The season is now over for the Columbus Crew and 2007 ended the same way the two previous years did, with the club missing the postseason.
After a mediocre start to 2007, Columbus put together a fantastic stretch in the summer months, especially in June and July, but then immediately followed that up with a two-month winless streak that would effectively put the MLS Cup Playoffs out of reach.
The Crew were not mathematically eliminated from the postseason until after their next-to-last game (at New England), but the club's destiny was not in their own hands at that point. Despite defeating the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in the final games of the season, the Crew did not get the help they needed in the other games around the league and were again left on the outside looking in.
While there is no arguing with the end results of the regular season, many of those close to the organization believe the team's record does not do justice to the quality of soccer the Crew displayed at times during the season.
"We were in every game all season and we felt if we got to the playoffs we didn't see anything that would keep us from winning the MLS Cup," said coach Sigi Schmid after the team's final game of the year, a win in RFK Stadium against Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United.
In the homestretch of the regular season, when points were at a premium, the Crew repeatedly watched a late lead disappear or otherwise find ways to let crucial points slip away. With only three games left in the year, the Black & Gold allowed two goals in the final five minutes of a game at home against FC Dallas and received no points in their season finale at Crew Stadium. It was a scenario that had been repeating itself continuously in the previous months.
"Stats are stats," said Duncan Oughton after the FC Dallas game, addressing the issue of how the Crew were playing quality soccer and still losing. "At the end of the day the only stat that matters is Dallas 3, Columbus 1."
The Crew defeated Toronto FC, 2-0, at home on July 22 to move back into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points. But they won just once the rest of the way (also against Toronto FC), and three times over the final stretch the team lost back-to-back games before finally coming through with back-to-back wins in New England and D.C. to end the year.
"Some of those are games we should have won," said Oughton. "Maybe we needed more concentration and things like that in the last 10 minutes of games. We gave away a lot of points."
Despite the season not ending on the highest of notes, the Crew have a squad of players who do not appear ready to hang their heads in disappointment. Preparations for next season are already underway, and the Crew expect to be in the hunt to the end next year.
"We have a great core on this team," said Eddie Gaven. "We've shown that we can play with any team in this league, we have all the pieces of the puzzle. It's just a matter of doing it game-in and game-out."
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
