Photo by Greg Bartram/USA TODAY Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

Last season, the Columbus Crew were the league’s underdogs, riding a generally unproven and unheralded roster all the way to a late-season run and postseason appearance.

But this season, they want more.

Now viewed as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, the Crew can book their spot in the playoffs as soon as Saturday. Yet, for Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter, simply playing their way into the playoffs is far from enough for a team that is looking to set a tone far different than that of yesteryear.

“It is important, and I think it’s the mentality that’s most important,” Berhalter told SBI. “Last year, I think we had the mentality that we were happy to be there and a little bit satisfied. This year, we’re not satisfied. We want more. As you enter the game, you have to have that mindset that you’d do anything it takes to advance to the next round.

“I think, collectively as a group, we’ve been evolving,” Berhalter added. “From day one, I think we’ve improved. If you look at some of the guys on our team, they’re establishing themselves as very good players in this league, and I think now it’s about collectively coming together and making a good push as these playoffs come.”

Much like last season, the Crew have used a late-season run to put themselves in pole position for a top seed. Winners of five of seven, the Crew currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, a position that would be good for a bye into the postseason’s second round that Berhalter sees as crucial.

With a postseason berth all but secure, Berhalter’s club will now have the chance to erase the frustrations that came with their appearance in last season’s tournament.

Facing off with the New England Revolution in the conference semifinals, the underdog Crew were run off the field in the first leg, losing, 4-2, in their home stadium. The tie didn’t get much better when action moved to Foxboro, as a 3-1 defeat served a major humbling for a young Crew team in what, for many, was the first taste of postseason experience.

“I think we’re better prepared,” Berhalter said. “As a coaching staff, as players, we’re going to be more prepared for the playoffs this year. It was something last year where I think we were a little bit naive at times. This year, we’re going into it with confidence, but also knowing exactly what we’re getting into and exactly how to deal with it.”

“I think it’s just game management,” added midfielder Wil Trapp. “The difference in the playoffs with the home-and-away system is huge. If you’re down, 2-1, at home, maybe you’re not going crazy pushing for that tying goal. You just have to keep the games manageable and give yourselves a chance in that second game. I think last year, we were a little naive in our approach and we went for it and, ultimately, it hurt us.”

With players like Trapp and Ethan Finlay developing, as well as the addition of a bonafide goalscorer in Kei Kamara, the Crew have one of the more well-rounded squads in the East. In Kamara specifically, Berhalter believes his team has found a player capable of shouldering the goalscoring load in the postseason, with the forward’s league-leading 21 goals this season serving as evidence.

Now, the Crew are faced with a difficult schedule going down the homestretch as the playoffs loom. Facing the Portland Timbers, New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and D.C. United to close the season, both Berhalter and Trapp believe the Crew’s late-season schedule is a blessing that will mentally and physically prepare the team for a series of postseason battles.

“The whole year we’ve been working towards these types of performances,” Trapp said, “and sometimes, it takes an entire year’s worth of work for it to kind of reach its culmination, and we’re happy that it’s happening now. If you look at last year, we weren’t satisfied with our playoff performances. We did well before the playoffs, getting into it on a hot streak, but when it came to the actual games in the playoffs, we fell short.”

“I don’t think it’s a switch that you turn on one day,” Berhalter added. “The playoffs are a culmination of a year’s work and working with the group every training session to get something out of it. We’ve been improving as the year’s gone on, and we’re happy where we are, but we want to keep improving. The key is to be calm and to take every day to improve.”