Getty Images The little question around the Columbus Crew following last night’s 3-2 loss to D.C. United, which eliminated the club from 2012 playoff contention, centers around Chad Marshall. In two words: what happened?
Marshall, a former two-time MLS Defender of the Year, reported an ankle injury Thursday morning, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Manager Robert Warzycha seemed as confused about it as everyone else about a previously unrecognized ailment. What the coach told the Dispatch:
It popped up Thursday morning at practice. He was getting treatment and we thought everything was going to be OK but today when he came to the stadium he went on the field but he was in too much pain.”
When the Crew’s veteran, unquestioned leader in the back could not pass a pre-game fitness test last night at RFK Stadium, he was scratched from the lineup for a game in which the Crew absolutely had to get a draw at very least.
So, that one deserves some further looking-into.
But it pales next to the big issue around Columbus Crew Stadium, which is Warzycha’s status.
The former Polish international took over for Sigi Schmid before the 2009 season, when Schmid left for Seattle just weeks after bringing the MLS Cup to Ohio.
Columbus won the Supporters Shield that year, raising hope that some kind of real Columbus run of hardware may be at hand. It’s safe to say that was the high point of Warzycha’s time in charge. Because in Warzycha’s first playoff game in charge, a controversial coaching decision (the manager left his top player on the bench to open a playoff series against Real Salt Lake) went dreadfully wrong. The Crew fell in the first round.
Columbus reached the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, but has yet to win a series and move past the opening round.
This year, with no playoff action at all, the trend is clearly going in the wrong direction.
Warzycha signed a multi-year extension just last year, so economics with the famously frugal Hunt Sports Group will certainly be in play in this choice.
And that’s assuming there is a decision to make at all. HSG tends to be fairly conservative in its actions. So, in all honesty, this one could swing either way. The team does not appear to be going in a positive direction – but history says status quo my rule nonetheless.
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- tylerbetts - Oct 21, 2012 at 12:24 PM
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I can guarantee with 100% accuracy that if Warzycha was put up for vote, Sounders’ style, there is NO WAY he keeps his job. A large contingent of fans haven’t forgiven him for his role in choosing to let GBS and Hejduk go, and the stunner of a boneheaded decision to bench GBS against RSL in that MLS Cup game a few years back is still baffling.
He’s had a history of letting grudges get in the way of on-field performance. He’s had a history of poor tactical decisions (Justin Meram is red hot? Let’s bench him for a few weeks!). And, it’s not just the meltdown in the MLS Cup tournament. It’s the end-of-season meltdowns. This year, a few weeks back, the Crew controlled their destiny to not only qualify, but qualify at the #3 spot. Now, we’ve got a game to play and can’t get into the dance. Last year, we needed a result on the last day to avoid the wildcard round. What did we get? A trip to freezing Denver, and a loss that I sat through with four other fans in the visiting section.
I started tweeting #SackWarzycha after the opening game loss in DC LAST year. The sound has grown louder, and louder and many of us looked on in panic as he got that extension last year. I know financials are in play, and with the team being for sale, the possibility of Warzycha being fired is even lower, and so we’re doomed to another season (at least) of blips of hope with just enough screwing up to frustrate the fan base.
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- joeyt360 - Oct 22, 2012 at 7:38 PM
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Seattle puts the GM up for election not the coach, and only once every 4 years. And there’s a reason for that–most MLS fans would fire most coaches most years. I bet Columbus would never have let Sigi stick around long enough to give them a title if it had been up to a fan vote.
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- east96st - Oct 21, 2012 at 12:42 PM
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“Warzycha signed a multi-year extension just last year, so economics with the famously frugal Hunt Sports Group will certainly be in play in this choice.”
Exactly. That’s why we will be saddled with this dolt until his contract runs out. The only question is what pathetic excuse will they use to try to cover up that the only reason he’s staying is they’re cheap.
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- bentley27 - Oct 22, 2012 at 1:40 AM
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I say give him one more year. I was just as upset as every other fan when our core group was dismantled but considering his results I’d say he’s over achieved if anything. Now that he’s reestablished a new foundation I truly believe he can take us to the next level with a few additions to the puzzle. Changing coaches will set us back years. He knows how to win in this league and is capable of doing it without the big names. Why on earth would we get rid of someone who has proven he can win with a bunch of nameless players. I remember fans were saying this going into sigi’s last year here. He won a championship just in case you forgot. Compared to other teams with our resources he deserves a metal in my opinion.
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