For Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus Crew SC, the end of summer has always marked the beginning of his teams’ transformation into what it will become known for.



Each year, Berhalter’s Crew looks competent and competitive through the first 20 or 25 games of the season, mixing attractive soccer and good wins with frustrating performances and bad losses. But by August or September, something almost always clicks.



For defender Josh Williams, that timing makes sense.



“If you consider yourself a title contender, you should be trending upward,” he said. “This is when you get down to the nitty-gritty. Teams really start to lock in right now.”



In Berhalter’s five seasons at the helm of the Crew, he’s managed a 65-55-43 record in the regular season, a mark of 1.46 points per game. But in June and July, his teams have managed a much less impressive 12-17-15, good for just 1.15 points per game.



After that...