other maintain possession. DC, however, was giving way too much space to Hector Jimenez and Josh Williams on the right side of the attacking half and it cost them dearly.

Some good one touch passing (on the ground) set up Jairo Arrieta on the first goal in the 18th and further attacking play on the right side earned the corner that led to Perry Kitchen pulling down Micheal Parkhurst in the box for a penalty in the 27th.

 2ND HALF (0:1)     
The Crew came out playing much as they did in the first half and never really dropped back into a shell even with a two goal lead. They had no reason too as DC had zero ideas going forward. Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola were just hung out to dry most of the game.

Much less enjoyable game in the second half. Late in the game Ben Olsen pulled a defender to put in one of his favorite players in Porter. DC seemed to perk up a bit in the attack but most of the players looked gassed.

DC's fatigue showed in the finishing. The created a decent amount of chances (11 Shots, 1 on frame) but just didn't have the legs to get them on target.

Justin Meram found Higuain late on in extra time to finish the game off.

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 FINAL, GAME THOUGHTS (0:3)     
The opening month to a MLS season is often more of a final exam for a team's offseason than it is as a full season predictor. With that, the Crew get and A for the second year in a row and DC gets another F. Bill Hamid was terrible and for some reason looked like he had no confidence (in a season opener?) and Perry Kitchen is proving that he is not an MLS starter.

DC also have another problem in Ben Olsen. I'm hesitantly chalking this one up to early season chemistry problems but this DC version 2014, with upgrades all over the field, looked identical to DC 2013. That's on Olsen and he needs to improve. I know that team wanted to come out with a big win to wash last year out of their mouths and instead they looked a mess again.

This shouldn't discount what the Crew did, however. They played organized, coached and very well. One game far from something to draw conclusions from. We'll know a lot more about this team by the end of April.

To put the Crew performance in some perspective, here are how each MLS team did according to WhoScored.com...

SCORE : TEAM
7.67 : Houston Dynamo
7.27 : Real Salt Lake
7.16 : Vancouver Whitecaps
7.15 : FC Dallas
7.11 : Columbus Crew
7.03 : Seattle Sounders
6.90 : Montreal Impact
6.84 : LA Galaxy
6.84 : Portland Timbers
6.82 : Philadelphia Union
6.62 : Sporting KC
6.34 : NY Red Bulls
6.26 : New England Revs
6.24 : DC United

The Crew have an extra week before Philly comes to town on March 22nd.

Josh Williams, Returning for 2014

Word came down today that Williams will be playing in Columbus next season for the Crew. Big pick up for new owner Anthony Precourt and new head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Oduro, Gruenebaum, Williams Returning?

Gregg Berhalter's press conference was the big Crew news of the day but there was something that Mark McCullers said that is much bigger news to me.

In today's Covering the Crew, Adam Jardy brings up that Dominic Oduro, Andy Gruenebaum and Josh Williams are about to be without a MLS contract. Along with Bernardo Anor, these are the three guys that have the most question marks surrounding their futures.

From Jardy's Dispatch blog:

"McCullers said Berhalter has been handling the ongoing negotiations with the trio and that he feels each will return to the Crew next season."

I sort of did a double take on this little bit of information. I'm sure that Berhalter would rather not anyone in the organization say anything about any player. Let alone the guy that Anthony Precourt made a point to pry off roster decisions.

Oduro, Gruenebaum and Williams made up about $290k to the cap in 2013. Two of them, Oduro and Williams, are likely working on larger deals.

To keep Oduro it will likely take around $200k and Williams is probably seeking about double ($100 to 130k). Gruenebaum would probably move on to the next standard veteran contract, whatever that is (130-150k maybe).

It turns three players at $290k in 2013 to $450k in 2014.

This affects next year's roster a great deal and something I know Berhalter and Precourt have barely started looking at.

2 New MR Posts, Notes

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1. FIVE 2013 CREW MISTAKES

This one started off as a sort of running postmortem commentary on the season I wanted to get out of my head. It's been both a fascinating and disappointing season for the Columbus Crew.

Focusing on mistakes is only part of a postmortem assessment but it is the most important. A critical assessment of performance, no matter what, is vital to success. For the past 36 months the Columbus Crew have had their head buried in the sand and that is playing out in results.

It's also resulted in the hasty sale of this MLS Franchise to an outsider. Most telling thing to me so far? I get excited and can't wait to crack open a $60 dollar video game. Anthony Precourt bought the team for $68 million... And how much time has he spent in Columbus? How many games has he been to?

Always, always, always look at mistakes as a way to get better.

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2. CREW PLAYER RATINGS, WHOSCORED.COM

One of these days I'll get Massive Report's Patrick Guldan to start doing his player ratings again. Until then, all I have is what the folks at WhoScored.com put together.

I decided to summarize them in box plot form because I like to look at consistency of performance. Overall, for the sport of soccer, I think it is important. For Major League Soccer teams? You can't live without it.

One of the things I liked about Chris Anderson and David Sally's book "The Numbers Game" is when they talk on improving the weakest link as vital. In MLS, improving your weakest spot is probably the most important things because of the scarcity of top talent (self inflicted by MLS with Designated player rules and team 'budgets').

Using rating systems like WhoScored.com gives fans a good starting point for determining which players are doing well and which are not. What's great about the site beyond the ratings is the fact that they also have all the Opta data.

Anyhow, go give 'em a read.

Josh Williams, Columbus Crew

Rd 4: Win at RFK

Columbus beats the odds and grabs all three points away in Washington DC 1:2 with both goals from NE Ohio born players. This was easily one of the more engaging games of the young MLS season.

1ST HALF
Columbus came ready to play and was as dominate and threatening in the first 20 minutes as they have been all year. DC made no adjustments to deal with Federico Higuain in the midfield and, well, generally looked unprepared.

The Crew still struggling to get anything from open play but just reward came from yet another set piece off the foot of Tyson Wahl and head of Josh Williams in the 15'. Somewhat against the run of play, DC was able to equalize in the 22' off some lazy defending from Glauber and with a touch of magic from (man-child) Rafael.

Crisis struck DC a few minutes later as Nick DeLeon went down with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

As time ticked down on the frantic 1st half teams were relatively deadlocked.

2ND HALF
Started much like the first, entertaining. With DeLeon missing and his replacement (Kyle Porter) a steep drop off from his talent, the Crew were able to control most of the happenings in the middle.

Again, reward from the Crew did not come from open play. It came from a corner that bounced around and found Ben Speas atop the 18 yd box. Speas whipped in a laser for his first career goal.

From there Columbus slipped back to defend and held DC off though both good defending and a couple amazing saves from Andy Gruenebaum.

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CONCLUSIONS
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• This game held all the hallmarks of a Ben Olsen DCU game. Which is to say, chaos.

• There was a somewhat controversial offside call that pulled back a DC goal as well as Chad Marshall pulling down Chris Pontius in the box that probably should have been a PK

• Match official Allen Chapman let things go this match, stopping the action very few times. 16 total fouls this game (about half what a normal match gets).

• So few fouls made for a wide open affair and this approach is probably calculated by the league. Fewer fouls and Red Cards this year.

• Josh Williams getting forward like a madman in the first 20 minutes. I've seen this before from him, most notably (and frustratingly) in the Dayton Dutch Lions game last year. He seemingly wants to win the game single-handedly. This is a quality trait.

• 4 of 7 Crew goals this year are from set pieces.

• Moving Oduro out of the midfield was the key to this match. While no goals came from open play, it did play up to the level of their opponent. Something that was missing from past two games.

• Eddie Gaven got a yellow for simulation around the box. It's been a while coming. Over the past couple years Eddie has racked up the most 'fouls suffered' in the league by going down very easy. It's become a bad habit for him. While he does look extra frail this year (man, does he), he's got the skill to work through fouls, he needs to stop going to ground.

• Ben Speas has been playing great. Good to see him get a win in a start away with the game winning goal. Well done.

Morrow - Williams, Final Whistle

"Being Awesome"

Here's a pic taken by Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports that otherwise might not see the light of day. It's one that I've been wanting to use for something neat over at Massive Report but can't find the right topic. Perhaps it's a story about a rising star putting in thankless work during long training days - with many others (Ben Speas) - down in Florida which might not get the most page hits of all time. Perhaps it's a bit much to write and not come off as hero worship. Regardless of that, here it is. In all it's found object glory.

I sent this picture to a friend and asked, "What's Josh Williams doin' up there?" Without hesitation I got the same response I've gotten since the beginning of last year when he first started seeing regular time...

"Being awesome."

Crew Roster Update, In Flux

Here is an updated summary on the Crew roster as far as I can figure going into this weekend.

SALARY CAP SUMMARY (estimated)

$2.22 Million : Salary to Cap

$2.95 Million : 2013 MLS Cap*

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$730k : Open Cap Space

Salary to cap includes my own estimates on wage increases over last year. Overall, I'm including a 8.6% pay increase from players with contracts carrying over to the Crew.

ROSTER SIZE (estimate)

23 : Players with Crew Contracts (20 : to Cap)

9 : Players "on Trial"

32 : Total

PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT

OTHER DRAFTEES / TRIALISTS

Blake Brettschneider
Drew Beckie
Daniel Withrow
Reed Matte
Shawn Sloan
*Nate Bascom (ONU)
*Kyle Hyland (IUPUI)
*Krystian Witkowski (PHI)
*Sercan Güvenisik (SJE)

[*UPDATED, SAT JAN 26 2012: Added players. Thank you Erik Bobbitt for the Guvenisik note]

NOTES
I'm pretty sure that most the trialists have a strong shot of getting signed due to small roster size. Brettschneider would be a good get for the Crew and I'm basically calling Beckie signed.

Columbus has a mountain for salary cap space. Matias Sanchez is rumored to be heading to Columbus but is as of yet confirmed. I would not expect Sanchez to be a Designated player but would expect his salary to be at Mirosevic levels (200-250k).

In my roster image. Guys in blue are estimated. Not in blue but given a raise is Josh Williams. I suspect with him being pegged for a starting role he will make starting salary (65-100k for US born MLS players).

Keep an eye on Massive Report. I'll start posting this roster stuff there once the team takes better shape in the next couple weeks.

Crew Player of the Year

Josh Williams. Helltown Beer Player of the Year, 2012.

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Photographer: Alex West

Cleveland Works Blast Furnace, Cleveland ∞

This is a typical night at the Cleveland Works C-5 blast furnace. Locomotives below switch bottle cars filled with molten steel, while the locomotive above works a line of coke cars. The stack emits a bluish flame as it burns off sulfur. These are multiple infrastructures — locomotive, power, coal, and steel — all merged into one location.

Player Photo: International Soccer Network

MLS Team $ Update

The Major League Soccer Player's Union released updated salary figures through October 1st 2012. Below is how each team looks based on Guaranteed Salaries (highest to lowest).

Team : Guaranteed Salary

NYR : 16,728,108
LAG : 12,718,531
TFC : 7,446,624
DAL : 5,286,674
VAN : 5,216,755
MTL : 4,751,370
POR : 4,369,036
SEA : 4,224,311
CHI : 4,145,876
DCU : 4,050,727

CLB : 3,717,509 (Sleeping Dogs, yessir)

RSL : 3,581,445
CHV : 3,572,342
COL : 3,381,886
PHI : 3,356,310
HOU : 3,294,092
SKC : 3,226,599
SJE : 3,174,896
NER : 2,639,981

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Lots to dig into after the season, but how about we look at that as compared to rank on the league table (example: San Jose is 17th in salary yet 1st on the table).

+17 : San Jose
+15 : Sporting KC
+07 : Real Salt Lake
+07 : Houston
+05 : Chicago
+04 : D.C.

+02 : New England
+01 : Seattle
+01 : Philadelphia
+01 : Columbus (Nneka, Sleeping Dogs, already)
-01 : Colorado
-02 : New York

-05 : Chivas USA
-06 : Montreal
-06 : Los Angeles
-06 : Vancouver

-09 : FC Dallas
-09 : Portland
-16 : Toronto FC

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What's interesting to me is that cities around soccer playing hotbeds do well in out performing contracts. Plenty (plentiful) of new /slash/ cheap American talent to fill rosters in certain areas? I consider talent heavy soccer states to be: CA, OH, MO (midwest), TX, Mid-Atlantic States (VA, MD, PA).

Oddball is Real Salt Lake up there. Wonder what they have cooking, I'll take a look some other time.

I always use "guaranteed" salary over "base". Salaries are posted like this in attempt to hide in plain sight. Never discount the obvious, always question why.

Crew Round 25, The Will in Williams

Eddie Gaven puts away the Philadelphia Union in the 95th minute off some good play from Federico Higuain and Justin Meram... but it all wouldn't have happened were it not for a couple sparks provided by Josh Williams in the middle of an otherwise flat game. Those sparks came in the form of a fearless header for goal in the 31st min off a Higuain free kick and then a Red in the 68th. Those events were much needed in a match that the Union were otherwise trying to kill.

Ready to Go, MLS Value

Here are some Major League Soccer players that are young, underpaid and very, very good. I'll call it the "Future Star / Currently a Value Team". Admittedly, that's a bad name for a team but hopefully it's descriptive enough to explain this list I'm about to provide.

Put these guys together on one team and you not only have about the best MLS team, you also have the cheapest.

Age : Name : Team : Position : Current Salary ($)

22 : Connor Lade : (NY) : Defender : 34k
26 : Chris Tierney : (NE) : Defender : 75k
25 : Seth Sinovic : (KC) : Defender : 67k
24 : Josh Williams : (CREW) : Defender : 44k

25 : Graham Zusi : (KC : Midfielder : 140k
24 : Alex Caskey : (SEA) : Midfielder : 34k
22 : Martin Rivero : (COL) : Midfielder : 50k
22 : Rafael Baca : (SJ) : Midfielder : 44k

22 : Will Bruin : (HOU) : Forward : 135k
27 : Ryan Johnson : (TOR) : Forward : 140k
25 : Saer Sene : (NE) : Forward : 150k

How these guys made the list

1. Outperforming their MLS Salary
2. Young, low mileage
3. Haven't bounced from club to club
4. High Helltown Player Rating
5. No 'keeper. 50% of MLS have a decent one

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I'm on a Major League Soccer value/bargin kick because the players in it are often incorrectly identified in their formative years. Also, the timing is good because the "international transfer window" is about to go into Hulk Smash mode. Lots of gems floating around in this league. I tried to find players that are still developing through MLS and not paid a whole lot.

Most of these guys are one college, one team players (Saer Sene and Ryan Johnson being exceptions).

Again, these are guys who are relatively untouched yet performing well in Major League Soccer. Part of me hopes that England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain look this way for physically developed talent. The other part hopes that MLS starts to let this talent go and re-invests the money they bring in to help raise / change the existing club salary restrictions.

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For the Crew folks: Josh Williams easily tops performance metrics for the club but he also finds his way atop my league lists. He's having an exceptional first "real" season. His core competencies and physical ability appear to be top level as well. Cream rises to the top and Williams is moving up there.

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Lastly... I try and maintain a place where you can find all MLS player stats, all together. You can find that here: Link.