All eyes were on the Red Bulls when they came to Columbus on Saturday because of their recent signing of French legend, Thierry Henry, who wouldn’t be participating in the match.  First place was on the line yet again and yet again Renteria took it upon himself to dash New York’s hopes of snatching first place.

Columbus

——————-Hesmer——————–

—-Hejduk–Marshall–Iro–O’Rourke—-

——————–Carroll——————–

—-Gaven———Moffat———-Ekpo—-

————Renteria—-Schelotto———–

Bench: Gruenebaum; Brunner, Padula, Francis(Carroll 57′); Oughton, Rogers(Schelotto 85′); Garey(Renteria 80′)

New York

——————–Coundoul——————-

—-Sassano–Mendes—Ream–Borman—-

-Miller-Lindpere–Stammler-Ubiparipovic-

———–Angel————-Richards———–

Bench: Sutton; Petke; Robinson(Stammler 79′), Hall, Tchani(Ubiparipovic 45′); Kandji(Borman 45′), Chinn

Warzycha only made three changes to the lineup that lost to Kansas on Wednesday and tied Houston a week ago.  Emmanuel Ekpo started on the left wing in place of Robbie Rogers. Emilio Renteria paired with Guillermo Barros Schelotto up top to give Jason Garey a rest.  Finally, Danny O’Rourke took up position at left back while Gino Padula was available off the bench.  Renteria and Ekpo have been offensive sparks off the bench for weeks now so their inclusion in the starting 11 was long overdue.

Columbus dominated the match right from the start, as was the case in their 1-0 loss to Kansas on Wednesday. Unlike Wednesday, the sloppy, ineffective Crew were nowhere to be seen. In there place was a mean lean possession machine.  It wouldn’t have been surprising to see Columbus come out and play lazy, uninspired soccer considering they’ve had a game every 3 or 4 days since returning from the World Cup break.  Instead they played a beautiful passing game that left New York a step behind the whole time. “We played one of our best games” said Warzycha at the conclusion of the match. Pass the ball and don’t let them play, “That was our game plan.”  Warzycha devised the plan and the team executed it perfectly.  Short quick passes along the ground combined with the patience to switch the field and probe for an opening led to passing sequences of lengths previously unseen by the black and gold.  Columbus only had to wait 20 minutes to see the fruits of their labor.  The Crew defense had been pressuring hard on the rare occasions that the offense did lose possession and that pressure is where the sequence leading up to the goal began.

Juan Pablo Angel had the ball just outside the center circle when Brian Carroll was able to tap it away. Adam Moffat received it and in one touch passed it to Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Not a single New York player stepped up to pressure the Argentine defender so Schelotto took and moment to find an opening and then split two defenders with a long leading pass. Renteria had been bobbing back and forth with the New York back line trying to stay onside and when the pass was made and he took off after it the assistant ref kept his flag down. Renteria got just inside the 18 yard box before unleashing a shot. Bouna Coundoul managed to get a hand on the ball but it wasn’t enough to stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.

The rest of the first half was much of the same as Columbus put on a clinic while New York desperately tried to stay in the game. Renteria and Ekpo linked up in the 28th minute and it looked like there was a blowout in the works as Renteria buried the ball yet again. However, Henry breathed a sigh of relief from the comfort of his luxury box as the referee signaled for offside.  The teams went into the locker rooms only separated by one goal which failed to tell the story of Columbus’ dominance.

The Red Bulls made two changes at half time in an attempt to remedy their possession woes. Tony Tchani and Macounmba Kandji started the second half in place of Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Danleigh Borman, respectively.  The changes didn’t seem to help as the Crew struck again just three minutes into the second half. It was the 48th minute and Schelotto found himself in a familiar position.  He stood just behind the ball surveying the opponents box as his teammates jockeyed for prime position.  He took the kick, most likely looking to find the head of Chad Marshall or Andy Iro and he did, but not immediately.  The ball first struck the head of a New York defender who flicked it over the crowd of bodies filling the penalty area and toward the back post. It then met the head of Marshall who recognized that it didn’t have enough pace to successfully redirect on goal and instead sent it flying back into the melee.  The rookie defender Tim Ream leapt into the air and headed the ball out to the top of the box where it bounced a couple times before Brian Carroll met it mid bounce and pounded it back at goal.  It was the kind of shot that was destined for the back of the net from the moment it left his foot. The was rising the whole way as it screamed through the box and past the outstretch Coundoul. It was a world class goal from the most unlikely of players and it brought Crew Stadium to its feet.

Columbus almost scored again in the 75th minute as Gaven and Schelotto went back and forth down the right side. Gaven then served the ball in towards a sprinting Ekpo who knocked the ball towards goal before colliding with Coundoul.  The shot slid just wide of the post but it was close enough to give the New York bench a good scare.

With only a minute remaining in the match Crew captain, Frankie Hejduk, was ejected after a little kicking match with Carl Robinson. It was the only sour note on what was ultimately a great evening for Columbus. Hejduk will miss the next match against Houston on July24th, a game which he may have been left out of anyway to give the aging right back some much needed rest before heading into an incredibly congested August.

Referee: Abbey Okulaja, Referee Assistants: Joe Fletcher; Jeff Muschik, 4th Official: Silviu Petrescu

Weather at kickoff: High 80s and partly cloudy

Columbus’ next match is against the Houston Dynamo in Columbus on July 24th. The two teams last met just one week ago at Robertson Stadium in Houston and the game ended in a nil-nil draw.

The Wizards came to Columbus Wednesday night for the second half of the series and were looking to get their first points after returning from the World Cup break. The Wizards’ have lost all three of the games they’ve played since coming back from the break.  The Crew were the exact opposite, not only have they gone undefeated in their MLS league games but they’ve also earned wins in both the Open Cup matches in which they’ve participated.  Columbus was expecting to easily dispatch yet another conference foe and extend their lead in the East. Kansas came into Columbus desperate for points and took it to the Crew, mainly through the use of the counterattack.

Columbus

—————–Hesmer—————–

—Hejduk–Marshall–Iro–Padula—

——————Carroll—————–

—–Gaven—–Moffat—–Rogers—–

———-Schelotto——Garey———-

Bench: Gruenebaum; Brunner, O’Rourke, Francis; Ekpo; Lenhart(Garey 65′), Renteria(Rogers 65′)

Kansas

——————–Nielsen——————-

-Harrington-Conrad-Thomas-Espinoza-

–Smith–Arnaud—-Auvray–Rocastle–

———–Kamara——Bunbury———–

Bench: Kronberg; Leathers, Aiyegbusi(Auvray 83′); Diop(Smith 88′), Jewsbury, Zusi(Rocastle 64′); Wolff

Warzycha’s decision to march out the exact same lineup from sweat soaked draw in Houston just four days previous may prove to be a fatal blow to Columbus’ Supporters Shield hopes. It was an unexpected and seemingly unnecessary move that was most likely the leading cause of the Crew’s inevitable downfall against Kansas. The loss meant that the Crew squandered their game in hand on the New York Red Bulls and lost three precious points in the race for the SS.

Columbus pushed hard right from the opening whistle and unleashed the first shot of the match just three minutes into the match.  Kansas was able to withstand the storm and attack on the counter. Stephane Auvray and Ryan Smith were dominant in the midfield and consistently out maneuvered Brian Carroll and Adam Moffat. Despite Kansas’ dominance of the midfield and obvious speed advantage the momentum early in the game was tipped in Columbus’ favor. It didn’t last long, fourteen minutes into the match the Wizards’ counter attack strategy paid off.

Former OSU product, Roger Espinoza, collected the ball after a unsuccessful Crew corner kick.  Espinoza found Smith inside the center circle who then turned and sent a long leading pass in behind the Columbus defense. MLS rookie, Teal Bunbury, ran onto the end of the pass, took a step and launched a shot from the top of the box that squeaked between William Hesmer’s legs and into the net. Bunbury, Michael Harrington and Kei ‘Columbus reject’ Kamara celebrated by running to the Nordecke and saluting them.

From that point on Columbus poured on the pressure but just couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. It was for lack of opportunities that the Crew didn’t level the game. The black and gold peppered the Kansas’ goal with 15 shots(6 on goal) and four corner kicks in the second half.  Jimmy Nielsen made big save after big save to keep the Crew off the scoreboard. Columbus was visibly fatigued but the offense got an infusion of life with the insertion of Renteria, Ekpo and Lenhart.  The teams desperation became horribly obvious in the final 10 minutes or so when the formation changed drastically.  The game plan was bomb and pray.  Moffat, Padula and Carroll manned the back line while Gaven and Ekpo provided a small semblance of a midfield. The five of them would retrieve the ball and pound it into the final third where a Frankenstein version of the forward line was waiting. Marshall, Iro, Lenhart, Renteria and Schelotto all lurked around the box trying to win headers and get the ball on goal. Every attack was a little closer than the last but ultimately Steven DePiero blew the whistle before Columbus could equalize.

Referee: Steven DePiero, Referee Assistants: Greg Barkey; James Conlee, 4th Official: Jasen Anno

Weather at kickoff: mid 80s and partly cloudy

Columbus

—————-Grunebaum—————-

–Zayner-Brunner–Marshall-Francis–

———-Oughton——-O’Rourke———

—–Renteria——-Ekpo——Duka——

——————-Lenhart——————-

Bench: Hesmer; Iro; Gaven(Duka 61′), Rogers, Yanez, Griffit(Renteria 76′); Garey(Lenhart 88′)

Charleston

———————-Melia———————

–Woodbine–Falvey–Wilson–Marples–

—Massie–Gueye–Fuller–Armstrong—

———–Neagle—-Heinemann————

Bench: Wiggans; Zaher; Bolton, Gruenewald(Massie 70′), Jackson(Fuller 82′), Prince; Nunes(Armstrong 72′)

This was the Crew’s fourth match in 11 days but thanks to their incredible depth fatigue wasn’t an issue.  Chad Marshall was the only player to start against Charleston who also started against Chicago just three days before. Three other players (Lenhart, O’Rourke and Renteria) had been subbed in against Chicago but none had seen more than 25 minutes of action.  There is no doubt that the Columbus ‘A team’ is stronger than the Columbus ‘B team’ but there is something to be said for the fact that any member of the ‘B team’ could immediately earn a starting spot on another MLS team. In the words of Steven Lenhart “Columbus rolls so deep”.

Although the scoreline doesn’t suggest it, this match was less lopsided than the previous one against Rochester.  Charleston managed to hold its own for most of the first half.  That was until the 38th minute when Lenhart leapt into the air to try and receive a Duncan Oughton cross.  Charleston defender, Stephen Armstrong, saw what was materializing and tried to defend Lenhart but instead ended up just yanking him to the ground. Hilario Grajeda really had no choice but to blow his whistle and point to the penalty spot. At first it appeared as if Lenhart was going to get the opportunity to redeem himself for the missed PK against DC just a week before but when the box cleared it was Emilio Renteria who was left standing over the ball. In typical Renteria fashion he went with power rather than finesse as he took the kick. He ran up to the ball and unleashed an absolute rocket. Whether Charleston goalkeeper, Tim Melia, just guessed the wrong direction or was actually attempting to get out of the way of what could possibly have been a fatal shot we’ll never know.  The kick was so powerful that it literally lifted the posts off the ground.

As the second half progressed the Crew were pushing for a second goal but the ball just didn’t seem to want to go in the net.  Finally in the 70th minute Steven Lenhart struck again, this time actually scoring the goal rather than just creating the opportunity. It began with Emmanuel Ekpo sending the ball outside to Duncan Oughton who was lurking along the right hand side.  Oughton stepped towards the corner flag and sent in a fast pass along the ground. Lenhart simply had to slide in and tap the ball past the keeper and into the net.

With Columbus leading 2-0 it seemed as if their passage into the semifinals was assured.  In the 87th minute Eddie Gaven sealed the deal with a last minute insurance goal. Ekpo and Leandre Griffit got on a breakaway and Ekpo ended up with the ball in the box. Rather than take the shot Ekpo dropped the ball back to the top of the 18 yard box and into the path of the onrushing Gaven who slammed the ball home to give the home team a 3-0 lead.

Columbus must now wait until the 21st to see who wins the match between the Harrisburg City Islanders and DC United. If DC wins then Columbus will face them at the Maryland SoccerPlex on September 1st.  If Harrisburg wins then Columbus will face them at Columbus Crew Stadium on August 31st.

Columbus

—————-Hesmer————-

–Hejduk-Marshall-Iro-Padula–

—————Carroll—————

–Gaven—–Moffat—–Rogers–

——–Schelotto–Garey———

Bench: Gruenebaum; Brunner, O’Rourke(Hejduk 70′), Francis; Ekpo; Lenhart(Schelotto 90′), Renteria(Garey 67′)

Chicago

—————Dykstra————-

-Robinson-Brown–Conde-Krol-

-Pappa–Banner-Pause-Husidic-

———Nyarko–McBride——–

Bench: Johnson; Umanzor, Watson-Siriboe(Robinson 84′); Bone, Kinney; Lowry, Dimitrov(McBride 86′)

A crowd of 14,017 expected 4th of July celebrations upon the conclusion of the match but were treated to fireworks at the end of both halves.  In a span of four minutes Columbus took the lead, then gave it back, then took it again.

Jason Garey almost opened the scoring in the 25th minute.  Chad Marshall sent the ball forward to Garey who flicked the ball on to Guillermo Barros Schelotto before taking off up field. Schelotto brought the ball down, stalled for a moment and then slid the ball through the Fire defense and into the path of the on rushing Garey.  Garey made his first touch a low driven shot to the near post. The ball beat Dykstra, who was left laying at the top of the six yard box, before pinging off the post and out of bounds for a goal kick.

In the 43 minute Schelotto and Garey linked up yet again.  Schelotto received the ball 20 yards out with his back to goal.  He turned and again was able to sneak a pas through the Fire defense to Garey as he raced into the box. Garey and Dykstra reached the ball simultaneously.  The Fire keeper attempted to smother the ball but Garey got enough of a touch on it to knock it from Dykstra’s grasp.  A trailing Adam Moffat came racing in, collected the ball and knocked it into the wide open net to put Columbus up by one.

Before the crowd had even stopped celebrating tragedy struck.  A Chicago Fire cross came flying in from along the right touchline towards the back post.  Patrick Nyarko had been an annoyance the entire half and this instance was no different.  As the ball sailed towards the back post Nyarko was in dead sprint to meet it but Frankie Hejduk kept with him step for step.  Hejduk’s form may have begun to drop off with his age but one thing that hasn’t changed is his ability to maintain a breakneck speed throughout the entirety of a 90 minute match. His speed kept him with Nyarko but his form failed him. As the ball came in Hejduk had prime positioning in front of Nyarko but instead of calmly knocking the ball over the crossbar like he has a million times Hejduk misjudged the flight of the ball and ended up sending a curling header past Hesmer and into his own net.

The match was level with only a minute plus stoppage left to play in the first half.  It looked as if the two teams would be heading into the dressing rooms on equal footing and then the Crew struck again.  Schelotto received the ball along the left side and played the ball forward to Gaven. Gaven dribbled toward the box, lifted his head and spotted Garey racing into the penalty area.  Gaven sent in a perfect looping cross right into the path of Garey who only had to redirect the ball into the net. It was a world class goal that no written description can truly do justice to, so here is a link to the highlight!

The win was the Crew’s second in league play and third overall since returning from the World Cup break.  The loss snapped a four game unbeaten streak for the Fire.  Columbus goes on the road this Saturday to face off against the Houston Dynamo.

Columbus

—————Gruenebaum————–

—-Zayner–Brunner–Iro–Francis—-

——————Carroll——————-

—Ekpo—Duka—–Gaven—Rogers—

——————Lenhart——————

Bench: Hesmer; Marshall, O’Rourke; Oughton, Griffit; Garey, Renteria

Rochester

———————–Vallow——————–

–Greenfield-Sanfilippo-Roberts-Bellamy–

—–Pitchkolan—Franks—Motagalvan—–

–Rosenlund—————————-Heins–

———————Hamitlon——————–

Bench: Kitson; Costanzo; Spicer, Versailles; Gore, Kissi, Nunez

The Crew went into this match as the undisputed favorites.  Columbus dominated possession from start to finish and out shot Rochester 14-5.  Columbus pressed the Rhino’s box but it wasn’t until the 30 minute mark that they finally drew first blood.  In the absence of Guillermo Barros Schelotto the responsibility of corner kicks fell to Eddie Gaven who served in a beautiful ball that was met by the head of Andy Iro. The goal was Iro’s third of 2010 and his first in Open Cup play.  The goal held up until the half and Columbus went into the locker room feeling fairly confident.

Rochester came out a bit stronger in the second half and while Columbus still saw a majority of the ball possession wasn’t as lopsided as during the first half.  In the 69th minute the Rhinos brought the game level courtesy of a shot by Darren Spicer at the top of the box.

As the clocked ticked towards the 90 minute mark it looked like a match destined for extra time. The game was well into stoppage time when Eric Brunner bombed the ball up field into the Rochester box.  Rochester defeneder, Frankie Sanfilippo, tried to head the ball clear but instead it smacked directly into Lenhart.  The ball took a bounce and as Lenhart lept into the air and knocked the ball past the keeper and into the corner of the goal.

Columbus will now face the Charleston Battery at home on Tuesday July 6th in the quarterfinal match.

Columbus

—————Hesmer—————–

–Hejduk–Brunner–Marshall–Padula–

—————-Carroll——————

—Gaven——-Moffat——-Rogers—

——–Lenhart——–Schelotto——-

Bench: Schoeni, Iro, O’Rourke(Padula 66′), Ekpo(Gaven 81′), Garey(Lenhart 75′), Renteria, Herrera

Chivas USA

—————–Thornton—————-

–Trujillo–Umana–Delgado–Bornstein–

———Zemanski–Gavin–Lahoud———

—Padilla————————–Kljestan—

———————Braun———————-

Bench: Guppy, Borja, Romero, Saragosa(Lahoud 83′), Macotelo, Chijindu(Braun 92′), Santos(Padilla 90′)

The Crew dominated the majority of play in the first half managing seven shots, four of which were on target, and should have gone into the locker room with at least one goal. Meanwhile Chivas only had four looks at goal but failed to put any on frame or cause Hesmer to make a save. However the beautiful game doesn’t always play out as expected and thus the half time whistle blew with the teams still locked at 0-0.

The second half began and it was immediately obvious that momentum had shifted. Chivas was maintaining a majority of possession and really pressed Columbus. When the Crew did have time on the ball they had trouble breaking into the final third and only managed four shots.  The stats don’t often tell the whole story in soccer but this is an exception.  Chivas had 10 shots in the second 45 but their accuracy was still lacking with them only placing 3 of them on goal.

A lack of finishing was the story of the day for both teams. With the exception of a scorching blast by Moffat in the 27th minute Columbus’ best attempts came off the head of Lenhart who was an aerial threat all match.  Time and time again the Crew sent the ball in from the wings towards the flying golden afro but neither Schelotto, Gaven or Rogers could manage to provide a cross with enough speed for Lenhart to redirect with any power.  Every cross was a high floating ball rather then the low flying, rocket paced crosses forwards really need to get good power off the redirect.  Chivas faired no better when it came to placing the ball in the net. In the 58th minute Chivas made their way into the Columbus box due to a series of deft passes and some fancy footwork on the end line by Sacha Kljestan. Bornstein received the ball at the top of the six yard box and had Hesmer beat when he shot far post but the ball lacked pace and Padula ran in at the last second to clear it off the line.  Not even 30 seconds late Chivas yet again was able to sneak inside the Crew’s 18 and this time Justin Braun got a shot at the top of the 6 yard box and yet again Padula flew in to save the day and headed the ball off the goal line.

As the clock ticked down emotions were running high and both teams were playing a bit reckless in an attempt to claim three points.  Chivas has always been known has a physical team and a club that wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty at times.  A lot of that was attributed to the leadership of Preki, who was the coach from 2007-2009, and if that is the case than while the former Everton man may no longer lead the team his ideals still remain.  Chivas committed multiple hard fouls against the Crew throughout the match and got away with it more often than not.  But finally in the 88th minute the referee, Jeff Gontarek, made the call that mattered. The Crew had earned a free kick 25 yards out and has usual Schelotto stood patiently over the ball was his comrades positioned themselves in the box.  Schelotto sent the ball soaring across the box towards the head of Chad Marshall, the 2008 and 2009 MLS Defender of the year who notched four goals each of his award winning seasons as well as two additional goals in the ’08 playoffs. As Marshall left his feet Justin Braun grabbed the back of the Columbus defender and took him to the ground just outside the 6 yard box.  Gontarek had no choice but to point to the spot. Columbus may have had trouble with finishing but when it comes to penalties Schelotto is deadly having taken 12 during his Crew career 10 of which went straight in and one which was blocked but was immediately knocked back in by the Argentine legend.  Schelotto pounded the ball just to the left of Thornton who got his fingertips on it but didn’t provide enough resistance to stop the shot.  Chivas coach Martin Vasquez had questions about the play that led to the penalty kick,  “I have my doubts about the previous foul that led to that play. Thats the empty feeling that it leaves you after the game. We had chances, we played well against a very good team and we go home empty so we’re disappointed.”

Player Ratings

(On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best)

Hesmer: 6 (Played solid after a shaky performance last week. Came up with a couple big saves)

Hejduk: 6 (Nothing remarkable on either side of the ball)

Brunner: 5 (Still handles the ball sloppy at times and continues to make poor decisions when it comes to dropping the ball to Hesmer. Should be sat in favor of Iro til he can prove he is back in form)

Marshall: 6 (Held the back line together despite them overall not playing their best. Drew the foul that led to the game winning penalty)

Padula: 7 (Got beat speed wise a couple times but as usual made up for it with his positioning. Cleared the ball off the goal ling two separate times to keep the Crew in the game)

Carroll: 5 (Continues to have issues with his first touch as well as his distribution)

Gaven: 6 (A different Eddie than the week before. Smart decisions on and off the ball but didn’t lead the attack like he had against New England)

Moffat: 6 ( Had a wicked shot off a free kick that forced Thornton make a big save. Involved himself in the attack and the defense but his distribution from the middle leaves something to be desired)

Rogers: 6 (Like Eddie, he had a quiet match.  Didn’t run at defenders or provide solid crosses. Seemed to be pushed up a little higher than usual)

Schelotto: 7 (Didn’t accomplish a whole lot up top and wasn’t able to connect with Lenhart very well. Scored the game winning penalty but then again he has only missed from the spot once for the Crew so the outcome is to be expected)

Lenhart: 6 (Did a lot of running and fighting without much to show for it. Needed better service from the wings for his aerial game to be effective)

O’Rourke: 6 (No real change in play be it better or worse when he replaced Padula. Didn’t make much of an impact despite having fresh legs)

Garey: 7 (Revived the offense a bit with his speed and presence of mind when it came to making runs and linking with Schelotto)

Ekpo: 6 (Didn’t have the opportunity to change the game due to the few minutes he had on the field and the fact that Chivas was to tired to chase him and would just stall his attack with fouls)

Columbus

—————Hesmer—————-

-Brunner–Marshall–Iro–Padula-

—————–Carroll—————-

—Gaven——Moffat—–Rogers—

——–Lenhart—-Schelotto——–

Bench: Gruenebaum, Zayner(Brunner 53′), Francis, Ekpo(Moffat 80′), Renteria(Padula 86′), Oughton, Garey

Colorado

——————Pickens—————–

—Wynne—Baudet—Moor—Earls—

-Larentowicz–Ballouchy–Mastroeni-

—–Cummings—-Casey—-Clark——

Bench: Joyce, Palguta(Baudet 76′), Smith(Ballouchy 75′), Thompson(Casey 65′), LaBauex, Amarikwa, Lopez

Head coach Robert Warzycha returned to Columbus ahead of the team to attend his daughters graduation and so it fell to Technical Director Brian Bliss and Assistant coaches Mike Lapper, Ricardo Iribarren and Vadim Kirillov to lead the Crew against the Rapids.  The Crew coaching staff chose not to stick with the starting lineup that had battled San Jose to a 2-2 draw just three days earlier.  Columbus hasn’t been able to maintain a true ‘starting 11′ so far in 2010 due to injuries, suspensions and national team callups but the men that took the field Saturday night were as close as the Crew have gotten to their first choice lineup lately.

Moffat returned to the center of the park despite being a weak link in the midfield for a majority of the games lately. Previously, Gaven had posted up in the center with Carroll against San Jose with Renteria taking his place on the right side. While the return of Moffat to the lineup wasn’t necessarily a positive move, especially considering the fact that the tandem of Rogers, Gaven and Renteria had worked quite well against the Earthquakes, the omission of Jed Zayner from the back line allowed the fans a momentarily sigh of relief.

Zayner had seen large increase in playtime during the 2009 season and proved himself to be a capable replacement as a outside back should Hejduk or Padula pick up a knock.  As 2009 wore on and Hejduk’s form continued to drop, especially in the 2009 playoff series against Real Salt Lake.  preseason of 2010 had some fans discussing the possibility of taking away the starting right back position from the much beloved Columbus captain, Hejduk, and handing the position to Zayner.  If the coaching staff was aware of the fans concerns they didn’t listen and so far in 2010 Hejduk has maintained his position at right back and proven that the end of ’09 was merely a short slump.  A week before what was undoubtedly one of the most important matches of the Crew’s 2010 season, the ‘Battle of the Best’, Hejduk picked up a hamstring injury. Danny O’Rourke had also picked up an injury and so Zayner went on to start against LA and again four days later against San Jose.  Despite his best efforts Zayner ultimately lead to the downfall of the Crew in both matches. In the LA match Zayner left his man, Michael Stephens, unmarked inside the box on a Galaxy counter attack and Stephens put his team ahead with free volley from 12 yards out.  LA bunkered for the remainder of the game before getting another quick breakaway goal to defeat the Crew 2-0.  Four days later at San Jose Zayner got the start yet again and like before he had made a slight defensive mistake that turned three points into one. The Crew led the Earthquakes 2-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the match when Zayner unnecessarily fouled Bobby Convey along the left side, deep in the Crew end of the field.  Convey served in a perfect ball which was knocked in by Chris Wondolowski.  The game ended 2-2 and the Crew left San Jose wondering what went wrong. After all that it wasn’t surprising to find Columbus’ starting lineup for the Colorado match lacking Zayner’s name.

Both teams came out and played lazy soccer right from the start. Neither team seemed to really care about the match and it didn’t get any better as the game wore on.  As the teams came out of the locker rooms it was apparent that their attitudes hadn’t changed and the game was headed for a 0-0 draw.

In the 53rd minute Eric Brunner was subbed off due to what was described as ‘hip tightness’ and Zayner came on in his place.

In the 74th minute Columbus had what was their best chance all game when Gaven intercepted a terrible pass by Mastroeni around midfield. Gaven raced toward goal and at upon reaching the top of the box he sent the ball along the ground between to defenders to Lenhart. Lenhart had the presence of mind to heel pass the ball to Schelotto who was racing into the box and was wide open. It looked as if a goal was imminent and then to the surprise of everyone Schelotto sent the ball careening into the stands. The Argentine was 12 yards out with no defender in sight and powered the ball over the crossbar.

A minute later the Rapids dismantled the Columbus defense with some deft passing only to have Cummings’ shot be denied by the post. 30 seconds after that at midfield Lenhart fouled Mastroeni and then proceeded to poke the ball into Mastroeni while he was still kneeling on the ground. Mastroeni then lunged at Lenhart and it appeared as if he tried to bunch him in the groin. The referee issued a yellow to Lenhart and a red to the Colorado captain. Mastroeni spent the next minute berating the referee before finally allowing himself to be led off the field.

Despite being a man up the Crew didn’t amp up their attack and utilize their man advantage. With both teams playing as if sedated the game seemed destined to end 0-0 but then in the 85th minute the Zayner curse struck again…  Colorado earned a free kick towards midfield.  As Jaime Smith prepared to launch the ball into the box players took up their marks and jockeyed for position. Smith sent the ball towards the back post.  Drew Moor caught Zayner ball watching as he dove into the air and placed the ball between Hesmer and the post to put Colorado up 1-0.

The Rapids would make the lone goal stand up over the final minutes of the match and the Crew would return home from their two game road trip with only one of six possible points.  In the span of eight days Columbus went from being undefeated to having two losses tacked onto their record. The World Cup break couldn’t have arrived at more appropriate time.

(It needs to be said that in no way is Jed Zayner a terrible player. He is being groomed to replace not just any right back, but team captain and US international, Frankie Hejduk. Those are big shoes to fill but Zayner has the football skills and charisma to take on the task. He has proven numerous times that he has the skills necessary to compete at the MLS level and above. He was part of the historic 1-0 victory at the Monster’s Cave in Costa Rica against Saprissa during the ’09/’10 CONCACAF Champions League. He never shuns an opportunity to interact with the Nordecke and pump up the fan base. He does fabulous work with his charity, Filleo (Join, Donate, Volunteer).  Padula and Hejduk are in their mid 30s and only have so many more games left in them.  Zayner, along with the likes of Danny O’Rourke, Andy Iro and Eric Brunner, is the future of the Columbus back line.  Zayner is merely experiencing a run of bad form and unlucky breaks, just like all players experience during their career. He will rebound and when he does expect him to be playing at a level even higher than before.)

Columbus

—————–Hesmer—————–

-Moffat–Brunner-Marshall–Padula-

——————Carroll—————–

—-Renteria—-Gaven—-Rogers—-

———–Schelotto—Garey———–

Bench: Gruenebaum; Iro(Padula 87′), Zayner; Ekpo(Garey 77′), Oughton, Duka, Lenhart(Renteria 70′)

DC United

——————–Perkins—————–

–McTavish–Jakovic–James–Graye–

—Pontius—King—–Simms—Najar—

———–Quaranta–Cristman———–

Bench: Hamid; Pena(James 53′), Rice; Morsink; Emilio, Moreno(Cristman 72′), Allsopp(Allsopp 81′)

After going undefeated in their first 6 games of the season Columbus went into the World Cup break on a low note. They lost at home to Los Angeles and then dropped points late at San Jose and Colorado, which turned a win and a tie into a draw and a loss.  When the official lineup was released it suggested that Warzycha was going with a 3-5-2 formation but when the players took the field it was soon apparent that Moffat was occupying the right back position.  Danny O’Rourke and Frankie Hejduk were still nursing injuries (knee and hamstring, respectively).  The move was one that raised a few eyebrows considering the availability of defenders Jed Zayner and Andy Iro. With Moffat on the backline and O’Rourke on the bench that left Eddie Gaven to slide into the center of the park with Brian Carroll. Gaven’s move left his normal position on the right wing up for grabs. Warzycha selected Emilio Renteria to start in that spot over Ekpo and had this to say about the decision, “We moved Eddie Gaven into the middle so we thought that Emilio (Renteria) would be effective on the right side. With his speed and his energy we thought he was gonna be good over there and he created a couple chances in the first half.” Renteria was a dangerous presence the entire first half but when he and Jason Garey switched positions in the second half was when he finally was able to make an impact.

In the 57th minute Jason Garey sent a  leading pass through the United defense and into the path of Renteria. Renteria took control and moved into the box from the right side.  DC goalkeeper Troy Perkins charged out of his goal and slid in for the tackle only to watch in dismay as Renteria calmly chipped the ball over him. The ball looked destined for the top corner but ended up being a bit high and pinged off the post. Schelotto was lurking at the far post and as the ball fell it smacked right into his hand. Without a second thought Schelotto let the ball fall to the ground and then slide it into the net as the United defense screamed for handball. Their pleas fell on deaf ears however and referee, Terry Vaughn, ruled the goal legitimate. “Situations like this sometimes they go for you sometimes they go against you. You’re gonna get some calls for and against so that is gonna even out at the end of the season.” said Warzycha when asked about Schelotto’s goal.

The Crew struck again exactly a half an hour later. In the 87th minute Guillermo Barros Schelotto found himself marching, yet again, out to take a corner kick.  He lined up the shot and eyed the usual targets who were jostling for position in the box.  The ball left his foot and Crew Stadium held its collective breath as Lenhart, Marshall, Iro and Brunner went skyward.  the ball flew towards the near post where Lenhart managed to get a touch on it and send it towards the back post where Brunner was able to knock it in, not with his head but with his foot! The Crew were up 2-0 over their long time rivals with 3 minutes and change left to play.

Columbus had the opportunity to slam the door on DC In the dying minutes of the game when Clyde Simms came in with a late tackle on Steven Lenhart.  The ball was placed on the spot but Columbus’ penalty pro, Schelotto, deferred to Lenhart in what he described post game as an attempt to give the young striker a boost of confidence. Unfortunately the plan back fired on the good intentioned Argentine. Lenhart chose power over finesse when taking his kick and slammed the ball right down the middle. Despite Perkins guessing wrong and diving full stretch to his right the shot was so fast that it ricocheted off his legs. Warzycha and Schelotto were seen having a discussion on the field after the match about how the penalty kick was handled. At first Warzycha smirked and simply said, “I’m a coach and he is a player so we talked about the game.” He then added, “I don’t think in my mind Steven should take a penalty. I think the game of soccer is specific. We remeber the time DC was winning 3-0 in Seattle and Seattle scored two goals in the last minute. Why put the team in a situation like that. 3-0 is 3-0. There is no way they can come back from three down. 2-0 is the worst score in soccer. I think Guillermo should have taken it.”

Columbus has a plethora of home games in the following weeks and it is crucial that they take as many points as possible while they have home field advantage if they want to cut the gap between themselves and Los Angeles in the race for the Supporters Shield.  Not only are the upcoming matches important in the battle for the SS but also for the top spot in the Eastern Conference (EC).  Three of their next five games are against intraconference foes.  Columbus faces Chicago(EC) at home this Saturday followed by a road trip to Houston. They then return home with fixtures against the Kansas City Wizards(EC), the New York Red Bulls(EC) and then another match up against Houston.  On top of all that Columbus began their run in the US Open Cup in a game on Tuesday in which they defeated the Rochester Rhinos 2-1 (Look for a recap of that game later tonight).  They will now face the Charlston Battery on July 6th at Columbus Crew Stadium.

Referee: Terry Vaughn, Referee Assistants: Philippe Briere; Daniel Belleau, 4th Official: Landis Wiley

Weather at kickoff: 80 degrees and overcast

In non-match news the Crew have announced that they have chosen to release forward Sergio Herrera.  Herrera was a pre-season signing that was intended to provide the team with a true forward capable of scoring double digit goals but since joining the club he has only seen one minute of MLS action.  The departure of Herrera has made a roster spot available which will be reclaimed by Kevin Burns who has returned from the disabled list after recovering from a sports hernia. Burns has begun practicing with the squad and will be available as soon as this Saturday against Chicago.

Columbus

—————–Hesmer—————-

-Zayner-Brunner-Marshall-Padula-

—————–Carroll——————

–Renteria——Gaven——-Rogers–

——–Garey———-Schelotto——-

Bench: Gruenebaum, Iro, Oughton, Ekpo(Renteria 59′), Herrera, Lenhart(Garey 65′), Moffat

San Jose

———————Cannon———————

-Beitashour-Hernandez-Burling-Corrales-

–Alvarez–Moreira–McDonald–Convey–

———–Wondolowski—Johnson———–

Bench: Busch, Opara(Burling 76′), Leitch, Sealy(Johnson 60′), Sanchez, Ring, Glen(Alvarez 59′)

Tt was immediately apparent that the Crew weren’t dwelling on their loss to LA just days earlier as they came out firing on all cylinders.  Columbus pressed the attack and San Jose seemed content to sit back and defend while waiting to strike on quick counters.  The Crew were rewarded for the unmerciful attack just four and a half minutes into the match.  Zayner served the ball into the center of the box from the right side, it got knocked backwards to Schelotto who was lurking on the edge of the left side of the box. Schelotto took one touch to shake the defender and then fired on goal with his second touch. Joe Cannon stopped the initial shot but wasn’t able to hang onto the ball which rolled to the feet of Jason Garey. Rather than try and take the shot over the flailing Cannon Garey instead slid the ball across the six yard box to an unmarked Eddie Gaven who places the ball in the net from 3 yards out.

However, Columbus’ lead would be short lived. Literally just a moment later poor Crew defending allowed Andre Luiz to collect a badly cleared throw in at the top of the Crew box. Luiz then slotted the ball across the top of the box between multiple Crew defenders to Arturo Alvarez who managed to sneak the ball past William Hesmer and just inside the right post. Not even 6 minutes into the match and the game was already tied 1-1.

The pace of the game began to slow after the initial two goals and it wasn’t until the final twenty minutes did it really pick back up again.

The teams had battled back and forth during the  remainder of the first half and a majority of the second with neither team able to capitalize. Warzycha, looking to revive the Crew’s attack, inserted Steven Lenhart and Emmanuel Ekpo to add muscle up top and extra speed in the middle. With the addition of the fresh legs Columbus took the lead yet again in the 69th minute.  This time they scored in familiar fashion, with a Schelotto corner kick finding the head of Chad Marshall. Although, like before, Columbus’ lead wouldn’t last.

With just over 10 minutes remaining in the match a lapse in judgment on the part of Jed Zayner led to an unnecessary tackle on Bobby Convey along the left side.  Convey served in the free kick to the head of Scott Sealy who flicked the ball to the back post where it was knocked in by the head of Chris Wondolowski.

Columbus had a fantastic late chance when Rogers capitalized on a poor thrown in, collected the ball in his own end and was off to the races. Rogers blazed down the left side with San Jose defenders clambering to get back. As Rogers entered the box he caught sight of Schelotto running parallel with him on the opposite side of the box and laid the ball across.  Schelotto had kicked it into high gear but came up just short of reaching the ball and had to watch as it rolled out of bounds for a goal kick.

There is nothing wrong with taking a one point from a road game under normal circumstances.  However, considering that the Crew not only allowed San Jose to come from behind to level the game but they allowed them to do it twice.  Columbus has to look at this match as two points lost rather than one gained.

There are positives to take from this game. The ugly soccer Columbus seemed to be playing in the first five or six matches of the season seems to be a thing of the past. The team is making some beautiful connections and are doing a much better job of maintaining quality possession and accurately passing the ball around the pitch.  The defense continues to look shaky but that can probably be attributed to the lack of stability when it comes to the players starting in the back.  The changes in the attack seemed to be a large improvement.  Moffat has been quite ineffective in the past couple games and spent this match on the bench.  Renteria got the start along the right flank while Gaven was moved into the middle to partner with Carroll.  Garey got the start up top with GBS but other than his assist on the first goal he failed to have much more of an imact than Lenhart.

Referee: Jasen Anno, Referee Assistants: Chris Strickland and Paul Scott, 4th Official: Yader Reyes

Weather at kickoff: 72 degrees and sunny with clear skies