The yesterday the Columbus Crew are longing for is actually the 2008 season. There were bumps along the way, but the road smoothed en route to winning the MLS Cup.
Those memories can be intoxicating and the Crew organization made a point to emphasize at the start of this season that last year was over and a new chapter was waiting to be written.
Funny, but after running their winless streak to six (0-2-4) to open the season, the talk was of, you guessed it, 2008.
Saturday's 2-2 tie with Chicago marked the third time in as many home games that the Crew had surrendered the lead in the final eight minutes to settle for a tie. The Fire meltdown saw the Crew allow scores in the 86th and 88th minutes after Crew defender Gino Padula was sent off in the 57th.
It was Padula's own goal in the 84th minute of the home opener that enabled Toronto to claim a 1-1 tie on March 28. Two weeks later, Colorado leveled the count at 1-1 in the 82nd in Crew Stadium.
"I know it didn't happen like this last year," midfielder Eddie Gaven said after the Chicago match. "Last year we would have won a game like this. We have to keep working hard and hopefully the bounces will start going our way.
"We have to keep on fighting. That's what this team did last year and that's what we've got to keep doing this year."
Experiences from last season can certainly be of valuable to a team that has 15 of its top 18 players back but coach Robert Warzycha is still trying to find the winning combination in his first full season.
Sure, the Crew continue to be plagued by absences of many of their starters from year ago, but other teams such as Chivas USA have found ways to win. Even Toronto FC, the Crew's next opponent Saturday at BMO Field, overcame the sudden departure of coach John Carver to defeat Kansas City on Sunday.
Also, look at the job done by former Crew coach Sigi Schmid with expansion Seattle Sounders FC. He's taken a team that didn't exist last season when he led the Crew to the MLS Cup to a 4-2 record.
Warzycha remains unflinchingly optimistic that the overall good play of his club will eventually overcome the patches of fateful mistakes. He thought that was taken care of Saturday when Chad Marshall and Alejandro Moreno forged a 2-0 lead in the first 35 minutes.
"We created some chances in the first half. If we can continue to play like that and have 11 players on the field we are going to be dangerous," Warzycha said.
One bright spot was the Crew scoring two goals for the first time this season.
"That was definitely a plus but we've got to stop giving up goals late at home," Gaven said. "It feels like we've pretty much done that the whole year at home every single game. It's really killed us."
Warzycha said he is sticking with a back four for the time being.
"We were winning 2-0 (Saturday) playing a 4-4-1-1 and everything was good," he said.
Left unsaid was that he thought the Crew had control of the match until Padula's exit.
"We need collectively defensively to close a game out," defender Eric Brunner said. "We didn't play a terrible game. We took it to them then that red card shifted the momentum. We were still positive. We had chances during the red card."
Padula's suspension for the Toronto match will mark the sixth of 10 returning starters from the MLS Cup to miss a match this season. It is also the second time a defender has been red-carded this season following Andy Iro's booking at Chivas on April 5.
There will be other changes predicated on the health of several players. Andy Gruenebaum is expected to make his second straight start in goal for William Hesmer (strained left knee).
Central midfielder Adam Moffat, in his second game since May of last season after knee surgery, could be out a few weeks with a hamstring injury and the status of right back Frankie Hejduk (right hamstring) is unknown for Saturday.
Robbie Rogers (hamstring) appears ready to regain his starting spot on the left flank and that would give Warzycha some options in the middle. He could move Emmanuel Ekpo from left to center but he looked uncomfortable there in his starts before Moffat's return two matches ago.
Veteran Duncan Oughton could get the start or converted defender Danny O'Rourke could return to the middle. However, if Hejduk is unavailable it is likely O'Rourke will remain in the back at either the right side or on the left for Padula.
For all the disruptions to the lineup and lost points the Crew are fortunate to be only seven points behind Eastern Conference leader Toronto with a game in hand.
Despite the worst start in team history and for a defending champion, the Crew have fewer losses than four teams although Columbus and Los Angeles are the only winless clubs.
"We're still going to be positive. We're still a good team. We're not a bad team. The chips aren't falling our way," Brunner said.
However, a few more matches without a win and the Crew might be singing another Beatles' tune: Help!
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
