Crew show they will go down fighting - if only owners had similar resolve

TORONTO - In the likely event the Columbus Crew cease to exist - and they will cease to exist, despite the relocated franchise looting an MLS Cup on its way out - the club's supporters will have some time to fill.

Since owner Anthony Precourt revealed the Crew were exploring a move to Texas last October, soccer fans in Columbus have educated themselves in various disciplines to try and find a way to keep their club. Club sponsorship and Major League Soccer commerce has been pawed over to understand and maybe address the franchise's lacking marketability. Their close scrutiny of Precourt's search for stadium-ready Austin parkland has expedited district knowledge that would be useful in the live music mecca's council offices. Unfortunately, ideas to keep Columbus' team are running out, and the supporters may need to find a new hobby in 2019.

But Columbus enjoyed a welcome victory in Saturday's MLS opener, beating a Toronto FC side that has upgraded since it was widely dubbed the greatest ensemble the league has ever seen. After all the politics and fallout over the course of the off-season, it was a relief to ignore the monetization of the game and appreciate what it's all about. It was a blue-collared 2-0 road win that should make the city proud, and one that is a credit to the focus of Gregg Berhalter's squad.

"We don't have any choice," Harrison Afful told theScore of plugging away after all the external distractions. "It's part of the game. So far as we are professional, we just have to keep going and do the work as it comes."

Federico Higuain was the Crew's nucleus, continually calling for the ball and then mailing it to his colleagues. Pedro Santos and Cristian Martinez swapped flanks with a fluidity that bamboozled the host in the first half - the latter's deft footwork tied up Justin Morrow before his shot tickled the upright after 12 minutes - but Higuain was particularly appreciative of his new teammate Gyasi Zardes.

"He's a great guy, a great teammate. His work rate is unbelievable," Higuain reflected in the locker room. "As a center-forward, we are very happy to have him with us."

Although one match is an extremely small sample size, Zardes would be a smart bet for the MLS Comeback Player of the Year prize. The frontman hasn't exceeded six league goals since fashioning 16 in his standout 2014 term, but followed Higuain's opener just before the interval with his own strike 52 seconds into the second stanza. Santos' skimming pass was sublime, but over the course of the game, Zardes' relentless running and selfless play as the lone man made him one of the game's stellar players and a deserved scorer on his debut. Like Columbus, many had written Zardes off, but he responds with characteristic, head-down drudgery.

It's a shame the Crew's ownership can't treat Columbus in a similar manner. Why not concede that Mapfre Stadium is a lame duck - it's clearly not the best site when you can't even get a beer nearby to the ground - and plan to build in Dodge Park or Arena District West? The pursuit of permission and even cost would likely prove less of a headache than the so-far unproductive hunt for space in Austin. But then there are supporter complaints that MLS has already moved on from Columbus: the Crew are given a paltry two matches on national television this year, glitzy newcomer LAFC has 12.

Thankfully for the downtrodden fans, the team mirrored their passion and narrow-mindedness in the weekend's inaugural match of this season.

"For us, we are as a team. We just concentrate on ourselves," said Lalas Abubakar. "Play every week as best as we can together and see how the season is going to go for us. We keep working hard every day at practice and making progress throughout the season."

The 2-0 triumph was a statement. Not just for what Berhalter has managed to assemble in Columbus amid the relocation hubbub, but also because it was three points gathered from the side that dumped it from the 2017 postseason.

Abubakar added: "When I came back to this locker room I was like 'no, I'm not going back to Columbus without a win.' We fought together."

Next Saturday's opponents, the Montreal Impact, be warned. Despite trading away 31 goals - including the high-profile departures of Ola Kamara and Justin Meram - Columbus can silence naysayers throughout the 2018 campaign and will be roared on by the irrepressible "Save the Crew" movement for the Quebecois' visit.