Football Season Guide

Columbus Crew defied expectations once again last season but in a manner that coach Gregg Berhalter was not looking for as his side just about managed to avoid finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. Having come close to lifting the MLS Cup in their previous campaign, Columbus were hoping to go one step further last season but they failed to string together a good run of form, finishing six points short of a playoff place. Injuries and disciplinary problems meant that Columbus lost their top scorer in Kei Kamara, who was traded out, while Federico Higuain, Gaston Sauro and Wil Trapp spent large portions of the season on the sidelines. Berhalter will be hoping for a vastly improved campaign this time around and a return to the playoffs is the minimum that is expected out of the side. Unlike last season that saw Columbus play a subdued role in the transfer market, Berhalter and the club have been busy during the off-season as they look to revamp the roster to better prepare them for the upcoming campaign. There have been three major departures for Columbus during the off-season, with first choice keeper Steve Clark and captain Michael Parkhurst both leaving the club. The moves do not come as much of a surprise with Columbus having brought in two potential European stars in Zack Steffen and Nicolai Naess in the second half of last season. A bigger loss though could be Mohammed Saeid's departure, with the midfielder moving on to Minnesota United in the Expansion Draft. With Sauro also expected to miss the whole season, Columbus will be taking to the field with a completely new spine. They have made a couple of good additions to the roster with Jonathan Mensah signing on a DP contract and is expected to partner Naess in the center of the defense while Mohammed Abu, Artur and Jukka Raitala will be providing depth in the midfield and at left back respectively. Berhalter is unlikely to make too many changes to the 4231 system that has worked for his side, barring last season, and the Columbus coach will be hoping that his squad will not be decimated by the sort of injuries that derailed their campaign last time around.