# 2014 Columbus Crew season

The 2014 Columbus Crew season was the club's nineteenth season of existence, and their nineteenth consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer.

## Review

The 2014 season was a significant break from the past, particularly off the field. New owner Anthony Precourt, having purchased the team from Hunt Sports Group midway through 2013, made his presence felt often through the year. The team enjoyed its best performance in several years, including an appearance in the playoffs for the first time in three years. Gregg Berhalter was handed the helm, serving both as head coach and sporting director. He was joined by a trio of assistant coaches that included fellow World Cup veteran Josh Wolff, and longtime MLS goalkeeper Pat Onstad.
Columbus started the season with three consecutive victories, including a road win over Seattle Sounders FC. This torrid beginning then cooled dramatically as Columbus won only one of their next 16 games. Dominic Oduro, the leading scorer from the previous year, was dealt to Toronto while Jairo Arrieta likewise struggled to make an impact. Defensively a pair of new Costa Rican signings, Giancarlo Gonzalez and Waylon Francis, missed significant time due to Costa Rica's run to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The defensive changes could have been more drastic, however, as Michael Parkhurst was left off the American squad.
A handful of players emerged in the latter half of the season, however, leading the team to a dramatic turnaround and ultimately a postseason berth. Federico Higuain was joined atop the scoring charts by third-year winger Ethan Finlay, with both ending the year with 11 goals and seven assists. Other significant players included the pairing of Tony Tchani and Wil Trapp at holding midfield and goalkeeper Steve Clark.
Ultimately, however, the team's quest for its first hardware since 2009 came up empty. It was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup after two games, falling once again to the Chicago Fire. The mid season doldrums ruled the club out of contention for Supporters Shield (won dramatically on the last day of the season by Seattle). Finally, the team was comprehensively outplayed in the playoffs by the New England Revolution, defeated 7–3 on aggregate over a two-game series. The team finished their last playoff game with only nine players on the field after ejections to Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram.
Off the field, new owner Anthony Precourt made sweeping changes. Long-serving General Manager Mark McCullers left the organization in the spring, replaced by Andy Loughnane after a nationwide search. While there was widespread criticism of the team's new television contract with Time Warner Sportschannel Ohio, the team continued its success at the turnstile. Three years after team attendance plummeted to less than 12,000, the team enjoyed five sellout crowds during 2014 and finished the year with the highest total attendance in the history of Crew Stadium.
The most significant change, however, was the revelation of a new team identity. The team's logo, unchanged since 1996, was jettisoned in favor of a new design that tried to better reflect the team's relationship to central Ohio. The name of the team was also changed slightly, becoming Columbus Crew SC. These changes were nearly unanimously applauded, in sharp contrast to the reaction to a new MLS logo that was also unveiled during the course of the season.

## Roster

Major League Soccer team are limited to eight players without U.S. citizenship, a permanent resident (green card holder), or the holder of other special status (e.g., refugee or asylum status). These international roster slots can be traded.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of June 30, 2014.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Steve Clark | United States |
| 2 | DF | Tyson Wahl | United States |
| 3 | DF | Josh Williams | United States |
| 4 | DF | Michael Parkhurst | United States |
| 5 | DF | Emanuel Pogatetz (INT) | Austria |
| 6 | MF | Tony Tchani | Cameroon |
| 7 | MF | Bernardo Añor (INT) | Venezuela |
| 9 | MF | Justin Meram | Iraq |
| 10 | MF | Federico Higuaín (INT/DP) | Argentina |
| 11 | MF | Daniel Paladini | United States |
| 12 | MF | Hector Jiménez | United States |
| 13 | FW | Ethan Finlay | United States |
| 14 | DF | Waylon Francis (INT) | Costa Rica |
| 16 | DF | Eric Gehrig | United States |
| 17 | MF | Ben Speas (HGP) | United States |
| 18 | FW | Aaron Schoenfeld | United States |
| 19 | FW | Jairo Arrieta (INT) | Costa Rica |
| 20 | MF | Wil Trapp (HGP) | United States |
| 21 | DF | Chad Barson (HGP) | United States |
| 22 | DF | Ben Sweat (on loan at Dayton Dutch Lions) | United States |
| 23 | MF | Kevan George (on loan at Dayton Dutch Lions) | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 24 | MF | Agustin Viana | Uruguay |
| 25 | MF | Romain Gall | United States |
| 26 | FW | Ryan Finley | United States |
| 27 | MF | Ross Friedman (on loan at Dayton Dutch Lions) | United States |
| 28 | GK | Matt Lampson (HGP) | United States |
| 29 | FW | Adam Bedell | United States |
| 30 | MF | Fifi Baiden (INT) | Ghana |
| 31 | DF | Matthew Wiet (HGP) | United States |
| 33 | MF | Matt Walker (HGP/on loan at Dayton Dutch Lions) | United States |
| 41 | GK | Brad Stuver (on loan at Dayton Dutch Lions) | United States |

## Competitive
### MLS
#### Standings
##### Eastern Conference

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | D.C. United | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 52 | 37 | +15 | 59 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 2 | New England Revolution | 34 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 51 | 37 | +14 | 55 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 3 | Columbus Crew SC | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 52 | 42 | +10 | 52 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 4 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 50 | MLS Cup Knockout round |
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 48 | 41 | +7 | 49 | MLS Cup Knockout round |

##### Overall table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 5 | New England Revolution | 34 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 55 | |
| 6 | FC Dallas | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 54 | |
| 7 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 52 | 42 | +10 | 52 | |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 50 | |
| 9 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 50 | CONCACAF Champions League |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 52 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 52 | 42 | +10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 15 | +12 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 27 | −2 |
Last updated: 19 October 2014 Source: Columbus Crew Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Stadium | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | H |
| Result | W | W | W | L | D | D | D | L | L | L | D | W | L | D | D | D | D | L | L | W | W | D | L | W | W | L | W | D | W | W | L | W | W | W |

#### Match results
### U.S. Open Cup
## Statistics
### Appearances

    Numbers outside parentheses denote appearances as starter.
    Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
    Players with no appearances are not included in the list.
    As of match played September 27, 2014
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | MLS | U.S. Open Cup | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Apps | Apps |
| 1 | GK | | Steve Clark | 30(0) | 2(0) | 32(0) |
| 2 | D | | Tyson Wahl | 11(3) | 1(0) | 12(3) |
| 3 | D | | Josh Williams | 13(1) | 1(0) | 14(1) |
| 4 | D | | Michael Parkhurst | 28(1) | 1(1) | 29(2) |
| 5 | D | | Giancarlo González | 17(0) | 0(0) | 17(0) |
| 6 | M | | Tony Tchani | 29(0) | 2(0) | 31(0) |
| 7 | M | | Bernardo Añor | 17(7) | 2(0) | 19(7) |
| 8 | F-M | | Dominic Oduro | 6(5) | 0(0) | 6(5) |
| 9 | M | | Justin Meram | 15(13) | 1(1) | 16(14) |
| 10 | F | | Federico Higuaín | 26(1) | 0(0) | 26(1) |
| 11 | M | | Daniel Paladini | 2(1) | 1(0) | 3(1) |
| 12 | M | | Hector Jiménez | 15(5) | 2(0) | 17(5) |
| 13 | F | | Ethan Finlay | 17(8) | 1(0) | 18(8) |
| 14 | D | | Waylon Francis | 22(0) | 0(0) | 22(0) |
| 16 | D | | Eric Gehrig | 13(4) | 2(0) | 15(4) |
| 17 | M | | Ben Speas | 6(5) | 2(0) | 8(5) |
| 18 | F | | Aaron Schoenfeld | 4(8) | 0(0) | 4(8) |
| 19 | F | | Jairo Arrieta | 15(5) | 0(2) | 15(7) |
| 20 | M | | Wil Trapp | 24(0) | 0(1) | 24(1) |
| 21 | D | | Chad Barson | 8(3) | 1(1) | 9(4) |
| 22 | D | | Ben Sweat | 0(0) | 1(0) | 1(0) |
| 23 | D | | Kevan George | 2(2) | 1(0) | 3(2) |
| 24 | M-D | | Agustín Viana | 4(0) | 0(0) | 4(0) |
| 25 | M | | Álvaro Rey | 0(2) | 0(0) | 0(2) |
| 25 | M | | Romain Gall | 0(2) | 0(0) | 0(2) |
| 29 | F | | Adam Bedell | 6(8) | 1(0) | 7(8) |
| 30 | M | | Fifi Baiden | 0(1) | 0(0) | 0(1) |

### Goals and assists

    As of match played September 27, 2014
| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Goals | Assists | Goals | Assists | Goals | Assists |
| 3 | D | Josh Williams | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | D | Giancarlo González | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | M | Tony Tchani | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | M | Bernardo Añor | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | M | Justin Meram | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| 10 | F | Federico Higuaín | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 |
| 12 | M | Hector Jiménez | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | M | Ethan Finlay | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
| 14 | D | Waylon Francis | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | M | Ben Speas | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | F | Aaron Schoenfeld | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | F | Jairo Arrieta | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 20 | M | Wil Trapp | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 24 | M-D | Agustín Viana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | F | Adam Bedell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | 43 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 47 | 35 |

### Disciplinary record

    As of match played September 27, 2014
| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Total |
| 1 | GK | Steve Clark | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | D | Tyson Wahl | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | D | Josh Williams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | D | Michael Parkhurst | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | D | Giancarlo González | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | M | Tony Tchani | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | M | Bernardo Añor | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | F-M | Dominic Oduro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | M | Justin Meram | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | F | Federico Higuaín | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | M | Daniel Paladini | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | M | Hector Jiménez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | F | Ethan Finlay | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | D | Waylon Francis | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 16 | D | Eric Gehrig | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 18 | F | Aaron Schoenfeld | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | F | Jairo Arrieta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | M | Wil Trapp | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 24 | D-M | Agustín Viana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | F | Adam Bedell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 51 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 5 |

#### Additional suspensions
## Transfers

The pre-season transfer market was primarily spent strengthening the defensive line that saw the exit of Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders) and Andy Gruenebaum (Sporting KC). Steve Clark (GK), Waylon Francis (LB), Giancarlo González (CB), and USMNT Standout Michael Parkhurst would be the new starting defensive team along with long-time defender Josh Williams.
Jairo Arrieta has his option declined on 22 November 2013, but was later re-signed on 18 December 2013.

### In

| No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date |
| 41 | GK | Brad Stuver | Unattached | Waiver Draft | November 25, 2013 |
| 14 | DF | Waylon Francis | Herediano | Free | November 26, 2013 |
| 31 | DF | Matt Wiet | Dayton Dutch Lions | Free | November 26, 2013 |
| 11 | MF | Daniel Paladini | Chicago Fire | Traded for Fourth Round Superdraft pick | December 12, 2013 |
| 1 | GK | Steve Clark | Hønefoss BK | Undisclosed | December 16, 2013 |
| 4 | DF | Michael Parkhurst | FC Augsburg | Undisclosed | January 13, 2014 |
| 12 | MF | Hector Jiménez | LA Galaxy | Trade | January 14, 2014 |
| 5 | DF | Giancarlo González | Vålerenga Fotball | Undisclosed | February 21, 2014 |
| 25 | MF | Álvaro Rey | Toronto FC | Trade | June 6, 2014 |
| 5 | DF | Emanuel Pogatetz | 1. FC Nürnberg | Undisclosed | September 8, 2014 |

### Out

| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date |
| DF | Eddie Gaven | | Retired | October 31, 2013 |
| DF | Drew Beckie | | Option Declined | November 22, 2013 |
| DF | Gláuber | | Option Declined | November 22, 2013 |
| DF | Kyle Hyland | | Option Declined | November 22, 2013 |
| MF | Danny O'Rourke | | Option Declined | November 22, 2013 |
| MF | Konrad Warzycha | | Option Declined | November 22, 2013 |
| DF | Chad Marshall | Seattle Sounders FC | Traded for allocation money and 2015 MLS SuperDraft third round pick | December 12, 2013 |
| GK | Andy Gruenebaum | Sporting Kansas City | Trade | December 16, 2013 |
| FW | Ryan Finley | Chivas USA | Trade | May 8, 2014 |
| FW | Dominic Oduro | Toronto FC | Trade | June 6, 2014 |
| MF | Álvaro Rey | | Mutually Agreed Release | July 15, 2014 |
| DF | Giancarlo González | Palermo | Transfer | August 26, 2014 |

### Loan out

| No. | Position | Player | Loaned to | Fee/notes | Date |
| 26 | FW | Ryan Finley | Dayton Dutch Lions | Affiliate Loan, later transferred out | March 12, 2014 |
| 27 | DF | Ross Friedman | Dayton Dutch Lions | Affiliate Loan | March 12, 2014 |
| 22 | MF | Kevan George | Dayton Dutch Lions | Affiliate Loan | March 12, 2014 |
| 41 | GK | Brad Stuver | Dayton Dutch Lions | Affiliate Loan | March 12, 2014 |
| 33 | MF | Matt Walker | Dayton Dutch Lions | Affiliate Loan | March 12, 2014 |

## Recognition

MLS Player of the Week
| Week | Player | Opponent | Link |
| 3 | Bernardo Añor | Philadelphia Union | Player of the Week |
| 11 | Federico Higuaín | Portland Timbers | Player of the Week |
MLS Save of the Week
| Week | Player | Opponent | Link |
| 19 | Steve Clark | Montreal Impact | Save of the Week |
| 29 | Steve Clark | Montreal Impact | Save of the Week |
MLS Team of the Week
| Week | Player | Opponent | Link |
| 1 | Federico Higuaín Michael Parkhurst | D.C. United | Team of the Week |
| 3 | Bernardo Añor | Philadelphia Union | Team of the Week |
| 4 | Federico Higuaín | Seattle Sounders FC | Team of the Week |
| 6 | Federico Higuaín | San Jose Earthquakes | Team of the Week |
| 8 | Steve Clark | New York Red Bulls | Team of the Week |
| 11 | Federico Higuaín | Portland Timbers | Team of the Week |
| 11 | Federico Higuaín | Chicago Fire | Team of the Week |
| 14 | Michael Parkhurst | D.C. United | Team of the Week |
| 17 | Ethan Finlay | Colorado Rapids | Team of the Week |
| 19 | Bernardo Añor | Montreal Impact | Team of the Week |
| 20 | Giancarlo González | New England Revolution | Team of the Week |
| 23 | Steve Clark Giancarlo González Tony Tchani | Los Angeles Galaxy | Team of the Week |
| 24 | Justin Meram | Houston Dynamo | Team of the Week |
| 26 | Justin Meram | Chivas USA | Team of the Week |
| 28 | Tony Tchani Steve Clark Eric Gehrig | New England Revolution | Team of the Week |

## Kits

| Home | Away | Away Alternate |
| Type | Shirt | Shorts | Socks | First appearance / Info |
| Home | Yellow | Yellow | Yellow | |
| Away | White / Black-Yellow | White | Black | |
| Away Alt. | White / Black-Yellow | White | White | MLS, March 8 against D.C. United |