NEW YORK – The broader rebuild under Columbus Crew SC president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko began last summer, but it’s also continued well into the 2020 MLS offseason.
The result, on the precipice of the league’s 25th season, is Columbus being discussed as a true contender in the Eastern Conference and near-consensus pick as the league-wide offseason winner. They’re predictions that could look over-eager when October rolls around, and Bezbatchenko acknowledged as much when interviewed Wednesday at MLS Media Day.
“At the end of the day, we're not looking to win any offseason,” the Ohio native said. “We're looking to win a trophy and it's really important for us that all of our work in the offseason translates to three points each Saturday and Sunday, then to the playoffs and to winning a championship. That's ultimately our goal.”
Still, the overhaul Bezbatchenko has spearheaded since arriving from Toronto FC two winters ago provides plenty of encouragement. Look no further than landing maestro Lucas Zelarayan from Tigres as the heir apparent to Federico “Pipa” Higuain, bringing possession hub Darlington Nagbe home in a trade with Atlanta United, adding veteran Dutch defender Vito Wormgoor and reuniting striker Fanendo Adi with head coach Caleb Porter from their mutual time with the Portland Timbers.
They’re building blocks atop a busy Secondary Transfer Window in 2019, one which saw goalkeeper Eloy Room signed to fill US men’s national team goalkeeper Zack Steffen’s shoes as the latter went to Manchester City. Costa Rica international Luis Diaz also arrived last July as a Young Designated Player, as did winger Youness Mokhtar and midfielder/defender Chris Cadden, who joined League One outfit Oxford United on loan last year.
Depth signings add even more to the puzzle, leaving Bezbatchenko with high expectations for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Last year, Columbus missed out on the postseason after finishing 10th in the East, largely thanks to a 1-13-2 stretch that dampened a strong final third points-wise.
“I think everyone [at Columbus] knows that the goal for the team is not just to qualify for playoffs,” Bezbatchenko said. “We want to host a game, we want to make sure our fans get a chance to celebrate in MAPFRE Stadium during the last full season in the first soccer-specific stadium. There's a number of goals, but the team, the energy is really good and positive.”
One other aim Bezbatchenko outlined is seeing Columbus competing in the Concacaf Champions League, a competition they’ve not qualified for since 2010 on the back of the club’s Supporters' Shield crown in 2009. Bezbatchenko went a step further, saying his vision involves the Crew being the first FIFA Club World Cup participant from MLS, mindful of how their city was also home to the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States.
Bezbatchenko’s overall excitement is buoyed by the continued long arc of Columbus’ transformation since entering new ownership in January 2019. Their north star involves plans for a new downtown stadium that’s set to open in 2021, and concurrently they announced plans earlier this week to open OhioHealth Performance Center as a transfer facility two summers from now.
As those processes unfold behind the scenes, Bezbatchenko stressed how important a retooled roster is. Now, it’s all about turning hype into results, starting with their opener against New York City on Sunday (12:30 pm ET | TSN5, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada).
“It's about the vision for [ownership], which is they want to win,” Bezbatchenko said. “We want to ignite unrelenting passion for soccer in Columbus. There's already a passionate fanbase, but we have more to do and we want to own it. It starts with putting a great product on the field.”
