defender Tim Ward and midfielder Adam Moffat. Moffat was discovered and signed in September after he led the PDL Cleveland City All-Stars to a 10-1-9 record. He managed to see action in only one game, but the Scotland native appears poised to make a large leap into the 2008 season. Meanwhile, Ward is in his third year with a reputation as a versatile defender. Although he saw action in only six games in 2007, Schmid liked what he saw from Ward late in the season.
"I think this is going to be a big year for Tim Ward," said Schmid. "It is a little bit of a make or break year for him. I think he has an excellent opportunity to play significant minutes next season."
WHAT AREA OF THE TEAM NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT?
Last season Columbus was plagued with one chronic problem: they couldn't finish games they were winning. In 2007, the Crew were notorious for their second-half collapses -- which specifically led to the club's downfall down the stretch. On Aug. 11, FC Dallas scored twice in the final 10 minutes to come back for a 3-2 win. Goals in the final 11 minutes allowed Houston and Colorado to come back to snatch late draws on back-to-back weeks. On Sept. 15, the Kansas City Wizards scored two goals in stoppage time to steal a 3-2 win, then with a playoff berth on the line on Oct. 6 at home, the Crew allowed two goals in the final four minutes to FC Dallas that effectively ended the season for the Black & Gold.
"We were .500 at home. That's not good enough," Schmid admitted. "We have to turn our home field into a more dominant area for us."
-- Andrew Shaffer
