Frankie Hejduk's arrival in Columbus at the beginning of the 2003 MLS season could not have come at a better time. The Crew team he joined was about to lose its most recognizable player in Brian McBride, who would leave for Fulham at the end of the season. Several other long-serving players, such as Mike Clark, Brian West, Robert Warzycha and Todd Yeagley had either just left the team or would do so after the 2003 season. Both on and off the field, the team was grappling with how to rebuild its identity.

With the end of the year quickly approaching, and the 2009 season starting to recede into memories both good and bad, this seems to be a good time to look back and begin to consider how the Crew's performance this season compares to previous years. One way to do this is to examine how playing time was distributed in 2009, compared with past seasons.

Which MLS team has won the most trophies since 2002? If the Columbus Crew are not your first thought, that is understandable. The team endured three miserable seasons from 2005-07, winning only 28 games out of 94 played (28-42-24), failing to make the playoffs each time. In 2006, the team finished dead last. Bracketing that forgettable three year stretch, however, the team also took home five domestic trophies - more than any other team (DC United and the LA Galaxy each won four).