Congratulations to the Columbus Crew for their first ever MLS Cup Championship. The Title is a testament to patience and perseverance by the staff and front office. The Crew, who was the best team during the 2008 regular season, reversed a three-year run of finishing out of the play-offs (finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2005 and 2006 and only ahead of expansion Toronto in 2007).
Marc Sabin and I had a chance to work with Sigi Schmid and Brian Bliss last spring as they trained our Ohio-South ODP team. They were gracious hosts who interacted with us and the boys throughout. I appreciated the time they spent talking with the boys and especially the time Coach Bliss spent talking with Marc and I.While we compete on the field, I truly want the MLS franchises and especially the Columbus Crew to be successful. The future of our USMNT and the game as a whole depends on it.
The MLS franchises within the USSDA has been a source of great discussion. Many, including the Crew, are fully funded programs that provide a great benefit to their players and advantage to them on the field. Some in the league find it unfair. I say more power to them. Besides, we are only talking about 40-50 players. Its the dozen or so top level players in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton that are not part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy that are missing the opportunity. If those players wanted to travel to Columbus three days/week for the training and are good enough to make the full roster, they should. The direct impact on our program is relatively minimal. Indirectly, the competition will only make us better. Those that don't or can't join the Crew should be part of our program here at Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.While we work to eliminate the pay for play model in this country its about time the professional franchises take the lead on player development and many have. While the impact of the USSDA has yet to really impact the MLS, its good for the game that one which has committed to youth development is successful with their full team.
CONGRATULATIONS CREW!!
