It might be an exaggeration to say Sam Cronin saved the Loons’ season last year, but the arrival Cronin and Marc Burch from the Colorado Rapids at the end of March definitely turned around a defense that struggled mightily through the club’s first month in MLS. New teams often want for consistency and communication as players settle in, and Cronin’s presence in the defensive midfield accelerated that process and brought a measure of self-possession and control to the middle third that the team was sorely lacking.
There’s a personal cost, though, to being right in the middle of the action.