The process has taken three years, but it certainly appears to be worth the effort put in.

Columbus Crew SC won its second MLS Cup title Saturday by defeating defending champion Seattle Sounders FC on home turf. It was a tale of redemption in multiple ways, including the fact that the Crew avenged their 2015 Cup loss to Portland Timbers – also at their home stadium.

But what will be remembered even more is the team’s rise back to the top of MLS just a few years after it appeared the club’s future was back in serious doubt.

Rewind to October 2017: then-Crew owner Anthony Precourt announced that he was intently exploring many options for the club’s long-term future, including a move to Austin. The news seemed to come virtually out of the blue, and MLS management had a choice; stand up for the very first club in league history, or side with the owner. To the dismay of many, MLS chose the latter option.

Commissioner Don Garber criticized Columbus for ranking poorly in several business-related factors and felt Austin could do a better job. Crew supporters have not forgiven him for turning his back on the team and the city. At the same time, a group of Ohio-based investors stepped in to purchase the team, and create the groundwork for a new downtown stadium which will open in 2021.

Once the Crew knew they had a future in Columbus past 2017-18, they began a consistent path of growth, with reaching the playoffs, and being one of the most consistent teams in the group stage of the “MLS is Back” tournament. They hit some rough patches at the end of the 2020 regular season, but ended up having home-field advantage for both the Eastern Conference Final and the MLS Cup.

Columbus Crew SC managed to defeat Seattle despite missing two pivotal players – Darlington Nagbe and Pedro Santos had both tested positive for COVID-19, and the fact is the club doesn’t reach MLS Cup without either of them. But the two players who took their spots in the starting XI rose to the challenge, with Derrick Etienne Jr. scoring a goal.

So Columbus has its second championship, avenging the heartbreak of five years. More importantly, it knows it will continue in the capital of Ohio for years to come, with a new stadium to look forward to. While there will be many fond memories of Columbus Crew/MAPFRE Stadium, their new ground is the perfect example of a team, and a city, moving forward against all obstacles.

“The first step in solving any problem is being able to admit there is a problem.”

There’s a high chance that Ed Woodward and the Glazer family have heard that saying in their lifetimes, yet it appears neither party has the humility to follow through on that quote and make efforts to amend the problem.

Woodward took over as Manchester United chief executive in 2013, not long after the club won its 13th Premier League title, and 20th top-flight championship all-time. In the years since, the team performances have been a far cry from those when Sir Alex Ferguson was manager. Even in the three seasons since 2013 when the club has finished in the top four, they were never serious title challengers.

Naturally, one’s first instinct when looking at the less-than-impressive record may be to question the manager. David Moyes certainly didn’t have the same impact on the dressing room that Ferguson had. Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho did win silverware, but not on a consistent basis. And it would be an understatement to refer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as a “roller coaster.”

For all the problems the managers have faced, the one constant has been Woodward in a management position. He succeeded David Gill in the role, having previously worked at the club in a financial capacity, and his lack of experience in on-field matters has made its presence known decisively.

Take the opening three matches of the 2020-21 Premier League season, for example. United have been outscored 11-5 by Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Tottenham. Yet with the transfer deadline looming, the club have made one signing (Donny Van de Beek), while sending several players out on loan. A lot of attention has been given to potential forwards who could join, but what about the defense? Harry Maguire is truly in the midst of a “sophomore slump,” while others have shown they might not be up to par. It falls to Woodward and the board to bring in new players, and while title-challenging clubs have made moves leading up to the deadline, United are about to sleep through the alarm.

Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani are reportedly about to join, but the fact remains Woodward has acted less than admirably in his time as chief executive. Not unlike certain Americans, he appears only interested in making sure he keeps his current position – having power for the sake of power, yet doing nothing with it. He’s now in his eighth season in charge; how much longer until he or the Glazers recognize a change within themselves is needed?

After a two-week break, Manchester United return to action with two matches that could arguably make or break their 2019-20 season. Monday sees the Red Devils travel to Stamford Bridge to renew their rivalry with Chelsea, while the Europa League Round of 16 begins with Club Brugge awaiting.

It’s felt longer than six months since the season-opening win over the Blues at Old Trafford, a game that almost felt too good to be true for United supporters. Given what’s transpired on the field since, it supposedly was too good to be true. In the 24 Premier League matches since, United have seen eight wins, eight draws, and eight losses. While some of the wins have come against high-profile opponents, including Tottenham and Manchester City, losses to the likes of Watford and Burnley have put a dent in their ambitions for a top-four finish.

To be fair, a lot of the issues have been injury-related; Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, and Scott McTominay have all missed significant amounts of time, and the club is undoubtedly better with those men on the field. But as mentioned in previous posts, it’s a curious dynamic of United seeming to show up for the big games, while barely showing any interest against other opponents.

That brings about the question of how seriously Manchester United will take the Europa League. In 2017, Jose Mourinho put all his stock into winning the competition and returning to the Champions League, and it paid off with victory in the Final over Ajax. Now, with the potential UEFA competition ban being assessed to Manchester City, United could potentially qualify for the Champions League if they finish fifth in the Premier League, and a win at Chelsea certainly keeps those hopes more than alive. The million-dollar question remains: which Manchester United team shows up not just Monday, but Thursday against Club Brugge? Expect this week’s results to give an indication on how the rest of the season will unfold.

When one thinks about how Manchester United have fared over the last 10 years, the first instinct is to divide the decade in two parts: the club under Sir Alex Ferguson, and after Ferguson’s retirement. How one man was able to affect the fortunes of a club and a domestic league could be dismissed as an exaggeration, but there is no way to exaggerate the impact Ferguson had on United, and the Premier League has a whole.

The 2009/10 season saw United once again challenge for a Premier League title, only to falter to Chelsea on the final day. The Red Devils would bounce back to regain the championship in 2011, also advancing to the Champions League Final. After the heartbreak of the 2011/12 finale, when crosstown rival Manchester City won the EPL with literally the last kick of the season, United added Robin van Persie to their roster. The Dutchman quickly made an impact in his first season at Old Trafford, leading the Premier League in goals as United sent Fergie into retirement with another league title.

David Moyes had the unenviable task of succeeding Ferguson, and he did win the Community Shield in his first match of consequence with the club. However, despite United reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, their poor form in the league meant Moyes was sacked prior to the end of the 2013/14 season, with Ryan Giggs serving as interim player-manager in the final games. Louis van Gaal took over in the summer of 2014, and he did lead United back into the Champions League and to their first FA Cup triumph in 12 years, but he too was let go after two seasons at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho arrived in the summer of 2016, as did big-name players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba. United started the Premier League season well, but it soon became clear that Mourinho was banking on the club winning the Europa League, which they would do by defeating Ajax in the Final. United would then finish runners-up in the EPL in 2017/18 – their highest finish in the post-Sir Alex era – their season marked by a famous 3-2 win at Manchester City. But struggles early in the 2018/19 campaign meant Mourinho was out by December, and in came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With the former striker as caretaker manager, the players seemed to be relaxed and comfortable, going on an impressive win streak and upsetting Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Once Solskjaer was given the job full-time, however, the performances dipped, with a final day home loss to Cardiff summing up the struggles of the last few months of that season. For the first half of 2019/20, there appear to be two different Uniteds for the most part; the team that shows up for big matches against old rivals, and the side that loses to lesser-known clubs. December alone has been a great example; United began the month with wins over Tottenham and Manchester City in a four-day span. They would later settle for a home draw with Aston Villa, while losing at then-last place Watford.

Manchester United closed 2019 with consecutive wins over Newcastle United and Burnley, and will start 2020 on the road at Arsenal. All signs appear to show that management will observe how the transfer window goes, then allow Solskjaer to finish out the season before making a decision moving forward. Will United have another roller-coaster decade in the 2020s? Fans will certainly hope for a return to consistency, and a return to the world’s elite.

The “Decade in Review” series continues with a look at how Ohio Bobcats football fared during the 2010s. In one sense, it was a consistent decade for the team, as head coach Frank Solich presided over squads that consistently posted bowl-eligible records. At the same time, there was a fair amount of unpredictability, with teams picked to seriously contend for a MAC title ultimately underachieving.

The Bobcats closed the previous decade with an unexpected MAC East championship in 2009, and after a rocky start to open the 2010 season, appeared destined for a return trip to Detroit following seven straight wins. However, a road loss at Kent State meant Ohio would watch their archrival Miami win the conference crown instead.

Ohio regrouped in 2011 and not only won the East, but took a 20-0 lead into halftime of the MAC title game against Northern Illinois. However, the Huskies rallied with 23 unanswered points to win the championship, but Ohio would go on to rally in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and beat Utah State for their first-ever bowl game victory. 2012 began with a non-conference win at Penn State, as the Bobcats won their first seven games and entered the BCS rankings for the first time. Although they’d drop four of their last five to close the regular season, they would dominate Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl 45-14.

The 2013, 2014, and 2015 campaigns saw Ohio consistently finish in the middle of the MAC East standings, with 2014 being the one year in the decade that the Bobcats would miss out on a bowl invitation, despite finishing 6-6. In 2016, Ohio would emerge from the East as division champion for the third time in an eight-year span. They would give unbeaten Western Michigan all they could handle in the championship game but the Broncos ultimately prevailed 29-23.

The last three seasons of the decade have a common thread: high expectations that were not met. Ohio was the preseason pick to win at least the East in 2017, ’18, ‘and ’19; the last two of those they were also tabbed to win the MAC. However, it was a case of one or two games that Ohio expected to win but didn’t.  The last two years, that proverbial thorn in the Bobcats’ side has been archrival Miami, who kicked a late field goal in November to win the 2019 meeting. Ohio found themselves needing to win their final two games this fall to become bowl-eligible, but they did just that by outscoring Bowling Green and Akron by a total of 118-27. The Bobcats will return to Boise, Idaho on January 3 as they face Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

So what’s next for Ohio football as they enter the 2020s? One thing likely to change is their head coach, as Frank Solich is already well in his 70s. The Bobcats will also begin the decade with a new quarterback following the graduation of Nathan Rourke, who has set many career and single-season records over his time in Athens. The million dollar question remains, will Ohio stay near the top of the MAC standings, or will it fall back into the state it was in prior to Solich’s 2005 arrival? Expect the next few seasons to reveal the answer.

With the New Year beginning next week, that’s brought many “Best of the Decade” lists, although one could argue the current decade doesn’t end until 2020. Regardless, the last ten years have seen inevitable change to sports teams around the globe. This series will take a look at several of those teams who have adapted well to change, and those who haven’t.

This edition will examine how Ohio State Buckeyes football fared in the 2010s.

The start of the decade saw high expectations for the Buckeyes, as they began the 2010 calendar year with a Rose Bowl win over Oregon. With quarterback Terrelle Pryor back along with other other returning starters, Ohio State was a heavy favorite to contend for the national title, but a midseason loss to Wisconsin saw the Buckeyes settle for a shared conference title.

While Ohio State would win their Sugar Bowl matchup with Arkansas, they would ultimately vacate that result – along with the whole season – as punishment for violations involving a memorabilia scandal that would also force the resignation of head coach Jim Tressel. While Luke Fickell did the best he could as interim, the Buckeyes would endure their first non-winning season since 1999, with losses in their final four games, including to archrival Michigan.

Urban Meyer was brought in as the new permanent head coach, and started his tenure with 24 straight wins. There would come a point, though, when the Buckeyes lost three of four – the Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan State, the Orange Bowl to Clemson, and a regular-season matchup with Virginia Tech. Despite that, the 2014 Buckeyes responded to that early setback with 13 straight wins, culminating with victories over Alabama and Oregon as they won the inaugural College Football Playoff. After many years of near-misses, Ohio State returned to “National Champion” status.

The 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons would all be extremely similar, with Ohio State fielding good teams, but never quite able to get back to the championship game. The Buckeyes did return to the playoff in 2016 despite not winning the Big Ten, but were outclassed by eventual national champion Clemson. 2017 saw a rare two-loss season, with Oklahoma and Iowa both getting the better of the Buckeyes. 2018 could also be in the same category, with Ohio State engineering a nearly flawless season, with the exception of a nightmare Saturday night at Purdue.

Now in 2019, Ohio State has another opportunity to return to the top of the college football world. The Buckeyes navigated an unbeaten regular season, followed by a come-from-behind performance in the Big Ten Championship Game, and doing this with Ryan Day experiencing his first full year as a head coach. Justin Fields has handled the transition from Georgia to Ohio State well, and Chase Young has emerged as the best defensive player in the country; he was the first defensive player to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony since Manti Te’o in 2012. Now the Buckeyes have a chance to avenge the December 2016 Fiesta Bowl loss with another meeting against Clemson. Should they win, Ohio native and onetime Buckeyes quarterback Joe Burrow likely awaits in the national championship game. All signs point to Ohio State continuing their high level of play in the coming decade.

With that comes high expectations. But Ohio State has embraced those in the past, and there’s no reason to believe that will change anytime soon.

Through eight matches of the 2019-2020 Premier League, one club has managed nine points with two wins and three draws. Their season started with a 4-0 victory at home, but the club has appeared lackluster in recent weeks, having struggled to hold onto leads while appearing disinterested at times in road fixtures. Their latest loss leaves them just two points above the relegation zone.

If one were to ask a fan what club the above paragraph described, few might guess Manchester United. But that is indeed the case.

The 20-time English top-flight champions are no longer the same team that was winning trophies left and right in the 1990s, the 2000s, and even the first part of this decade. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013, it has been a consistent decline for the club, and worse may still be to come.

Opinions are mixed on whether to blame manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as one reason why the club is struggling, but the facts show that United were almost a polar opposite when he was still “interim manager” following the firing of Jose Mourinho. During that time, the club went on a tear in the Premier League, and staged an incredible comeback at PSG to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Once Solskjaer was given the job full-time, the club stumbled to the season’s finish line, including a home loss to already-relegated Cardiff on the final day.

United haven’t fared much better in cup competitions, either. They needed penalties to edge past Rochdale in the League Cup third round, and while they haven’t yet lost in the Europa League group, the performances in those two matches was less than inspiring.

What the club could really use is changes in management. Ed Woodward has been chief executive since 2013, and while reports show he has been successful at making the club profit as a business, their progress on the pitch has been sorely lacking. It was not his decision that David Moyes succeeded Ferguson, but it was his call to hire Louis van Gaal, then Jose Mourinho, and now Solskjaer. There have been many instances where he has appeared out of his depth, especially with player signings, and fans (along with former captain Gary Neville) have been vocal about their desire to see him removed from football-related operations.

Manchester United head into the international break with uncertainty, and will be in the unenviable position of hosting unbeaten Liverpool in their first game back. Will this be the last stand for Solskjaer, Woodward, or others associated with the club? For some, that change cannot come soon enough.

West Virginia’s 2018 football season came to an end Friday with a Camping World Bowl loss to Syracuse. Even though it’s been several days since that game, the way the season ended has been a bitter pill to swallow after the optimism that surrounded the Mountaineers in August.

After six years of being in the middle or bottom of the Big 12 pack, 2018 was viewed by both fans and media as the year West Virginia would break through and challenge Oklahoma for league supremacy. Ever since Will Grier, David Sills, and others announced last December that they’d return for this campaign, players continued to receive individual recognition; Grier was named preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and a First Team All-American. The quarterback backed up that hype in the season opener with five touchdown passes as WVU cruised past Tennessee 40-14 in Charlotte.

Despite a significant hiccup in October at Iowa State, the Mountaineers appeared to be continuing that momentum into November, controlling their own destiny for a berth in the College Football Playoff. That came to an end when WVU let a halftime lead slip away in a loss at Oklahoma State, but the Mountaineers had the simplest of scenarios to advance to the Big 12 championship game: beat Oklahoma and they would be in. However, the defense’s failure to stop several Sooner drives, coupled with two Grier fumbles returned for touchdowns, led to a 59-56 win for Oklahoma, and another opportunity lost for WVU. The bowl game loss to Syracuse meant three straight losses to end a season which started with promise.

Time will tell how the legacies for players like Grier and Sills will be remembered, although it’s likely to be positive. Grier endeared himself to the Mountaineer fan base over his two years in Morgantown, and most fans were understanding of his decision to not play in the Camping World Bowl in order to prepare for the NFL Draft. At the same time, though, the record doesn’t lie, and the fact remains that WVU finished fourth in a league where they were predicted to finish second, with a legitimate shot to win a home game over Oklahoma – a team since they haven’t beaten since joining the Big 12.

Now the question is not just who succeeds Grier at quarterback, but what’s next for the West Virginia program as a whole. As of Monday night, Dana Holgorsen is on the cusp of leaving to become the head coach at Houston, with the Cougars reportedly receiving permission from WVU to interview Holgorsen. Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has already left for Texas State, so if athletic director Shane Lyons wants to stay in-house for his next coach the front-runner would have to be defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. Or does Lyons bring in someone new to see if that candidate can make strides in Morgantown? Expect the answers to be revealed by the end of the week.

After an  almost-seven-year wait, Kevin Na returned to the PGA Tour winner’s circle Sunday at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. His final round 64 on the Old White TPC, which included a stretch of six birdies in seven holes, led to a five-shot victory over Kelly Kraft.

With Na having come close on multiple occasions between the two victories, there was understandably a lot of emotion during the trophy presentation. It was poignant that first to congratulate him on the 72nd hole was defending Greenbrier champion Xander Schauffele, who played alongside Na on Sunday; Bubba Watson, the two-time Masters champion who owns a home at the Greenbrier, also congratulated Na on #18.

So with Na having finally answered the question of when he would win on Tour again, what does the rest of the season hold?

Recent history shows that those who win at the Greenbrier use that success to kickstart the remainder of the season. In 2015, Danny Lee emerged from a four-man playoff to win his first (and to date, only) event as a pro. The New Zealand native would finish tied for third the very next week at the John Deere Classic, recording three more top ten finishes (including a T2 at the Tour Championship) en route to an appearance in the Presidents Cup.

Last year, Xander Schauffele came into White Sulphur Springs riding the momentum of his T5 at the US Open. His consistent performance of 64-69-66-67 included a last-hole birdie to win his first PGA Tour title. The California native also won the Tour Championship, earned Rookie of the Year honors, and has continued that success into five more top 10 finishes this season, including a T6 at the US Open.

So can Na keep his momentum going? Sunday’s win has taken him to 18th in the FedEx Cup and 13th in the Ryder Cup rankings. He won’t play again until the Open Championship in two weeks at Carnoustie, but how he fares in the first round on July 19th could be very telling as to how his week, and perhaps the rest of his season, will play out.