2017 Helltown Beer MLS Player of the Year

Still using the same rating system since 2011. This is a regular season award. The playoffs in MLS are too wonky to measure.

Past Winners:
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2015: Bradley Wright-Phillips
2014: Robbie Keane
2013: Darlington Nagbe
2012: Chris Wondolowski
2011: Todd Dunivant

'16 Crew - Worst Ever?

Is 2016 gearing up to have the worst performing Crew team in franchise history? Comparing historical teams in sports often ends up a fruitless endeavor. In MLS, with ever changing league size, unbalanced schedules, rule changes, games played, no draws (there weren't any until 2000), etc... even more so. But there is one measurement that this year's Columbus Crew team cannot escape - their regular season record.

By this measure, 2016 Columbus Crew SC are the worst performing team in franchise history.

Let us normalize things since a MLS regular season has ranged anywhere from 26 games to 34 games over the last 21 years. We'll keep it simple. Points per Game x 34 games = Normalized Points. That will give us point totals we can compare against (vs. using PPG averages). Here we go, Best regular season to worst:

Normalized Points : Crew Season
65 : 2008
64
63
62
61
60
59 : 2001
58
57 : 2010
56
55 : 2004, 2009
54
53 : 2015
52 : 2014, 2012
51
50
49
48 : 1998, 1999
47 : 2011
46 : 2002
45
44
43 : 2003
42 : 2007
41 : 1997, 2013
40 : 2000, 2005
39 : 1996
38
37
36
35 : 2006
34 : 2016 (8 games left)

What's interesting is how far down that 2015 team is as well as how close it is to the 2014 season. I've written about it often - That 2015 team was built for MLS playoffs and were not necessarily fun (or interesting to watch). That team ended up with 2 wins and 3 loses in the playoffs as well. You hate to say that team "gamed" they MLS system, but they did.

By contrast, that 2014 team (finished about the same as 2015) was so much more fun to watch. They outplayed the competition in the regular season. Particularly, the second half of the year.

I guess the above serves as an argument for success in the MLS regular season. Teams, the better ones in particular, sometimes coast but the regular season is what fans are watching most of the time. Something to think about. MLS would be better off to increase the importance of it.

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Since I've got this open, here are the top teams in MLS regular season history:

Normalized : Year Team
72 : 1998 LA Galaxy
71
70
69 : 2001 Miami Fusion
68 : 2005 San Jose
67 : 2010-11 LA, 2001 Chicago Fire
66 : 2012 San Jose
65 : 2008 Columbus Crew

....and the worst

21 : 1999 Kansas City, 2005 Salt Lake
20
19 : 2005 Chivas USA
18 : 2001 Tampa Bay
17
16 : 2013 DC United, 1999 NY Metrostars

Crew Top Philly in Home Opener

After going up by two Bernardo Anor goals in the first half, the Columbus Crew withstand a barrage of shots in the second en route to earning three points.

1ST HALF (2-0)
This one started fairly evenly but the Crew wrestled control of this match away from the Union by way of an expertly taken corner that found the head of Bernardo Anor for a goal in the 24th minute. From there the Crew successfully and impressively applied clamps to any fevered response the Union could muster, earning three more corner kicks in the next few minutes.

Philly eventually regained some footing shortly before half but it Anor scored again just before half with a screaming shot from 30 yards out.

2ND HALF (0-1)
You could tell that Columbus started the half well because a few of the Union players were getting visibly frustrated in the opening minutes. Most notably was new signing Cristián Maidana, who was having a poor match. John Hackworth didn't wait long to pull the new Argentinian #10 and did so in the 55th minute.

Things completely changed for the Union then as they pounced on the Crew with big chance after big chance. In fact the ripped off nearly ten shots in the next 15 minutes, however, only converting one.

GAME THOUGHTS, NOTES (2-1)
• Wil Trapp, more than any player on the Crew so far, is looking every bit of the part. There were a number of times were he battled US International Maurice Edu last night and looked the part.

• With Bernardo Anor there are some games when it looks like he's in his own world out there. Not above or below, just separate. Drifting between different planes of game reality. Yesterday was one of those games.

• Midway through the second half Philly found out how to unlock the Crew outside backs in Waylon Francis and Josh Williams. Very easily. If they could finish, this one might have looked completely different.

• Teams will expose if the Crew are going to be pushing fullbacks up all game, with the lead or not. Most of the Union chances come once they figured it out. Berhalter mentioned he wanted to continue pressure in the 2nd half but so much of that depends on backs making 50 yard run after run.

• Crew start the season with six points out of the first two, first time in team history. Believe it... or not.

• Three great halfs to start the year for the Crew, this 2nd half one is a little worrisome. Is this start for real or it a case of new coach, new era, great start that we seemingly always see in sports? I don't have a definitive answer yet. We'll see.

• A lot going on off the pitch for this home opener. Can't say enough about the hard work Justin Bell and his group have put in to help create a great atmosphere at Crew Stadium yesterday. Also much credit to the Crew Union and Hudson Street Hooligans for that. I know there are many more but speaking for the fans on hand on a chilly Ohio night, y'all warmed it up nicely.

RD1: Win, Couple Late Goals

Crew take care of Chivas in LA.

1ST HALF -
Outside of a couple clear changes Chivas should have buried it was an uninspiring first half for both teams. Columbus did seem to have the upper hand most of it but the game seemed to settle into a indeterminate mush by halftime. As a matter of fact it felt like halftime had arrived at 35 minutes the way the players were strolling around.

Which raises the question; Why was an eastern time zone team playing a night game out west on opening day? Was the league trying to make sure Chivas USA filled the stadium? Attendance was listed at 7100 fans. Hard to believe it would have been much less had it been played in the afternoon in LA.

2ND HALF --
Things burst into life in the 55th minute when Federico Higuain curled in a beautiful shot from 25 yards. From there both teams seem to find some added enthusiasm for the match.

Juan Agudelo and Miller Bolaños entrances into the game allowed Chivas to press forward and look more dangerous but finishing quality was severely lacking. Eventually they couldn't find the equalizer and let a couple late goals get by that pushed the scoreline to a misleading 3:0.

CREW NOTES ---



• Crew backline made a number of mistakes throughout the evening. Chivas missed a couple they should have put away midway through the first half. Crew dodged disaster there.

• Higuain seemed to be in mini battles with a couple different players all evening. There was much ankle kicking and retaliation.

• The Josh Williams volley off a late corner pretty incredible. Swinging his leg across his body like that and redirecting perfectly to the opposite corner through traffic. Not a fluke. He had one similar in the preseason. He's clearly put in tons of work.

• Dominic Oduro's goal in the 3rd min of extra time was his thing and well done. Other than that though... he's not a midfielder.

• The Crew are staying out west this week (instead of flying back) and taking on Vancouver March 9th, 730 PM eastern.. Curiously; Justin Meram and Eric Gehrig did not make the trip.

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