Unparalleled success for Crew in 2008

"Now we're done."

With that simple phrase from captain Frankie Hejduk, the Columbus Crew put a wrap on the most successful and unlikely season in the team's 13 years of existence.

For weeks, the players had been reminded by the fans and from within the locker room that earning the Supporters' Shield for the best record over a 30-game season was just not good enough. The Crew had already done that once before but a first-round exit in 2004 left a lingering bitterness among the fans and probably helped seal the demise of coach Greg Andrulis the next season.

Enter Sigi Schmid to rebuild the club in 2006. The coach did an extreme makeover over the next three seasons and when the Crew entered the 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs -- the team's first appearance in four years -- only starting defenders Frankie Hejduk and Chad Marshall and reserve midfielder Duncan Oughton remained from the previous regime.

CHICAGO FIRE • Despite changes, Fire find success
• Five big questions for Chicago
• Fire '09 tix | • Buy Fire gear

CHIVAS USA • Injuries derail Chivas Cup quest
• Five big questions for Chivas USA
• Chivas '09 tix | • Buy Chivas gear

COLORADO RAPIDS • Rapids face long wait 'til next year
• Five big questions for Colorado
• Rapids '09 tix

| • Rapids gear

COLUMBUS CREW • Unparalleled success for Crew in '08
• Five big questions for the Crew
• Crew '09 tix

| • Crew gear

D.C. UNITED • Ambitious United fell short of glory
• Five big questions for D.C. United
• United '09 tix

| • United gear

FC DALLAS • Talented Hoops hope to mature in '09
• Five big questions for FC Dallas
• FC Dallas '09 tix

| • FCD gear

HOUSTON DYNAMO • Dynamo defined by perseverance
• Five big questions for the Dynamo
• Dynamo '09 tix

| • HOU gear

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS • Once down, Wizards rose to task
• Five big questions for the Wizards
• Wizards '09 tix

| • KC gear

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Arena, Galaxy eye '09 improvement
• Five big questions for the Galaxy
• Galaxy '09 tix

| • Buy LA gear

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION • Revs' 2008 a tale of two halves
• Five big questions for New England
• Buy Revolution gear

NEW YORK RED BULLS • Cup run gives Red Bulls new vision
• Five big questions for the Red Bulls
• Red Bulls '09 tix

| • NY gear

REAL SALT LAKE • A season of firsts for RSL
• Five big questions for Real
• RSL '09 tix

| • RSL gear

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES • Strong '08 provides a foundation
• Five big questions for San Jose
• SJ '09 tix

| • SJ gear

TORONTO FC • Positive 2008 lends TFC bright future
• Five big questions for Toronto FC
• Buy Toronto FC gear

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Check out the best of 2008

So, when the Crew were presented the Supporters' Shield trophy after they defeated D.C. United in the season finale on Oct. 26, a chant arose from the fanatical Nordecke section in the northeast corner of Crew Stadium.

"We're not done yet! We're not done yet!"

The players heard it. Schmid listened and the Hunt Sports Group ownership led by Clark Hunt joined in the refrain.

"We're not done yet. I thought it was very apropos because we still want more," Schmid said at the time.

The Crew got what they wanted. After surviving a scare against Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, the Crew had to defeat not only the Chicago Fire to win the Eastern Conference Championship, but a field full of ghosts that haunted the organization.

Columbus had been in position to advance to MLS Cup four previous times but couldn't get over the hurdle. Facing former Crew forward Brian McBride and goalkeeper Jon Busch, two second-half goals forged a 2-1 victory to exorcise the demons.

Getting to the MLS Cup Final and winning it were two different stories. No team since Schmid's 2002 Los Angeles Galaxy had won the Shield and the MLS Cup in the same season.

"We're not done yet."

As had been the case throughout the season, the Crew rode the brilliant play of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who had an MLS Cup-record three assists as the Crew downed New York 3-1.

"Every goal we set, we accomplished," Hejduk said. "We wanted to make the playoffs. Then we wanted to get win the Eastern Conference and get home field for the playoffs. Then we wanted to not only go far but make the MLS Cup and win it. That's what Sigi said in the locker room before the game: 'This is the only goal we haven't reached. Let's go do it.'"

Said Schmid: "We believed early on in the season, about after six or seven games, we were a team that had a chance to win the MLS championship."

The genesis for his optimism actually was the final two games of the 2007 season when the Crew needed to win at New England and D.C. United to stay in the playoff hunt. Columbus did its part, but still fell three points short.

Prior to the start of this season, Schelotto told the squad that just one more home win last season would have made the difference. The Crew set out to improve on their 37 points and tepid 5-5-5 mark in Crew Stadium.

The turnaround was remarkable. The Crew had 20 more points (17-7-6) and set team records for points, wins and goals (50) in the post-shootout era. They went 7-0-2 over the last nine regular-season home games to finish 11-2-2 and added two more home victories in the playoffs.

Schmid was named coach of the year; Schelotto was the league's season and playoff MVP and Chad Marshall was MLS Defender of the Year. Midfielder Robbie Rogers joined the latter two on the MLS Best XI.

"It was a dream year," Hejduk said.

"Our team knew last year that the way they were playing, had we gotten to the playoffs, we would have scared some people," Schmid said. "That confidence we had, we talked about that at the beginning of this year, what we accomplished last year and building upon that and we were able to carry it on."

The season started on a good note when Adam Moffat and Alejandro Moreno scored and Will Hesmer stopped a penalty kick during a 2-0 win against visiting Toronto.

As a sidelight, the match was the first with the new concert stage that displaced the supporters from the north end zone. The front office made an effort to get all the fan groups into one area. It would take several months to percolate but the three main factions came together to form the Nordecke (German for northeast corner or deck) and a massive following was created.

After a 2-0 loss at New York, the Crew reeled off four wins in a row, including a wild 4-3 triumph over Chivas USA.

Rogers scored his fourth and fifth goals in a 3-2 win at San Jose in the fourth game of the streak that was a foreshadowing of the Crew's ability to overcome any deficit. On 11 occasions the Crew rallied from down 1-0 or 2-0 to garner points. Against the Earthquakes, the Crew scored three times in a 12-minute stretch of the second half.

While a 0-0 tie at Toronto gave the Crew a 6-1-1 record, it also started a string of four consecutive games without goals. Included was 2-0 loss to San Jose on June 7 that proved to be the last home loss of the season.

Despite the drought, the Crew exhibited a calmness and belief in themselves that would become the trademark for the club.

"It's not like we're not getting shots or chances," forward Jason Garey said before the June 14 game at Kansas City. "We're getting shots on goal, hitting the crossbar, having shots blocked. It's a matter of keep playing well and the goals will come. A little more concentration in the final third is all it takes."

The team-record shutout streak reached 370 minutes before Marshall headed home a corner kick by Schelotto in the third minute against the Wizards. The Crew won 3-0 and were shutout only twice the remainder of the season.

A 3-3 tie followed at Los Angeles with the help of rookie forward Steven Lenhart. It would be the first of three times he would come off the bench to get the equalizer from the 87th minute on.

"What I'm most proud of is the way we were able to win," Schmid said. "We won, it seems to me, in every possible scheme. We had a game at Colorado where we were down a man and yet won. We had the shootout against Chivas early in the season. We had games where we led early and kept the lead and we're able to get a positive result even in games we didn't play well."

It was truly a team effort. Moreno had a team-high nine goals in the regular season but 14 players scored in all; 10 had at least two and six netted four or more goals. Then there's the incomparable Schelotto, whose 19 assists in only 27 games tied for the second-highest number in league history.

"He makes everybody around him better," Rogers said.

The Crew returned from L.A. to beat Colorado 2-1 then rallied from a two-goal disadvantage to tie Chicago 2-2 in Crew Stadium on July 5. Columbus reached the midpoint with an 8-4-3 record, good for 27 points and a real possibility of making the playoffs.

A loss at Real Salt Lake started the second half on a downer and then the Crew fell behind 2-0 to K.C. in the opening 24 minutes but managed a 3-3 tie at home heading into the All-Star Game.

Columbus returned from the brief break to win 2-0 at Colorado despite losing Lenhart to a red card just before the half and played well at Houston but dropped a 2-0 decision on Aug. 2 before having a bye week.

Two significant things happened in the two weeks before the next game: defender Gino Padula returned from injury and the Crew obtained the rights to forward Pat Noonan from New England. While Noonan was not in the best of shape after playing sparingly in Norway before deciding to return to MLS, he provided the Crew with a veteran player with playoff experience who could play multiple positions.

Just as importantly, it was a psychological boost to the Crew and their fans after McBride decided to finish his career with Chicago following a long and successful stint with Fulham of the English Premier League.

Signing Noonan showed that the Crew was serious about a long playoff run. Getting Padula back in the lineup helped as well. The Argentinean solidified the left back spot that had seen four others start there after he was injured in the third game.

Injuries dominated the Crew the first three months with Moffat's the most serious when he underwent season-ending knee surgery in early May.

In mid-June the Crew had eight of its first 20 players sidelined but when August rolled around the team was getting healthy. Padula's return was the final piece that helped mesh a defensive unit that was third-best in the league.

Including the playoffs, the Crew were 14-1-3 when he played, with the lone loss a meaningless game at New York on Oct. 18. After the bye week the Crew went 11-1-3, including the playoffs.

"We grew as a team," midfielder Brian Carroll said. "We thought and believe we could do this at the beginning of the year when we set out to reach this goal but it really picked up steam and started to take shape as the season went on. We built on each performance and each win. It became a reality as the season went along."

It was an ominous start, though, when FC Dallas led 1-0 at the half in Columbus on Aug. 16. Goals by Carroll and Brad Evans three minutes apart gave the Crew a 2-1 win and started a stretch of four consecutive wins.

During that period, Schelotto contributed to 10 straight scores with two goals and eight assists.

The Crew followed the Dallas win with a 3-0 thrashing of visiting Real Salt Lake. The next week at Dallas, the Crew spotted the Hoops a 1-0 lead again but got the win on goals by Moreno and Eddie Gaven.

Columbus moved into first in the conference and overall going into a home showdown with New England. The Revolution were tired and hurting from a busy summer schedule but the Crew showed no mercy in a 4-0 thumping.

A hamstring injury to Schelotto could have derailed the Crew Express but they went 2-0-1 without him. Noonan scored his first goal in a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC. New York was a 3-1 victim at Crew Stadium and Marshall scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win at New England.

After beating David Beckham and LA 1-0 before a sellout crowd at Crew Stadium, the team clinched the Supporters' Shield following a 2-2 tie at Chicago. In the second-to-last game the Crew rested six starters and saw their nine-game (7-0-2) unbeaten streak end in a 3-1 loss at New York.

There were whispers that the Crew had peaked and they grew louder when D.C. hit the post three times in the regular-season finale but could not score as the Crew celebrated their Supporters' Shield with a 1-0 win for William Hesmer's 10th shutout of the season.

Columbus opened the playoffs at Kansas City and had trouble getting good flank play on the narrow baseball field. It took a stoppage-time goal by Lenhart to tie the game and the aggregate at 1-1.

"We still had all the confidence in the world," Hejduk said. "We knew we were playing at home and we had the support behind us. If we played our game we had no doubt we would win.

Evans scored on a nifty set-up by Carroll in the seventh minute and the Crew never looked back in a 2-0 victory to win the series 3-1 on aggregate.

Next up was heated rival Chicago. The teams had tied twice and the Fire had also knocked the Crew out of the U.S. Open Cup in June.

It looked ominous for the Crew after McBride scored in the 29th minute but Schelotto connected with Marshall for another header off a restart in the 49th and Gaven scored six minutes with assists going to Moreno and Schelotto on the winner.

The years of doom and gloom had been lifted and the Crew were on their way to California and a date with history.

Moreno gave the Crew the lead over the Red Bulls after being fed by Schelotto. After New York's John Wolyniec tied the game in the 51st minute the Schelotto-to-Marshall connection went at it again off a corner kick two minutes later. Then in the 82nd minute Schelotto flipped the ball to a breaking Hejduk and the captain headed the ball into the goal to complete a stunning season.

"It was a really special year, an incredible journey. We're sad it has to end," Carroll said. "A lot of us we're talking we wish it didn't have to end yet."

But it did with the hoisting of the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy and the celebrations that followed.

Cup run gives Red Bulls new vision

On Oct. 23, few in Major League Soccer thought the New York Red Bulls would advance to their first-ever MLS Cup appearance. Heck, most thought the club would miss the playoffs altogether.

And yet, exactly a month later, the Red Bulls were at The Home Depot Center as one of the final two teams standing. Sure they lost to the Columbus Crew 3-1, but their Cinderella run through the postseason, which included thrilling victories at Houston and Real Salt Lake, will be remembered for some time.

"I'm really proud of what we achieved this year considering all the circumstances," Juan Pablo Angel said at The Home Depot Center following the final. "It doesn't necessarily mean I'm happy because we lost, but I think we went to a stage we weren't expected to reach."

To get to their first-ever final, the Red Bulls faced every obstacle imaginable, from the early retirement of a designated player to the substance abuse suspension of two starters late in the regular season. The run even surprised their head coach.

"As a coach and a human being that sees the glass half-full, I went into the season thinking we're going to make the playoffs and we're going to go probably to the final of the conference," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "But with all the adversity and all the problems and issues we were confronted throughout the season at some point I had doubts, reservations and concerns."

CHICAGO FIRE • Despite changes, Fire find success
• Five big questions for Chicago
• Fire '09 tix | • Buy Fire gear

CHIVAS USA • Injuries derail Chivas Cup quest
• Five big questions for Chivas USA
• Chivas '09 tix | • Buy Chivas gear

COLORADO RAPIDS • Rapids face long wait 'til next year
• Five big questions for Colorado
• Rapids '09 tix

| • Rapids gear

D.C. UNITED • Ambitious United fell short of glory
• Five big questions for D.C. United
• United '09 tix

| • United gear

FC DALLAS • Talented Hoops hope to mature in '09
• Five big questions for FC Dallas
• FC Dallas '09 tix

| • FCD gear

HOUSTON DYNAMO • Dynamo defined by perseverance
• Five big questions for the Dynamo
• Dynamo '09 tix

| • HOU gear

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS • Once down, Wizards rose to task
• Five big questions for the Wizards
• Wizards '09 tix

| • KC gear

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Arena, Galaxy eye '09 improvement
• Five big questions for the Galaxy
• Galaxy '09 tix

| • Buy LA gear

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION • Revs' 2008 a tale of two halves
• Five big questions for New England
• Buy Revolution gear

REAL SALT LAKE • A season of firsts for RSL
• Five big questions for Real
• RSL '09 tix

| • RSL gear

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES • Strong '08 provides a foundation
• Five big questions for San Jose
• SJ '09 tix

| • SJ gear

TORONTO FC • Positive 2008 lends TFC bright future
• Five big questions for Toronto FC
• Buy Toronto FC gear

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Check out the best of 2008

The season started with the appointment of Osorio, who was named head coach of the Red Bulls on Dec. 18, 2007, becoming the club's 11th coach in 13 years. The former MetroStars assistant stresses stiff defense and that was evident early in the season when the Red Bulls conceded six goals in the first seven games.

However a 5-1 blowout by the Chicago Fire, who earned a measure of revenge against their former coach, followed on May 25. It would be the first of several lopsided losses for the Red Bulls.

Two weeks later, star striker Jozy Altidore was sold to Villarreal of Spain's La Liga, leaving Juan Pablo Angel without a partner up front.

Following two injury-plagued seasons, Claudio Reyna announced his retirement from soccer on July 16, leaving the Red Bulls without one of their two designated players and without their playmaker in the midfield.

Osorio was forced to go on a shopping spree, bringing in three South Americans in the midseason. Venezuelan internationals Gabriel Cichero and Jorge Rojas and Argentinean defensive midfielder Juan Pietravallo were all inserted into the starting lineup, but it was met with mixed results. After initial success, all three were benched for the stunning playoff run. Cichero was waived at season's end.

Osorio also added attacking players Matthew Mbuta and Mac Kandji from United Soccer League clubs at the roster freeze deadline for a Red Bulls club that seemed a lock to make the postseason after an undefeated August -- not counting, of course, a 6-2 exhibition loss to FC Barcelona at Giants Stadium on Aug. 6.

However, the Red Bulls won just one of their next seven matches and worse adversity was still yet to come.

The Red Bulls were dealt what at the time seemed to be a crushing blow when starting goalkeeper Jon Conway and central defender Jeff Parke became the first two players in Major League Soccer history to be suspended for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance on Oct. 16.

The 10-game suspensions came days before a critical home game against the Columbus Crew as the Red Bulls were battling for their playoff lives.

Untested rookie Danny Cepero was named the starting goalkeeper after Conway played every minute of every game. Not only did Cepero get a key win in his MLS debut, he also scored the goal that killed the game on an 80-yard free kick that bounced at the top of the 18-yard box and over the head of Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, in the process becoming the first goalkeeper to score a goal in an MLS game.

A win at Toyota Park on Oct. 23 against Chicago would clinch the 10th playoff berth in club history. Instead, the Fire thrashed the Red Bulls 5-2, meaning New York would have to wait three more days to find out their fate.

On the final day of the regular season, the Red Bulls made the playoffs when the Columbus Crew defeated D.C. United at Crew Stadium. New York earned the final of two wild card berths and was sent out West where they were set to face the mighty Houston Dynamo, the league's two-time defending champion.

The task of beating the Dynamo became even more daunting when versatile Seth Stammler had knee surgery just before the start of the postseason. Instead of playing Rojas and Pietravallo, Osorio rolled the dice and went with Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who has been a reserve for much of his two seasons, and rookie Luke Sassano, in the midfield.

The gamble paid off. Both players took the opportunity and ran with it during the postseason, especially keeping Houston's combination of Dwayne De Rosario and Ricardo Clark quiet during the Western Conference Semifinal Series.

Dane Richards was dominant in a remarkable 3-0 victory in the second leg of that series. The Red Bulls then jumped ahead early in the Western Conference Championship and withstood a wave of pressure the rest of the way to pull off a 1-0 victory against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium to book their MLS Cup ticket.

Also by doing so, the Red Bulls qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League.

"It's an incredible achievement by the club. I think we've taken some big steps this year and we've raised the bar," Red Bulls sporting director Jeff Agoos said. "This is certainly a very big step for the New York franchise, for the Red Bulls to be playing against some of the top clubs in this region and we hope to make the most of it."

While the Red Bulls might have stunned the MLS world by advancing to the MLS Cup, Osorio said the formula to get there was actually quite simple.

"At the end it was just a matter of playing organized football, effective football," Osorio said. "I think we did that and that's why we went far."

Warzycha a logical fit for Columbus

COLUMBUS -- The good news for Robert Warzycha is he's taking over a team that won the MLS Cup last month. The bad news is he's taking over a team that won the MLS Cup last month.

Warzycha, named the Columbus Crew's fifth head coach on Monday, knows the pressure will be on him to replicate the magical run of 2008 when the Crew went from a non-playoff team to winning their first MLS title by defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Nov. 23 under Sigi Schmid, who was named head coach of Seattle Sounders FC last week.

With most of the major players returning, anything less than another MLS Cup title would be viewed as Warzycha's fault.

"It's a unique situation coming off a championship season but I'm proud to have been a part of this building process in earning our first MLS Cup," he said. "I believe we are in position to defend the championship and be a strong contender next year.

"One of biggest things is whether I can make the players play up to their ability, whether I can get the best from them on the field. I think I can do that. Motivation is going to be very, very important."

Warzycha, who becomes the organization's fifth head coach, is no stranger to leading the Crew. He was the interim head coach after replacing Greg Andrulis in mid-2005. He took a team that was 4-10-2 to a 7-6-3 record the rest of the way.

"He was given serious consideration for the permanent post at that time," Crew president/general manager Mark McCullers said.

Instead, the Crew went outside the organization for the first time when they hired Schmid for the top spot. Warzycha remained as the No. 1 assistant, as he was under Andrulis.

"Robert has been part of building teams that have collectively won two MLS Supporters' Shield (2004 and '08), one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2002) and most recently an MLS Cup championship," McCullers said.

Warzycha just completed his seventh season as on the coaching staff and sixth as a full-time assistant. Warzycha retired from the Crew in 2002 and still holds the team record for career assists (61).

"Robert bleeds black and gold. There's nobody who cares more about this organization than Robert," said McCullers.

Warzycha joined the Crew in June 1996 after making 47 appearances for the Polish national team as a well as a three-year stint (1991-94) in the English Premier League with Everton. He quickly earned the nickname "Bob the Free Kick Specialist."

"As a player he was literally a coach on the field. He has a player's perspective, which is invaluable. He has the respect of our entire organization," McCullers said.

The Crew expect to retain most of their starters, although MLS 2008 Defender of the Year Chad Marshall is contemplating a deal to play in Germany. He has been offered a contract by the Crew as well. Also, the Crew lost midfielder Brad Evans to Seattle in the expansion draft.

"It's going to be a different voice but one we're very familiar with and one that the players respect," Crew forward Alejandro Moreno said of Warzycha. "I am sure Robert is going to have his own style and certain way of doing things but overall he knows what the players are all about. He knows the players that perform on the field and do the things that need to be done in order to get results and he respects us as well.

"It's a logical choice, one that makes a lot of sense to all of us. We hope can respond and perform on the field for him. We respected him as the assistant coach and now he'll be the guy making some of the tougher decisions. Perhaps when tough decisions are made some people are happy, some people aren't happy. That's the challenge of being a head coach. It's something he can handle very well."

McCullers said Warzycha's background brings a new dynamic to the head coaching job.

"Our players know he has been a player at the highest level, which is something new for this position in our organization," he said. "We have a guy who's been in their shoes and has an understanding what's needed to be successful. They respect that."

Warzycha is of the same ilk as the German-born Schmid. Both have a hard-nosed Eastern European perspective that puts honesty, sometimes brutally, at the forefront and has accountability high on the agenda, too.

When Warzycha was interim coach he once benched veteran defender Frankie Hejduk for what he considered conduct detrimental to the team and the rumbling was that if Warzycha had become head coach instead of Schmid that Hejduk would have been traded.

However, time heals all and there is no rift between the two. Hejduk has since gotten married and settled down (for him) while becoming the Crew's captain and a respected leader on the field and in the locker room.

"One of the things Robert has learned over his six years as an assistant is how to deal with different personalities to get what you want out of them. It's an important skill for a coach to have," McCullers said.

Warzycha said his time alongside Schmid has been invaluable in that regard.

"You have to find the same language with different players. There's a lot of different personalities you have to talk to," he said. "As years go by you get maturity and you learn every day. I had a mentor in Sigi who is a very successful coach. I learned a lot from him."

The Crew will hire an assistant coach to replace Warzycha. Second assistant and former Crew player Mike Lapper will likely be a candidate although McCullers said the search is on outside the organization as well. Lapper was offered a spot on the Seattle staff but turned it down. If he were to become the No. 1 assistant the Crew would fill his spot.

"We're developing a short list of potential candidates but we haven't reached out to any candidates yet," Crew technical director Brian Bliss said.

The ex-Crew player and former interim head coach at Kansas City has taken himself out of the running to be an assistant.

"I'm not on that short list but that's not to say that may not happen in the future. The timing is not right," Bliss said. "If I leave that position (technical director) to go to that position then you've got to fill this one. Right now the key buzzword is 'continuity' and less change will be beneficial to the club. At some point I want to get back on the field."

Goalkeeper coach Vadim Kirillov and the support staff from the 2008 season is expected to remain with the Crew.

McCullers said he interviewed three candidates for the head coaching position, but it was really Warzycha's to lose. He used three criteria:

"Are there any coaches with MLS experience out there that are available to us? Are there any current MLS assistants we'd be interested in? Are there any college coaches that we would rate higher than Robert? The answer to all those is no," McCullers said.

"Equally important to his technical expertise, Robert Warzycha embraces the club's culture by having the utmost in character, integrity and values."

Warzycha received a standard two-year, guaranteed contract with the third year at the option of the team. His salary was not disclosed.

It was important for Warzycha to remain with the Crew and in the community. He his wife, Eliza, raised their three children in the Columbus suburb of Dublin and the oldest, Konrad, is a sophomore on the Ohio State soccer team.

Bartosz is a freshman soccer player at Marshall University in West Virginia while Olivia is finishing high school. Bartosz was discovered to have cancer late in 1998 and the outpouring of support from Crew fans plus the medical care available were major reasons the Warzychas decided to stay in Columbus rather than return to their native Poland. Bartosz' cancer is now cancer-free.

"My family and I spent the last 12-1/2 years in Central Ohio with the Columbus Crew and I'm looking forward to the next chapter in leading the club," Warzycha said. "I've been through a lot with this organization. I've experienced highs and some lows but this organization is dear to my heart since it's the only one I have been part of since the beginning of the league.

"I have grown as a coach over the past six years both as an assistant and as interim head coach in 2005. I am confident I am ready for this next challenge. I've always worked very hard and I'm bringing this attitude to maintain the level of accomplishment of this organization."

Crew name Warzycha new head coach

COLUMBUS - To surprise of no one, Robert Warzycha was introduced as the new head coach of the Columbus Crew on Monday afternoon.

Warzycha had been had been an assistant to Sigi Schmid the past three seasons and had been in the organization since early in the inaugural 1996 season as a player or coach.

"This organization is dear to my heart," Warzycha said. "I have grown as an assistant coach and now I'm ready to be head coach."

Schmid said two weeks ago he would not return to the Crew after his contract had expired and last week was named head coach of expansion Seattle Sounders FC.

"Robert is the right person for the job," Crew forward Alejandro Moreno said.

Warzycha, 45, has big shoes to fill. After failing four times as a player to advance to the MLS Cup from 1997-2002, Warzycha was on the bench when the Crew defeated Chicago for the Eastern Conference Championship before beating New York 3-1 on Nov. 23 in the MLS Cup in Carson, Calif., for the team's first league title.

Crew president/general manager Mark McCullers had said all along that Warzycha was the frontrunner to replace Schmid because of his ties to the team and the community. Warzycha and his wife, Eliza, raised their three children in the Columbus suburb of Dublin and the oldest, Konrad, is a sophomore on the Ohio State soccer team.

Bartosz is a freshman soccer player at Marshall University in West Virginia while Olivia is finishing high school. Bartosz was discovered to have cancer late in 1998 and the outpouring of support from Crew fans plus the medical care available were major reasons the Warzychas decided to stay in Columbus rather than return to their native Poland. Bartosz is now cancer-free.

"It's very important for me and my family that I can continue working with the Columbus Crew," Warzycha said.

Warzycha, who becomes the organization's fifth head coach, is no stranger to leading the Crew. He became the interim head coach after replacing Greg Andrulis in mid-2005. He took a team that was 4-10-2 to a 7-6-3 record the rest of the way.

He just completed his seventh season as on the coaching staff and sixth as a fulltime assistant. Warzycha retired in 2002 and still holds the team record for career assists (61).

"We looked at several other candidates but it was obvious that Robert was the right fit," McCullers said.

Warzycha signed a two-year deal with a third year as an option. Salary figures were not disclosed although McCullers said, "He's not at the top of the list and he's not at the bottom of the list" among MLS coaches.

Offseason so far kind to Dello-Russo

FRISCO, Texas -- The last month has been a pretty good one for versatile FC Dallas youngster Michael Dello-Russo. In late November, Dello-Russo, who just finished his third year in MLS, learned that the Hoops had picked up his contract option for 2009.

Then the University of Maryland product was able to celebrate as his alma mater won the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup for the first time since 2005, when Dello-Russo was a senior for the Terrapins.

Dello-Russo was a player who flourished once Schellas Hyndman became FCD head coach in mid-June, playing in eight of the Hoops' final 12 games. In 2007, he appeared in one game with the first team after being selected in the fourth round in the 2006 SuperDraft.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that Schellas was going to come in, I would get all this playing time and I would have my option picked up, I would be a little worried about it," Dello-Russo admitted. "But that's how a year goes. The coach comes in and gives you more confidence. I definitely played with more confidence this year and it's just been great."

Hyndman clearly sees a lot of positives in the former Maryland star.

"Dello-Russo is a warrior," he said. "He fights every day in training. He works extremely hard. He's just a good guy and I think he was given some opportunities by me. He's versatile and can play midfield, wide, center and defense."

One priority is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered late in the season, an ailment that Hyndman didn't become aware of until he started Dello-Russo in FCD's season finale Oct. 26 at Los Angeles.

"It was interesting because I don't think he ever disclosed it with us. If you look at his last game against LA when Eddie Lewis ran by him, he wasn't able to be quick enough to get him," Hyndman said. "I said something to him, 'I thought you should have handled that.' And he said, 'Well, I'm still injured.' I didn't even know he was injured. We need to know anytime he's not 100 percent, because that affects our decision-making. But he's young and he's getting his opportunities. I thought he did well, and he's a player we did pick up his option."

That recovery has been his top priority thus far in the offseason.

"I want to get healthy because my hamstring was bothering me all year," Dello-Russo said. "The first thing is to get healthy and then to stay fit. I want to work on little things that I need to get better at technically and tactically."

Although he spent his first two years on FCD's developmental roster, Dello-Russo is one who is somewhat in favor of the league cutting rosters down to 24 players from 28 and eliminating the reserve league.

"Cutting the roster is not a bad idea because it gets rid of the developmental contracts, which are very tough for anyone to live off of because of the money situation," he said. "I actually enjoyed the reserve league because it gives games for people like me who weren't playing in the first team games and I got other games. Hopefully they will set up other scrimmages and other things like that so that people who don't play in first team games have games to play in."

Like the rest of his teammates, he called the 2008 rollercoaster of a season something that brought the entire squad closer as a group.

"It was definitely a different experience that none of us have probably experienced before," Dello-Russo said. "It was good for us because I thought it made us stronger as a team and individuals. We had to work through that and everybody on the team had to work through it together. That was nice. That's just how sports go. Every coach wanted the best for us. I think it was good for us and for FC Dallas."

However, not even the tumultuous nature of the regular season could have prepared him for how it ended, with FCD out of the playoffs for the first time in four years.

"We were definitely disappointed because you look back on our year and we had plenty of games that could have changed that could have gotten us in the playoffs," Dello-Russo said. "Then you see a team like New York, they barely squeaked in and got to the finals. That could have very easily been us. So, I think it's good for us in a way if we didn't make it. It motivates us in the offseason. I'm definitely working harder because I want to get better. We definitely don't want to miss the playoffs again next year."

Surgery may cost Ljungberg opener

Seattle Sounders FC officials have their fingers crossed, but it is possible that designated player Freddie Ljungberg could miss the club's inaugural game against the New York Red Bulls on March 19 after undergoing hip surgery on Friday.

The operation was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo., and Ljungberg, 31, is expected to be out for 10 to 12 weeks. The Sounders are set to begin preseason on Jan. 21 at Qwest Field.

"Freddie Ljungberg is a player that we value for the long term," Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a statement. "As Freddie increased his training regimen for the upcoming season, we wanted to make sure that he was firing on all cylinders for the next two years and beyond."

Four times in the past two years, both with West Ham United and Arsenal FC, the former Swedish national team captain was sidelined with hamstring injuries. Ljungberg also suffered a calf strain during his one season with West Ham.

"As he increased his training intensity, he suffered a mild re-occurrence of the hamstring problems that have occasionally hampered him over the past two years," Hanauer said. "At that point, Freddie and the club wanted to be proactive and we decided to have him see the best hip and hamstring specialists in the country.

"It was ultimately determined that the best course of action was to repair a slightly torn labrum, and to shave a very small amount of bone where the hip meets the femur," Hanauer added. "The objective of this surgery is to eliminate the nagging injuries and to ensure that Freddie has the explosiveness necessary to be a major contributor for Sounders FC every time he steps on the pitch."

After a successful 10-year career in the English Premier League, Ljungberg announced on Oct. 28 that he would be joining the expansion Sounders in a two-year deal. The midfielder played nine seasons at Arsenal, scoring 46 goals in 216 appearances. He made the move across London to West Ham, where he debuted as the Gunners' captain in a 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Aug. 11, 2007.

His time with West Ham, though, would be sparse. Two months after announcing his retirement from international soccer, Ljungberg's contract with West Ham was terminated one year onto a four-year deal.

"I feel good," Ljungberg said at his introductory press conference in October when asked about his injuries. "Last season I had some injuries in the fall, and after Christmas, someone jumped on my rib cage and I cracked a rib at the end of the season. However, I played in Euro 2008 and I felt great. Since then I've had a break, I've been training quite hard to keep fit and feel good."

Hoops eye South American talent

FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman and top assistant John Ellinger have returned from a nearly two-week trip to South America, where the pair took in games at both River Plate in Argentina and at Clube Atletico Paranaense (CAP), the Hoops' South American partner in Brazil.

"The trip to Argentina was very, very useful," he said. "I think the positives from our trip were identifying players for immediate help and 20 identifying players for future help. There was one very good player that was brought in from the (River Plate under) 17s to the first team that they think will be starting next year. There was also a player from Argentina that was called into the under-20 national team that I was interested in, but they have bigger plans for him."

Last season, FCD was one of the youngest teams in MLS. So Hyndman definitely wasn't looking to make his roster any younger while in South America.

"The thing I tried to stay away from was reserve players," he said. "I don't think we need any more young players. I think this is a double-edged sword for us. We talk about our future because we have got so many good young players, but I don't know if we need any more good young players. I think we need established players, players with experience who can help our young players grow. So I chose not to look at their reserve players very seriously."

Hyndman admitted that a pair of players from FCD's Brazilian partner that caught his eye.

"There are players from Atlйtico Paranaense that we are making offers to," he said. "One's a second striker, another one is a defender."

Those players definitely fit with what needs Hyndman has expressed for his team going forward.

"I think we need a couple positions," he said. "We need a center back who can bring some experience, a little bit of athletic ability, maybe a little bit of hardness, somebody who is aggressive, can win some balls in the air and make you pay a little bit if you come in there.

"I would like to see a left-sided midfielder," Hyndman continued. "We did not pick up (Victor) Sikora's option because we just didn't see enough. Sikora is a player we brought in for Arturo Alvarez, but we never got Victor on the field till the end and it was just one game. Even though he did OK in that game and scored a goal, I just didn't see enough. So I think we need a left-sided midfielder."

But FCD's top need might be an attacking midfielder.

"As badly as Bruno (Guarda) may not want to hear this, I think we may need a true No. 10," Hyndman said. "I think we need a true No. 10 that is a (Guillermo Barros) Schelotto type or a (Dwayne) De Rosario type -- a player that can change the game, a player that can score goals, a player that can make the killer pass. Of course, if we lose Kenny (Cooper), then we need a striker. But right now I think (our most pressing needs are) a strong defender, a flank player on the left side, and a true No. 10."