It is not all doom and gloom in Crewville. With a 2-0 win over D.C. United on Sunday morning, the Columbus Crew reserves secured their second consecutive MLS Reserve League Championship. Midfielders Dilly Duka and Ethan Finlay were the goalscorers.
Last year’s Crew team went 9-1-0 in the ten-game reserve league season, good enough for 27 points and first place in the league. The 2011 Columbus reserves also had a +19 goal difference. They clinched the title with a 3-1 victory over D.C.
This year, the reserves set out for league domination once again. They finished with a 7-2-1 record (22 points) and a +12 goal difference. Columbus actually finished tied for first in MLS with the Montreal Impact. However, the Crew scored twice more than Montreal, the first tiebreaker (at least, that is the first tiebreaker for the regular season).
The reserve league provides valuable playing experience for those who often do not make the game day roster and allows players to prove their worth. The Crew’s youth and depth has been readily apparent in past years. Sporting News’ Brian Straus highlighted Columbus’ recent successes in the youth side of things with this tweet:
Crew win MLS reserve league title w/ 2-0 win @ DCU. That's 2 reserve, 2 USL U-20 titles and 2 USYSA U-19 titles in past 3 years in Columbus.—
Brian Straus (@BrianStraus) October 21, 2012
Unfortunately, these successes from the Crew yutes have not necessarily translated over to the senior side. The future does look bright, though.
Be Massive.
