COLUMBUS – With Wil Trapp and Tony Tchani already in the fold and Mohammed Saeid fresh off a strong debut, Columbus Crew SC have plenty of talent in the central midfield.
The club might be looking to bring in a little more.
Former Toronto FC and FC Dallas midfielder and Canadian international Julian de Guzman has been training with Crew SC this week, with Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter considering adding the veteran 33-year-old to his young group.
“Julian is a player with a lot of experience, both internationally and domestically, so he’s someone that we’re taking a look at,” Berhalter said. “He’s a player that could potentially fit into the type of guy we’d look for. Then you add the experience to the mix, and it’s something that could help a young group.”
De Guzman, who has been without a club since May 2014, logged 77 MLS appearances from 2009-12, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists. Prior to signing with Toronto as a Designated Player in the summer of 2009, de Guzman spent time in Germany and Spain, notably winning player of the year honors for La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña in the 2007-08 season.
With 76 career caps for Canada and set to turn 34 next Wednesday, de Guzman trained with Columbus on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Berhalter did not say what the veteran midfielder’s status would be after the short stint, but he did admit it was de Guzman’s agent who had contacted the club.
“We were contacted by his representative, and they asked if he could come train with us for a little bit,” he said. “We said, ‘Sure.’”
De Guzman’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
Berhalter said he was not scouting de Guzman before the call came. The Crew SC boss called de Guzman’s appearance in training just a day after the club released rookie forward Sagi Lev-Ari – a move that put Columbus one player under the roster limit – a “pure coincidence.”
Berhalter said that Lev-Ari’s spot could be used either for adding a new player or for this summer's impending arrival of Congolese winger Cedrick.
“It’s a continuous process,” Berhalter said. “You’re always looking to add to the squad.”
