1/9/2012: What Designated Player Can Fill The Ekpo/Rogers Void On The Wings?
By Ryan Kozlowski
Crewture.com

The Columbus Crew have stated to their fans that they are courting many "well-known" players as a possible designated player option in 2012. The front office has confused "well known" for players such as Andres Mendoza or Sergio Herrera in the past. Crew fans want someone better known in the world of soccer, who will make a splash. And I hope it doesn't mean that the Crew sent Dejan Stankovic a facebook message like "would you want to play for us <3." I hope this is the real deal type of feelers.

The Crew need some firepower this season. Chile national teamer Milovan Mirosevic is a great start, but if the Crew can combine that with a big time DP, it will make one wonder where the front office who's flashiest signing last year was Tommy Heinemann went.

We need a Maciej Zurawski type rumor (Zurawski not moving to Columbus actually turned out to be his biggest mistake as his career went down the crapper by choosing Cyprus instead). But Zurawski was playing for Celtic at the time, that gets fans pumped when you have a player transferring from a big club such as Celtic or Inter Milan.

Designated player targets that have been thrown out by (overly) optimistic Crew fans are Stankovic, his Inter teammate Deigo Forlan, Humberto Suazo, Miguel Sabah, Juan Arango, and many more.

The front office is on steroids this year so far (with Mirosevic, Vargas, possibly Speas already, better ticket sales) they need to keep this momentum going by signing someone that will make fans jaws drop.

The Crew also should focus that designated player signing on someone who can play on the wings if Rogers or Ekpo do not re-sign.


Dejan Stankovic can play on the wings or just about anywhere in the midfield. He is the perfect match for Columbus if he does comes to Major League Soccer.

Stankovic has been rumored recently to be headed to Major League Soccer (since the Serbian only has 10 appearances, 5 from the bench so far this season for Inter). He's been connected with the obvious (and if you ask me plastic) clubs of the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bull.

I think Stankovic would enjoy his football more at Columbus.

First, he's a loyal type. He's only played for three clubs his entire career (Red Star Belgrade, Lazio, and Inter Milan). You know who else only played for three clubs, Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

He also strikes me as having a lot of the attributes of a Guillermo. Short, stocky, tough, no frills, lets his playing do the talking, never takes a game off. Attributes that the Nordecke would love; and might be more ignored in a place such as Los Angeles, when you got Beckham waltzing around and a half-interested Robbie Keane up at striker.

Further, he may be able to build a nice friendship/partnership with Mirosevic in the middle, since it appears Milovan Mirosevic is of Serbian descent as well.

Stankovic would be a star in Columbus, and just another act in the circus at Los Angeles or New York. Stankovic would be around the age of Guillermo when he came over and for some reason I would see Stankovic as an excellent match if the Crew could ever find the money. Plus we could all do the stanky leg if he scores.

The Crew have however said they were looking mainly at players from Peru, Chile, and Uruguay. Hmm.. Uruguay



Diego Forlan has been connected with the Seattle Sounders before extensively last season. He would also fill the Steven Lenhart void in the Nordecke (don't believe me type Diego Forlan in Google Images, reminds me so much of Lenhart). Also, another player with heart, lots of goals in him, and who would probably enjoy his football in Columbus.

Forlan in Copa America 2011:


But, likely it will be a lesser known player than Stankovic or Forlan, someone such as Mexican national player Miguel Sabah.



100 or so goals in 280 games. Not a blow you away type player, but someone the Crew could afford and someone that would still have success scoring in Columbus Crew Stadium (despite playing for the Mexican national team :-0). But, I see it being a Sabah-like name but from South America, someone capable with hopefully better overall attributes compared to a Mendoza or Herrera.

So, what type of designated player do you think will pick up in 2012?