Crew Trades Top Scorer Buddle for 19-Year-Old

By Shawn Mitchell, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Mar. 29–The Crew yesterday traded Edson Buddle, its best goalscorer, to the New York Red Bulls for 19-year-old Eddie Gaven. On the surface, it appears a bizarre move by a club that scored only 34 goals in 32 games, worst in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.

But in the mind of first-year coach Sigi Schmid, the long-rumored deal, in which Columbus also gained the rights to Pickerington graduate Chris Leitch, is sound.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go with what your gut tells you, and my gut said this is a move we needed to make,” Schmid said.

The trade would be especially puzzling if Gaven were to play his natural midfield position with the Crew, which will rely on rookies Kei Kamara and Jason Garey to fill one of two forward spots. Instead, Gaven is scheduled to start Saturday’s opener at the Kansas City Wizards in the striker spot vacated by Buddle.

“One thing Eddie gives us is versatility,” said Schmid, who coached Gaven on the U.S. Under-20 team.

Despite his youth, Gaven, a fourth-year player, gives the Crew a veteran presence in the attacking third. It is hoped that he will become as dangerous as Buddle around the net.

“Losing a forward is not ideal,” Crew general manager Mark McCullers said. “We’re not stacked with veteran forwards, and that was probably part of the hesitation to make this trade. But this worked out financially, and Gaven is an active player who goes nonstop.”

Gaven, a 2004 All-Star with three national-team appearances, had 16 goals and 12 assists in 62 games with New York (then the MetroStars). After starting 29 games in 2004, he played in 28 games last season and had eight goals and four assists. Schmid said he would like to see Gaven score between eight and 12 goals this season.

“Coach Sigi is a guy that lets you know what he wants from you,” Gaven said. “I’m psyched to be playing for him. I’m excited about the change and I’m looking forward to getting a fresh start with a new team.”

In four seasons with the Crew, Buddle, 24, scored 42 goals in 106 games, but fell out of favor with Schmid during training camp.

His talent — never fully tapped — was unquestioned. The effort was. Most players take time off while on the field, but despite leading the team in goals two of the past three seasons, his tendency to take ingame breaks did not sit well with his bosses.

“When Edson is on, he’s one of the top strikers in the league,” Schmid said. “A lot of the great goal-scorers tend to drift in and out. That can become a strength, because the defense forgets about them.

“For us, we needed to make sure we have enough workers on the field. Kyle (Martino) comes in and out. Sebastian (Rozental) comes in and out. The addition of Eddie gives you one thing every game: his work rate.”

Talent and effort aside, Gaven’s versatility should play well with the Crew. Although Schmid has crafted a solid defense, the offense is a work in progress.

Kamara will start Saturday, and Garey should challenge for a spot when he is fully recovered from a strained hamstring. Both were first-round draft picks, but Schmid is hesitant to rely on the rookies.

“Unless I totally missed the boat, I’m convinced that both of those guys are going to be outstanding players in this league for many years,” he said. “But you don’t want to put all your eggs into the baskets of rookies.”

If the projected lineup does not click, Gaven could move back to the midfield and John Wolyniec or Knox Cameron could step in at forward. Every player will be counted on to contribute on offense.

“I think our defense is going to keep us in the early games until we get on track offensively,” Schmid said. “But I think we’re going to be a handful. Gaven is a tough player, Martino can take you off the run and Rozental can pull off a bit of magic. It makes us multidimensional and tough to figure out.”

Leitch, a defender who was originally drafted by the Crew and played 13 games for the team in 2002, has yet to sign a contract. Although he trained with the team during its preseason swing in California, it’s questionable if he will join the roster. The backline is deep and talented, and his rights could be traded to a team in need of an outside back.

smitchell@dispatch.com

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