The offseason has been incredibly kind to the Columbus Crew. In a matter of a few short months the Crew seemed to have solved every possible issue. Jersey sponsor. Check. New TV deal that will expand the Crew brand. Check. Some serious South American talent to help out in the attack. Check. An aggressive marketing plan to increase season ticket sales. Check. A great showing at the MLS SuperDraft. Check. Let’s only hope the season goes this well. If it does,
2012 has been good for the Crew so far. A great draft, strong South American signings, some progress in the Homegrown Player department, and now a multi-million dollar jersey sponsor. Add in an aggressive season ticket campaign and the pursuit of a stadium naming rights agreement and it’s an A+ grade for all involved. If the 2012 season goes this well, the Crew will hoisting the MLS Cup this fall.
For 90+ minutes, the road weary Houston Dynamo battled and braved first-place Columbus at the Crew’s home confines, but two swift penalty kicks were all it took to erase the Dynamo’s enduring effort as the team was forced to settle for a 2-2 draw. Indeed, the outlook appeared too good to be true for a Dynamo squad fresh off a 3-0 thwacking against Sporting KC and still winless as visitors in the 2011 season. Columbus’s Emmanuel Ekpo was sent off in