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Toronto FC-Crew Preview

Mar 26, 2010 - 11:14 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Toronto FC (0-0-0) at Columbus (0-0-0), 4:00 p.m. EDT

With back-to-back Supporters' Shields in tow, the Columbus Crew are the most dominant regular-season team in the MLS over the past two seasons.

Their attempt to win consecutive championships, however, came up considerably short.

The Crew suffered a shocking loss in the first playoff game of their title defense last fall, but they'll again be one of the title favorites as they kick off the 2010 season Saturday afternoon by hosting Toronto FC.

Columbus went 17-7-6 in 2008 and cruised through the playoffs to win its first MLS Cup, and although its 13-7-10 record in 2009 wasn't as impressive, it was still the best in the league.

The Crew's playoff run, however, was short-lived. Columbus lost 4-2 on aggregate in the conference semifinals to Real Salt Lake - the final team to qualify for the postseason. Salt Lake went on to win the MLS Cup.

That didn't make losing any easier on the Crew.

"Sometimes the better team doesn't win," coach Robert Warzycha said. "That's the beauty of the sport - the team that plays attractive soccer, the team that plays good soccer doesn't (always) win."

Columbus' core returns mostly intact with the exception of losing forward Alejandro Moreno to Philadelphia in the expansion draft.

The most important move was re-signing forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto - the 2008 MLS MVP - to a new deal. Schelotto led the Crew with 12 goals last season, and should again team with Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers to give Columbus some serious punch up front.

Goalkeeper William Hesmer had seven shutouts in 19 matches and a 0.95 goals-against average last season, and he'll have a strong defense in front of him anchored by Chad Marshall, the 2008 and '09 MLS Defender of the Year.

Opening against Toronto FC should suit the Crew rather well. Columbus is 4-0-5 all-time against the team it battles for the Trillium Cup, though Toronto - which was 10-11-9 and missed the playoffs last season - is hoping for improvement under new coach Preki.

"It's always a good game against them whether it's in Columbus or Toronto," Crew defender Frankie Hejduk said. "They're a team with a new coach that has a lot to prove and we're trying to establish ourselves at home again. In the past it's been our fortress and we want to start it off with a win here."

Preki, who coached Chivas USA last season, hasn't wasted much time creating news off the pitch after replacing interim Chris Cummins, who took over after John Carver resigned in April. A two-time MLS MVP, Preki is feuding with Toronto media, criticizing the coverage of his team as too negative.

Toronto also hasn't stopped tinkering with its roster. The team traded veteran defender Marvell Wynne to Colorado on Thursday for midfielder Nick LaBrocca and a third-round draft pick, and on Friday signed Argentine midfielder Martin Saric and former Chivas USA and New York goalkeeper Jon Conway.

Those may be the final moves after parting ways with Amado Guevara, Carl Robinson, Adrian Serioux, Greg Sutton and Pablo Vitti in the offseason.

Dwayne De Rosario (11 goals) is a solid striker, but Toronto has plenty of health concerns. Forward Chad Barrett, midfielder Jacob Peterson and defender Emmanuel Gomez are all sidelined with potentially serious injuries.

Toronto went scoreless in a preseason tournament in Charleston, S.C., and Preki seems to believe his new club is a work in progress.

"It is a process and we are not going to be good overnight, but we will be good at some point," he said. "We have some really good players here and we just have to learn to play together."