Promotion and Relegation in MLS? Not Yet.

Promotion and Relegation in MLS? Not Yet. by Jarrod Connally

Should Columbus Crew SC consider forward Robert Earnshaw in today’s Waiver Draft?

Major League Soccer will hold a Waiver Draft today at 3 p.m. for six players, giving clubs a chance to claim recently waived players from around the league.

Columbus Crew SC is eighth in the draft order.

Players in the draft include former Toronto FC and Chicago Fire forward Robert Earnshaw, Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Joe Nasco, Fire defender Marco Franco, Fire midfielder Victor Pineda, Fire midfielder Grant Ward and Philadephia Union forward Aaron Wheeler.

With his experience, Earnshaw is an intriguing potential pickup for Crew SC, and the Black and Gold should consider scooping up the former Welsh international.

The striker position was a weak spot for Crew SC last season, with no one single player rising to the occasion to stand above the rest. Instead, the club often relied on attacking midfielder Federico Higuain to both create and score himself, which resulted in Higuain leading Crew SC in both assists and goals a season ago.

During the offseason, Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter brought in Kei Kamara to be the team’s premier striker and goal-scorer. However, even with the addition of Kamara, Crew SC still lacks options up top, and Earnshaw would provide the extra depth that the club needs when Kamara rests or sustains an injury. He would offer an immediate upgrade over Adam Bedell, Aaron Schoenfeld and the other backup forwards on the Black and Gold roster.

Earnshaw would bring a wealth of high-level experience from years in English leagues to Crew SC. He is the only player to score a hat-trick at every professional level in England, including all three levels of the English Football League, the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup, and at the international level.

At 33 years old, Earnshaw is past his prime, but showed in the past two years that he can still provide offense during stints with Toronto FC and Chicago Fire.

At Toronto, he scored eight goals in 26 appearances (23 starts) and earned MLS Player of the Week honors during the 2013 season. After a short stint with Championship side Blackpool, Earnshaw returned to MLS in August 2014 and joined Chicago Fire. In Chicago, he scored three goals in five appearances (one start).

If Crew SC wants to add depth up top, the Black and Gold should take a long look at Earnshaw in today’s draft.

The draft will take place today at 3 p.m. by teleconference call. The complete draft order is listed below.

1. Chicago

2. Houston

3. Toronto FC

4. Philadelphia

5. Portland

6. Kansas City

7. Vancouver

8. Columbus

9. FC Dallas

10. Real Salt Lake

11. DC United

12. New York Red Bulls

13. Seattle

14. New England

15. Los Angeles

16. New York City FC

17. Orlando City FC

18. Montreal

19. San Jose

20. Colorado