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MLS Columbus Crew SC

Berhalter Attempting Rare MLS Coaching Feat

October 2, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


Crew Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has a chance to finish his first MLS season in exclusive company.

Since MLS switched to its current playoff format in 2011, only four other first-year head coaches who completed a full season with their clubs made the MLS Cup Playoffs at the conclusion of the campaign.

This year, Berhalter is one of six first-year coaches attempting to match that feat. Real Salt Lake's Jeff Cassar seems likely to do it, along with Oscar Pareja's FC Dallas. Carl Robinson's Vancouver Whitecaps and Berhalter's Crew are on the bubble as of now, with Pablo Mastroeni's Rapids and Frank Yallop's Fire likely to miss out.

Should Robinson and Berhalter's sides make the MLS Cup Playoffs, and assuming Cassar's and Pareja's join them, that would make just eight out of 19 instances where a full first-year head coach successfully qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs under the current format:

Coach Club Year Record Playoffs?

Gregg Berhalter CLB 2014 11-9-10* --

Wilmer Cabrera CHV 2014 6-18-6* No

Jeff Cassar RSL 2014 13-7-10* --

Robin Fraser CHV 2011 8-14-12 No

Jay Heaps NE 2012 9-17-8 No

Frank Klopas MTL 2014 6-18-6* No

Jesse Marsch MTL 2012 12-16-6 No

Pablo Mastroeni COL 2014 8-14-8 --

Ryan Nelsen TFC 2013 6-17-11 No

Oscar Pareja COL 2012 11-19-4 No

Oscar Pareja FCD 2014 14-10-6* --

Mike Petke NY 2013 17-9-8 Yes

Caleb Porter POR 2013 14-5-15 Yes

Martin Rennie VAN 2012 11-13-10 Yes

Carl Robinson VAN 2014 9-8-13* --

Marco Schallibaum MTL 2013 14-13-7 Yes

John Spencer POR 2011 11-14-9 No

Aron Winter TFC 2011 6-13-15 No

Frank Yallop CHI 2014 5-8-16* --

* Indicates season still in-progress

Berhalter is currently on-pace to steer his side to a season with more wins than defeats. Only three of the 13 previous coaches to complete a full year from this group accomplished that, with Cassar, Pareja and Robinson also on-pace to achieve that this season.

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