Top Stories

Report: Schelotto re-signs with Crew

Schelotto

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The future of Guillermo Barros Schelotto was one of the many questions surrounding the Columbus Crew this offseason. That's one question that can now be answered, as reports indicate the Argentine has re-signed with the club.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Crew were able to come to an agreement that will keep Schelotto in Columbus for the 2010 season. His new contract is a one-year deal, with the club holding an option on his contract for 2011. He will not take up the Crew's Designated Player spot either.

"They really figured out a way to come back and make it happen," Schelotto's agent Peter Smith told the Dispatch. "Guillermo always wanted to come back. It would have been a shame if he didn't under those circumstances."

Bringing Schelotto back is an important move for the Crew who failed to overcome eventual MLS Cup Champions Real Salt Lake in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. The 2008 MVP has been a crucial part of their attack since arriving at the club three years ago.

What do you think about Schelotto re-signing? Glad to see the Crew make it happen?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’ll have a wait and see approach on this. As long as the Crew do not rely on him too much, this is probably a good move. BUT…his skills are CLEARLY diminishing and a lot of fans blinded by what he did in the past to realize that.

    Reply
  2. How can you say he dives too much? This guy is pure class and spends most of his time getting by people and making defenses look stupid!

    Reply
  3. Crew fans I talked to were very concerned that we were going to lose him especially given the fact that there was no clear player to step-up in his absence (based on 2009 game play). We need those crisp passes and set-pieces to fuel the offense.

    +1 for IB…this is all for naught if there is a lock-out this season.

    – Idaho Brian said…
    — Great news for MLS. Now please, please,
    — please, work out a new collective
    — bargaining agreement.

    Reply
  4. I think they will sell out every match this year. There is a lot of excitment about this team around the city and I know delco is obsessed with soccer. If nowak gets a recognizable dp I guarantee sell outs!!!

    Reply
  5. First the green card, and now this. Good for him. It is reported that his family (specially his wife and kids) are very happy with life in Columbus. I saw him live on TyC Sports (an argentine sports network on DirecTV) on december 23rd, and he really wants to end his football career here in the MLS. After this he is thinking in doing something with his hometown team Gimnasia y Esgrima of La Plata (president or coach). But I personally think he came back for the green card, that way his wife and kids can stay in the US and he can fly back and forth.

    Reply
  6. Yes, that huge exhale you heard came from all central Ohio soccer fans. The Crew is at best a middle of the pack team without GBS. With him back in the fold, expectations will be high again this year.

    Reply
  7. Well it depends on how you measure the way new MLS franchises “Should” perform in terms of attendance and on the field performance as well as the ability to eventually break profit.

    Not everyone will be like the unprecedented Seattle Sounders who had on the field success AND the best fan base and attendance in the history of the league! Bigger than the Galaxy too!

    Toronto has had the strongest of fan bases outside of the West Coast Jewels of LA & Seattle, they were the 3rd best team in attendance this past 09 and the 2 years before that they were the 2nd.

    They haven’t been able to make the playoffs, but something tells me Preki will fix that to the detrement of say New England who finds a way to get in every year?

    I agree they shouldn’t put an expanding franchise in cities where they won’t have obvious success but there’s always a gamble, look at the biggest sports market and rich soccer fan filled NY/NJ area? Finally getting a stadium and the best one at that, and have only been to the final 1 time!

    Philly I think will have about 16-17K fans, that’s easily 84.5 to 91.9% sell out, the magic number like I said is to stay above the MLS average of 16K if they do that they can easily have a 90% sold out rate, with some luck and like I said some crown jewels of games played vs Galaxy or international double headers played at Lincoln Financial Field they can easily achieve this and eventually expand it to maybe 25 to 30K as far as Chester Stadium.

    If they sell all of their 11K season tickets I think they’ll be more than okay!

    Reply
  8. Not sure what you are talking about. Philly is about to hit their cap for season tickets, and are expecting to sell out most of their games once they get into the new stadium.

    Reply
  9. this is their first year. Shouldnt they be “off the charts” in terms of fan attendance and excitement. Maybe MLS shouldnt expand to areas where it isnt obvious that that fan enthusiasm exists.

    Reply
  10. i sure hope he’s at least getting the maximum non-DP of 400k plus some promised advertising revenue…he’s definately worth DP money

    Reply
  11. Charles, Philly had capped the season tickets to 12 or 11K I believe, their stadium is 18,500 so if they average 14,800+ which would be above 80% I’d be happy!

    Very realistic considering MLS average was a little over 16K, if they come in and hold that average and get some games at Lincoln Financial Field with I don’t know 25-30K fans for games vs LA with Beckham and Donovan and potential NY with a DP like Henry? Who knows?

    MLS has lost some talents though, Hercules Gomez left KC for Mexico’s Puebla to join a former Galaxy teamate Carlos Ruiz, Chris Rolf is in Europe somewhere, RSL’s Movsysian is in Denmark if I’m not mistaken, Ricardo Clark should be gone.

    They need to develop better youth systems so more and more players start to come out of the team’s academies and signed by the teams cheap. Also being ready to play at 18-20 wouldn’t hurt either.

    With an expected raise in minimum salaries and cap space it will improve a lot too!

    Reply
  12. Besides Holden, MLS is really keeping talent in the league. I was reading of an ex-DC goal keeper coming back…( maybe he failed, I dont know ) …they said he could start for Philly if they acquire him, but DC really needs him back.

    It doesn’t look like Philly is lighting up the ticket sales, more like the rest of the league, but lets pray Portland and Vancouver are more like Toronto.

    We may have a great league sooner than you would think !

    I enjoyed my season ticket a lot last year and more and more talent is pouring in.

    Reply
  13. +1 GBS is important for the league in so many more ways than just playing on the field. Glad to see he’ll be back even if it may injure my Union on the field. Good job Crew/MLS suits!

    Reply
  14. As a Crew supporter this is incredible news. GBS is pure magic on the pitch, even at his older age. He may only have one or two good years left in him, but I’m glad it will be spent in C-Bus. He is a vital part of our attack. My hope is that Warzycha puts two strikers in front of him this season. (Pick 2 from Garey, Lenhart, Renteria). We have a big opportunity in 2010 to make another run at the Cup, and I hope we can do it. After this season, Schelotto, Rogers, and Marshall may all be gone (Rogers and Marshall may go to Europe).

    Reply
  15. So, how did they do it without using a DP? I thought they used up most of their allocation funds driving down his salary in his first year there.

    Reply

Leave a Comment