You do realize the MLS team the Crew plays next is 3 points back of them right? That the Supporter’s Shield(automatic entry into next year’s group phase of the CCL) and home field advantage in the playoffs are at stake in a 6 point swing?

Besides, as the Crew showed in Costa Rica, they don’t have a B team. They all wear the colors as one team, all capable.

The Crew’s recent signing of solid striker Emilio Renteria has still not been approved for international play, let alone that Columbus has yet to send him out on an MLS pitch. He was not an option. Another artificial playing surface prompted Guillermo Barros Schelotto be sat for protection, Defender of the Year Chad Marshall has a sprained knee, stand-out defender Eric Brunner served a red-card suspension, and their left-back Gino Padula spent time hospitalized for an illness the past weekend. Three of their 4 starting defenders were forced to sit out by unwilling means, you can bet on it that they would have taken the pitch if healthy or eligible.

Make no mistake about Columbus’ B squad, they are capable of getting results, more so than DC or Houston’s B-squad experiments to my belief. In my opinion both DC and Houston have the caution flag out for their organizations in these CONCACAF CL matches. If I remember correctly, all Columbus starters started against Cruz Azul and look how that turned out. I spoke with Crew supporters after that incident via online means and they reported back that their organization had held a “Supporter’s Summit” in which their coach and players met with supporters to discuss how serious CONCACAF and the World Club Cup is to them. I’ve seen numerous quotes from their coach and Schelotto claiming that they are theoretically aiming for CONCACAF’s throat and are confident in themselves. Caution flag here? Looks to me like Columbus has the peddle to the floor in sixth gear (and still lost 5-0 to Cruz Azul).

So go ahead, don’t read up on different clubs that represent your own league or be informed of their intent to dominate both CONCACAF and MLS with the goals of getting to both World Club Cup and MLS Cup 09. And then you can save-face for missing history by writing them off as something you pretend to not want to know anything about. Bravo.

And the Hoosiers A team is maybe equivalant to, say, Florida’s 3rd string? (insert raised eyebrow and smile) Relegation and promotion in NCAAF anyone??

Continental competition should always matter over domestic competition, worldwide. As a football club, you should always strive to be the best on earth. Period. Don’t forsake your chance to prove that, just so you could qualify for next year’s edition.

And now this sets up an epic match next week at Crew Stadium vs Blue Cross. The Crew will be gunning for revenge after the 5-0 drubbing in Mexico. All bets are off. The clash will be gigantic (massive).

You can watch the Crew’s next CCL opponent tomorrow at 6 Eastern on Aztec America.

I have been complaining about United paying reserves to but then I started to watch some of the other UEFA group matches and even the biggest and deepest teams mix reserves with starters for their mid week away fixtures to try and draw on the road and go for the win at home.

Joe in Indy – Do a little more research before announcing Seattle didn’t play reserves in the USOC.

1) They only had that other tourney to play in so it is easier to manage the roster while,CLB, DC, HOU had CCL and USOC.

2) I just watched the Sounders beat DC twice in 10 days(unfortunately) and in those games These players never made the field and some were not in the traveling 18…Evan Brown, Kevin Forrest, Stephen King, Nathan Sturgis & Jarrod Smith. All of these players either scored key goals are had action, some significant action in all their USOC games. Montero did not even play Seattle’s first USOC game and came on as a substitute in game 2.

3) Here is a quote from Sigi after winning their play in game to qualify for the USOC over Colorado. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to play in the Open Cup,” said Schmid, whose Columbus Crew teams were all eliminated in play-in games. “It was really frustrating because I’ve wanted to get back into the tournament. But for us, starting starters was really out of necessity.”

Bottomline…Every coach puts the best possible line up they can each and every game that they have access to. They don’t want to lose as much as the fans don’t!

Serious congrats to the Crew. They have a fantastic core support, have been playing the most interesting football for several years in the leauge, and I still hope that Gavin can step up, move to Europe and have a great National team career.

Up the Crew!

Don’t get me wrong, I know the roster size makes it difficult to compete in more than one competition. But I don’t understand the universal choice of MLS teams to value a MLS game that you really don’t need to win to get into the playoffs over a CCL game you arguably must win to advance. I know there is a stronger financial incentive to win MLS than to win CCL. Maybe that explains a bit.