A Case of Outcoaching Yourself

Tonight it the second leg of the Real Salt Lake-Columbus Crew series. Salt Lake will be taking a 1-0 lead to Ohio, after getting a win at home last Saturday. While the result was rather shocking, the tactics used by Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha decided NOT to play defending league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, or goal scoring threat Alejandro Moreno in the first leg match at Salt Lake. Warycha's reasoning-he wanted his two star players rested for the second leg that would be played five days latter. OK, on the surface this seems fine. But for those of you who do not follow the Crew or MLS, sitting Schelotto or Moreno for the first leg of a playoff series is like Joe Girardi sitting Alex Rodrigez and Derek Jeter for the first game of the ALCS..yeah odd.

I understand the desire to have your star players be fresh. Especially in the Crew's case as they also had to play in the CONCACAF Champions League group stages during the final stretch of the regular season. Also Columbus has one of the deepest rosters in the league, giving them the capacity to win pivotal MLS and CONCACAF games with make-shift rosters full of reserve players. Warzycha's ability to insert second-string players and still get results is a testimony of the Crew having one of the better soccer organizations in North America. But still, why are you resting your two star players for the first game of the playoffs, having depth does not mean having your stars sit on the bench during the most important part of the season. Having depth means your have a back-up plan, not a group of reserves to replace the starters.

Another defense is the idea of resting Schelotto and Moreno in the idea that they were on the road for game 1, so they were going to play defense on the road anyway. OK, let me be clear about this-BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO TEAMS WHO ARE PASSIVE ON THE ROAD. Playing with an emphasis on possession and being smart on the road-yes. Having no ambition to attack and get a goal and just become a defensive shell for 90 minutes-no. Bad things happen to teams who go with the prevent defense. Also the Crew are not doing themselves a favor trailing 1-0 after one leg, and assuming they will just win at home. Case in point, Houston was looking good, tied with New York heading back to Houston. Then the Red Bulls on route to their MLS Cup finals run destroyed Houston at Robertson Stadium 3-0. I know the Crew have the league's best home record, that Crew Stadium is a fortress, and the Lakers are just plain ole' awful on the road, but still do not take a win for granted.

This is the playoffs, the money season of the league. Now is the time you want your big money players out their. I would understand inserting Moreno or Schelotto late in the first leg, but not at all! Forget resting this is the playoffs, lose and you will have plenty of time to rest. The idea of a two-game series is to avoid fluke upsets, but the Crew squandered that by making their season coming down to one game. After a year of dominating the league, and performing like the defending champions. The Crew season might fall apart in one game, off one mistake. Which is scary to the Nordecke fans who will donning their black and yellow in support of their club tonight.

While understand Warzchya's motive or resting his starts, he needs to get one things straight. Whether you are on the road or at home, first leg or the MLS Cup final, always put your team in a position to get a results. It's clutch time Crew, where are your clutch performers?