November 6, 2009
OFFSIDE REMARKS
RSL repeats Red Bulls history a year later; Warzycha deserves blame
By not playing Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the first playoff game probably cost the Columbus Crew the Eastern Conference playoff series.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Does this scenario sound familiar?
A team that barely qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed on the final day of the MLS regular season and that did not fare well on the road takes on the defending champion in the second leg of a total goals conference semifinals and pulls off one of the league's great upsets away from home.
It should.
Real Salt Lake duplicated what the Red Bulls achieved during last season's playoffs when they upended the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference. RSL wound up playing in the Eastern Conference bracket as it finished fifth in the West, but with the eighth most amount of points.
RSL showed the stunned Columbus Crew the door at Columbus Crew Stadium Thursday night after recording a 3-2 triumph. The win gave RSL a 4-2 aggregate victory and chance to make some more history. The loss gave the Crew and coach Robert Warzycha some explaining to do.
Give coach Jason Kreis, Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, Andy Williams and company a lot of props for a well-deserved victory.
As for the Crew, well, they should be embarrassed, but none more than Warzycha.
.
What coach Warzycha did -- bench last year's MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the first game, which turned out to be a 1-0 RSL victory, is a fire-able offense in wake of the team‘s stunning ouster. It cost the Crew a chance to reach the Eastern Conference final against the winner of the New England Revolution-Chicago Fire series.
What makes the surprisingly early elimination even more excruciating for the Crew was that Columbus captured the Supporter's Shield as well as the best team during the regular season.
Yes, the Crew did not play well during the latter stages of the MLS season. And yes, Schelotto did not play up to par during that stretch run. And yes, the team had the added challenges of the CONCACAF Champions League.
But Schelotto has proved again and again in the league what a warrior and winner he is. As a Crew assistant coach for several years before taking over the reins from Sigi Schmid this year, Warzycha should known that and played the Argentine star. A big, big, big mistake. No excuses.
We all know what transpired Thursday night. Schelotto played and struck twice to give the Crew a 2-0 lead (a 2-1 advantage in total goals) before unraveling and surrendering three unanswered goals.
A big, big mistake. No excuses.
Will that cost Warzycha his job? A tough call. The Crew management has been know to be patient with its coaches (ie. See some losing seasons under Schmid before taking it all last year). But what he did will be talked about in Columbus and MLS circles through the winter and beyond.
Kreis and company are playing with house money. They have nothing to lose as they go to the conference final for the second consecutive year, although this time in the east.
Is RSL this year's Cinderella team? Can the Salt Lake City side continue to duplicate the Red Bulls’ success and reach MLS Cup, this time in Seattle Nov. 22? We'll find out next week in either Bridgeview, Ill. or Foxborough, Mass.
Michael Lewis would like to hear from you. If you have a comment, drop him a line at email.
