It was just about a year ago — Aug. 1, 2015, to be exact — when Crew SC was dismantled 5-2 by Orlando City at the Citrus Bowl. Afterward, Crew coach Gregg Berhalter was so despondent he did not speak to his players. Think about that. Even his message-control software froze.
“I have never been more disappointed in this group than we are now,” he said at the time. “The performance was way below MLS standard, let alone our standard. We all let ourselves down today."
It was the nadir of the Crew’s 2015 season. The team responded by winning seven of its last 11 games, winning the Eastern Conference title and gaining the right to have the MLS Cup final at Mapfre Stadium.