Major League Soccer's marathon of a regular season subjects each team to any number of challenges before it comes to a close in late October. Even against such a wide scope of parameters, what Crew SC will have to replace this weekend against D.C. United is unlike anything it has faced since it opened the year March 7 at Houston.

Sunday's game will see the Crew forced to play without arguably the most important half of its four-man attacking corps: forward Kei Kamara and midfielder Federico Higuain. Kamara is tied for the league lead with 22 goals, while Higuain's role is vital to how the Crew plays as he directs the attack and puts his teammates in position to be successful.

How on earth will coach Gregg Berhalter replace both of them for a game that will determine the Crew's playoff seeding? It's a multi-faceted question with a few potential variables. Let's start up top.

Major League Soccer�s marathon of a regular season subjects each team to any number of challenges before it comes to a close in late October. Even against such a wide scope of parameters, what Crew SC will have to replace this weekend against D.C. United is unlike anything it has faced since it opened the year March 7 at Houston.

Sunday�s game will see the Crew forced to play without arguably the most important half of its four-man attacking corps: forward Kei Kamara and midfielder Federico Higuain. Kamara is tied for the league lead with 22 goals, while Higuain�s role is vital to how the Crew plays as he directs the attack and puts his teammates in position to be successful.

How on earth will coach Gregg Berhalter replace both of them for a game that will determine the Crew�s playoff seeding? It�s a multi-faceted question with a few potential variables. Let�s start up top.

Does Berhalter replace Kamara with one forward?

Higuain�s position forces Berhalter�s hand somewhat. He�s not able to play on the wings, and with a physical presence like Kamara up top he�s unable to really fill the role of a second striker up top. Higuain�s more of a playmaker underneath, someone who can make things happen in the middle of the field.

With both missing, does the Crew potentially alter its formation and go with, say, Aaron Schoenfeld and Jack McInerney up top? It seems and sounds unlikely.

Asked if he will look at changing formations, Berhalter said today, �I�m sure we will. I�m sure we�ll do something a little bit different. We still have an identity. We have a philosophy that we�l l stick with but within that structure I�m sure there will be some slight alterations.�

The phrase �slight alterations� doesn�t sound like an overhaul of the team�s scheme. That leads into the next question:

Who is the one forward?

On paper, this doesn�t seem like it would be much of a question. Closing out his sixth MLS season, McInerney has scored 37 goals with a career-high 12 for Philadelphia in 2013. In his four seasons, Schoenfeld has four goals, three of which came last season – and two of those came in one game, a breakout performance at New York.

But when Kamara missed the Crew�s home game Sept. 6 while away on international duty, McInerney was ineffective in a 3-0 loss to FC Dallas. Or, to be more precise, the offense was ineffective in trying to involve him as crosses that Kamara would usually head home were instead wasted on a player with McInerney�s talents. Since that game, he has been limited to one appearance when he played four minutes in a 2-1 loss at New York on Oct. 3 due to a hamstring injury.

After that game, Berhalter said the substitution actually hurt the Crew�s attempts to find a tying goal. In Saturday�s 2-0 win at Toronto, Schoenfeld made his first appearance since he replaced McInerney against Dallas and helped close out the game.

�I would say those are two guys we are looking to fill that void this week,� Berhalter said. �A lot of it is going to depend on training this week and training this month, what they�ve been doing this whole month. We�ll take a look at that, but we�ll get one of those guys ready.�

If Berhalter is looking at the body of work for this whole month, does the fact that McInerney has missed most of it with the hamstring injury hurt his chances for Sunday?

�I�m not sure of that,� the coach said. �I think he�ll be available for selection.�

When reporters were allowed into practice today, both McInerney and Schoenfeld were fully active.

Asked about Schoenfeld�s last few weeks, Berhalter said, �Aaron�s a fantastic guy and a team player. He wants the best for the team, so he�s a guy that�s willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful. For his part, this last month has been training. He�s accepted that. I know it�s not easy for a guy who last year was a starter in the playoffs, but that�s the way it is right now, especially having a guy like Kei who has scored so many goals and is doing so well. The key is when he gets his opportunity that he�s ready, and the opportunity could be as soon as this week.�

Schoenfeld said the potential for playing time will not change his preparation this week.

�I come out here every day and work as hard as I can and try to get as much as I can from training,� he said. �As a competitor you want as many chances as you can get to prove yourself.�& amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

So what about Pipa�s spot?

Here�s where everything gets even muddier. For most of the last two seasons, Berhalter has cited homegrown player Ben Speas as Higuain�s primary backup. When asked about Speas, Berhalter has consistently pointed out how challenging it is to find minutes for Speas when he�s behind a player whose abilities and impact aren�t the easiest to quantify.

But when asked about Speas� season, Berhalter didn�t pull many punches.

�I think disappointing for him personally,� he said. �I think he would�ve hoped for more playing time. That�s the way it goes. Federico�s been performing exceptionally well. He gives us a high level of quality and it�s been difficult for Ben to get on the field in other spots. He did against Dallas, but for the most part he�s played that position.�

In that Dallas game, Speas made his second start of the season but came off after 58 minutes. He played on the left side of the midfield as the Crew was without a third of its roster due to international call-ups.

�Obviously the playing time (this year), everyone wants to play,� Speas said. �If you�re on the roster you want to play, so the less playing time you have the more disappointing it would be. It�s been (about) finding ways I can get better. I think it would be easy to relax if someone was in my position, but I try to push myself. I try to make sure I�m learning from the guys in front of me and whenever called upon or whatever happens in the future, just be ready to get my playing time.�& amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

But who else is in contention aside from Speas? Offseason signing Kristinn Steindorsson has been seen taking reps there during practice throughout the year and has mentioned that playing inside is his preferred position, but he will miss the next several weeks after undergoing knee surgery last Friday. Fellow offseason acquisition Mohammed Saeid has made his money this year filling in for Wil Trapp at the other end of the midfield, but prefers more of an attacking role and could also be an option.

Addressing the position, Berhalter pointed out that midfielder-turned-defender Hector Jimenez manned that spot for an injured Higuain in the Crew�s 3-1 playoff loss at New England that ended its season a year ago.

�We feel like we have a number of options that can play that role,� Berhalter said. �If you remember the last playoff game in New England, it was Hector. We think Hector�s an option, Ben Speas is certainly an option. We feel like there�s a number of guys who can potentially step up.�& amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

Evaluating Jimenez�s role in that game is almost impossible given the stakes. After allowing four goals in the opening game, the Crew had to attack, attack, attack in order to try and advance given the away goals format of the postseason. This season, he reprised that role in the season opener, replacing Higuain in the 75th minute of a 1-0 loss at Houston. Eighteen of his 23 appearances have come as a defender, 17 of them at right back.

Speas said most of his time this season has been spent playing Higuain�s central position in practice.

�That�s where Gregg sees me,� he said. �I like to play on the outside as well. I haven�t done that as much recently. Whatever it is, I can play in the middle. I like to get the ball and turn there, but I also like to go 1v1 on the outside as well.

�It�s been good. It�s been a learning process. Obviously I�d like to get more minutes. It�s tough at times, but I�m here for the team whenever called upon. I�ve just been working working to better my game so when I am called upon I�m ready to go and just to get better as a player, as well.�

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy