Dear Crew Soccer Nation,
Our 15th season in Major League Soccer was one that provided some incredibly memorable moments, including the best start in club history and William Hesmer’s improbable goal at Toronto! This past weekend’s playoff match was a heart-breaking result, but we remain proud of our team’s accomplishments.
We were the only MLS team to advance to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finals and the MLS Cup playoffs. We amassed 50 points on the season, marking just the second time in club history at reaching this plateau. And, we finished the regular season with a 10-3-2 record at Crew Stadium, bringing our home record over the past three seasons to 30-7-8. Additionally, we have been the most successful MLS club over these past three seasons, posting a 44-22-24 record. In that time, we have accumulated six more wins and 16 more points than any other club, while earning two Supporters’ Shields.
A great deal of our success is attributable to our loyal fans, who create an energetic atmosphere at Crew Stadium, making it one of the most difficult places to play in MLS. Our team feeds off your passion, and you motivate us to work hard to maintain this high level of success.
Success is also being seen in our Crew youth development program, which captured National Championships at the Super 20s and U19 levels. These accomplishments reflect a bright future for our franchise and the ability to create a pipeline of home-grown talent for our major league roster. In fact, across the state of Ohio, the success of soccer at many levels has given our state an emerging national reputation as a soccer powerhouse. From nationally ranked high school programs to top flight NCAA programs, soccer in our state has grown exponentially in just a short period of time.
Of course, there is always room for improvement, and you can count on America’s Hardest Working Team to make on-field success and maintaining a championship caliber organization a top priority. As we evaluate all levels of our team, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Crew will be back contending for the MLS Cup in 2011.
Together, we have created a proud and growing tradition. We hope that you have enjoyed the experiences the Crew has provided over these past 15 seasons, and we look forward to sharing more memorable moments in the future.
Sincerely,
Mark McCullers
President & General Manager
