Alejandro Moreno will be asked to carry the load offensively again for the Crew. (Getty Images)

Back to work this week here. Time to shift back into the season preview mode once more, this time turning our attention to MLS Cup champion and Supporter’s Shield winners from last year, the Columbus Crew. The only major change this winter was the coaching switch once Sigi Schmid bolted to Seattle leaving long-time assistant and former Crew player Rob Warzycha to take over the helm.

Can the Crew repeat this year? Time to find out.

2008 record and finish: 17-7-6, 57 pts., 1st in East, MLS Cup Champions and Supporter’s Shield winners for best overall season record.

Offseason Player Movement:

Incoming: none so far…other than draft picks.

Outgoing:
Kevin Burns (waived)
Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC – Expansion Draft)
Ryan Junge (waived)
George Josten (waived)
Andrew Peterson (waived)
Ricardo Pierre-Louis (waived)
Brian Plotkin (waived)
Ezra Henderson (retirement)
Stefani Miglioranz (trade with LA)

Unsigned Draft Picks:
Chris Clements
Paul Gerstenberger
Alex Grendi

Questions going into 2009:

1. Can the Crew repeat the success that they had last year in 2009?

Easily the biggest question for this club going into the year is can they repeat? Right now with all the movement that has and in a way hasn’t gone on around the league this winter I can say the Crew are in just as good of shape to repeat as any club that has been looking to do so in years past.

Thing for Columbus I worry about going into this year is their depth. They didn’t lose too much in terms of guys who actually contributed to the title run last year but that Brad Evans loss could really hurt them before long.

Other than that the core of last year’s roster is still there and I just don’t see anyone figuring out how to stop Guillermo Barros Schelotto again this year.

2. Will they make any more moves to get guys in to add depth and improve the roster before the start of the season?

I know they’ve had a couple trailist in camp like former Colorado Rapids forth rounder Jordan Seabrook. But other than that I don’t expect the Rapids to bring too much else in before the start of the year. They got GBS back and signed on to a DP deal and also locked up Defender of the Year Chad Marshall to a nice deal which meant they pretty much didn’t have to do a lot this winter. I still would have liked them to get another striker to go with Alejandro Moreno up top but maybe one of the young guys on the bench can step up as his partner this season.

3. Who needs to step up and have a breakout season?

For me guys like a Jason Garey or a Stephen Lehart have to have a bigger year than in 2008. They were good fillers here and there last year but each need bigger years in 2009 than ever before. Both really need to find the net more often and make sure all the scoring duties aren’t on Moreno or Robbie Rogers.

Look at the 2009 Schedule:

Tough start with three of the first four on the road in places like Houston and Salt Lake. May will be a tough month with games out west in Seattle and LA, along with a trip north to Toronto. Games in the middle of those roadies in May aren’t any easier with visits from San Jose and Kansas City, two clubs that have seen success in Crew Stadium.

Thing about this year’s slate is everyone will give the Crew their best shot. I think June and July are two months that the Crew can either catch up after a slow start or start to break away from the pack. Plenty of win-able games at home and even on the road.

August threw the end of the year if this club is healthy I see them having very little issues with the remaining part of their schedule. Six games at home and five on the road, all should be draw or better capable results.

2009 Season Outlook:

Let’s face it, the Crew are the team to beat in 2009. Only a few clubs have really improved their rosters from last year and in the east things will still be tight. Columbus should still see their way to the top of the standings but I believe they do need to find a second scorer before the end of the year to balance their attack out more. It also wouldn’t hurt for them to add some depth in case of any injuries that will come on during the course of the year.

Getting to the playoffs shouldn’t be a big issue again this year and as of right now I would have to place them as a favorite to win it all again. While I like what other clubs have done this winter I still don’t know if they are good enough on the field to beat a club like Columbus. The chemistry this club has is unmatched in this league and that will go a long way for this club to repeat in 2009.

Warzycha had been had been an assistant to Sigi Schmid the past three seasons and had been in the Crew since way back in the inaugural 1996 season as a player.

“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.”

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

Warzycha signed a two-year deal with a third year as an option. Salary wasn’t discussed but it is said that he will be in the middle of the coaching pack in terms of pay.

Not a lot should change from Schmid to Warzycha next year. He’d been seen as the eventual replacement for Schmid. While he doesn’t have any head coaching experence yet most in and around the club feel that he is ready to have his shot as a head coach.

Most of you know my feelings with this hire, its a smart one for the Crew and one that won’t really change the foundation of this club. I guess the Crew will have a new coach doning the lovely Black and Gold scarf next year. Hopefully the supporters will extend that tradition to their new coach.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The MLS Cup-champion Columbus Crew will introduce its next head coach at a 2 p.m. press conference Monday in Crew Stadium’s Huntington Club. The fifth head coach in club history will be introduced by President & General Manager Mark McCullers, and the general public is invited to attend.

Anybody think it will be someone other than Rob Warzycha? Yeah I didn’t think so, had this been drawn out any longer then we would possibly be talking about someone else but I am fairly certain it will be Warzycha.

We believe Sigi is a perfect fit for what Sounders FC sought in hiring its first head coach,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Joe Roth. “Sigi is a proven champion in this league and beyond, with an extensive and impressive coaching resume, and a track record for getting the most out of his teams. We believe that with Sigi Schmid as our coach, we have the best possible chance to succeed from the outset. He is the only coach to have led two MLS teams to the championship. We plan on being the third.”

The love continued on from everyone else in attendance so I won’t bog you down with quotes that say the same thing over and over again.

With Schmid on board you have to really wonder what shape this club will continue to take on here. The expansion draft seemed to have his foot print on it and you can bet the SuperDraft will go even beyond that. My biggest question is though, will they keep that number one pick or trade it away like San Jose did a year ago? Time will tell.

As for the Crew, I look for them to announce Rob Warzycha as their next head coach any day now.

Preki on the move? (Getty Images)

It sounds possible right now for Chivas USA to be making a coaching change in the very near future. Andrea Canales at Goal.com says that a change could be coming thanks to Chivas owner Jorge Vergara breaking his silence with the media.

The official Chivas site mentioned that Vergara also said that a present assistant coach at Guadalajara, Luis Manuel Díaz, would move to Chivas USA to serve as an assistant.

This was news to official Chivas USA media relations staff, who explained that they had not been informed of any incoming coaching staff.

One report was even more specific about how the MLS club could be affected. Informador.com reported that Díaz was going to Chivas USA to be the assistant of a new head coach that would be named in a short while.

That would mean, of course, that Vergara is planning to dismiss 2007 MLS Coach of the Year Preki, who led Chivas USA to the playoffs in every year of his tenure, but failed to get the team past the opening round both times.

Its not 100% but right now it wouldn’t be surprising. Vergara seems to be the type that isn’t patient enough to wait for Preki to turn this club into a year-to-year winner like he probably expects them to be. So bringing in another coach that probably doesn’t know the MLS game seems logical right? Wrong, its nothing more than a step in the wrong direction if it happens.

If Preki is to go don’t be shocked to see him land on his feet elsewhere. Possibly Columbus as some are going to suggest but I don’t see it as Rob Warzycha seems to have that job in the bag. Or maybe Preki takes a year off and goes to coach in Philly? Who really knows what will end up here but if a change happens for Chivas I just hope its someone who knows the MLS game.

The only thing that could stand in the way is a clause in Schmid’s contract with Columbus that stated he had a “no-compete clause” in 2009. It’s in the league’s hands right now but we all know it won’t take long before he is being introduced in Seattle as their head coach.

One source with knowledge of Schmid’s contract situation cited a non-compete clause in Schmid’s Crew contract that could preclude him from coaching the Sounders or any other MLS team in 2009. The Crew has reportedly filed tampering charges against the Sounders.

“Something has occurred that has sort of made my decision for me,” said Schmid. “It’s in the league’s hands”

Sounders technical director Chris Henderson deferred comment until today.

Top assistant Robert Warzycha is the clear choice to replace him in Columbus. Most people feel Warzycha is ready to step in, which will be a good thing to keep some continuity with the club who will be trying to defend a MLS Cup title.

Its still a fairly big loss for Columbus. Schmid put together a real winner after a few years in Columbus. They’ve already lost Brad Evans, a solid reserve for them; Chad Marshall is set to leave to possibly German, which is a huge loss; but Schmid could be the biggest of them all.

I am eager to see what most Crew fans think of losing Schmid. I know some are excited to see Warzycha take over and get his chance here, but still losing Schmid is a big loss.

What do you all make of this news?