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Crew Holds on to Eastern Conference Throne
- Mon Sep 21 2009, 3:04am GMT
Eastern Conference powerhouses Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire collided in Toyota Park Sunday afternoon in a battle for the top of the table. Chicago came in trailing Columbus by three points, 39 to 42.
Two first half goals sent the defending MLS champions into the locker room with heads spinning. In the 6th and 36th minutes, newcomer and starting XI hopeful Peter Lowry scored despite the efforts of Will Hesmer. The Columbus defense was not one that reflected recent play from the Black and Gold. The halftime score was almost 3-0 as Brian McBride uncharacteristically missed a header within six yards.
The deficit was one from which Columbus would barely recover. A goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the 55th minute - his first since June 14th - left Columbus searching for the equalizer. Although Schelotto's goal seemed to give them a new wind, poor control in the midfield generated few scoring chances for the Crew.
The game changed dramatically as Steven Lenhart - who subbed in for defender Andy Iro - was pulled down inside the box. Schelotto took the penalty kick in the 78th and fired a bullet past Fire keeper Jon Busch to even things up and make the final score 2-2.
As the final whistle blew, teams left the field with little changed. Columbus, now at 43 points, maintained its three-point lead on Chicago and remained alone at the top of the East.
Next weekend Chicago will again play at home, this time against Toronto FC, as the Crew returns to Columbus to host the LA Galaxy. With the end of the season looming on the horizon, every point will matter as the tight race continues.
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Crew is Southbound
- Tue Sep 15 2009, 4:44am GMT
The Columbus Crew will head south this week to Costa Rica. It will be the furthest thing from a vacation imaginable. Deportivo Saprissa, arguably one of the toughest contenders in Group C, holds the second spot and wants to keep it.
The recently reunited Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno - who have both fully recovered from injuries - are a formidable tandem and will look to score early. They will face one of the best-coordinated defenses in the region. Saprissa's last CONCACAF matchup resulted in a 3-1 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders.
The Crew defense have had time to lick their wounds since the 5-0 thrashing at Cruz Azul and have performed well in MLS.
The Crew has no players on the injury report and can draw from a combination of youth and experience. If they can control the midfield and not get rushed, their chances of holding down the Purple Monster are good.
The game will be held on Wednesday Sept 16th in San Juan, Costa Rica at 10pm.
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Schelotto: "We are the Best Team"
- Mon Sep 14 2009, 2:06am GMT
While the middle of the pack has been tight in both conferences, the race for the Supporters Shield has been just as close. The Columbus Crew moved past the Houston Dynamo tonight and claimed three points with a 2-1 victory.
 Pat Onstad guesses wrong as Columbus go up 2-1. Photo by George Pennington, © 2009 Fair Challenge |
After a slow start to both offenses, team captain Frankie Hejduk scored his first MLS goal of the season in the 34th minute to give the Crew a 1-0 lead at the half. The Houston offense, led by American international Brian Ching, had a few good chances to equalize but failed to convert.
In the 80th minute, the Dynamo finally evened the score when Cam Weaver applied some finesse to a deft pass from Ching at the top of the box.
The dynamic of the game changed when Adam Moffat and Ricardo Clark both recieved red cards in minute 82. Moffat, though still eligible to play in the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League game against Cruz Azul, will be forced to sit out the next match at Chicago on the 20th.
The Crew secured three points when they were awarded a penalty kick in the last minute of regulation. Eddie Gaven sailed the ball past Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad in stoppage time to wrap up the match.
This victory puts the Crew in the lead for the Supporters Shield with 42 points. Houston, still with 40, falls to second place. The Crew extended their record home unbeaten streak to 21 and has won six out of their last seven games. It all adds up to one thing: in the words of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, "We are the best team."
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Reds Even Worse with Nine
- Sun Sep 6 2009, 3:46pm GMT
In a mid-table clash for a playoff spot, Toronto FC hardly distinguished themselves in last night's 1-0 loss to Colorado. The Reds looked unimaginative and disorganized - and to make matters worse, they ended the night with nine men.
The hosts applied pressure for most of the match, but poor finishing and an overall lack of execution inside the 18 kept the scoreline at a flaccid 1-0.
The Rapids failed to convert two good chances in the opening minutes of the match, and forward Conor Casey - recovering from wisdom teeth surgery - blasted a first half penalty kick off the crossbar.
In minute 52, however, Casey redeemed himself and pulled away from the competition for the MLS Golden Boot as he converted a Jacob Petersen cross with a devastating snap header. It was his twelfth strike of the season.
Throughout the match, TFC chased the ball, struggled to find a rhythm, and let careless giveaways and fouls hinder their chances to get back into a game that Colorado could not seem to put out of reach.
Toronto midfielder Amadou Sanyang received his second yellow in minute 76, while defender Adrian Serioux was awarded a straight red in the 84th. For the next ten minutes of play, including stoppage time, the Reds simply tried to minimize the damage. Their day was done.
While Colorado took all three points, they should not be pleased with their performance. It's September, and regardless of injuries and suspension - which had admittedly altered the Rapids' lineup - every side fighting for a playoff spot needs to take better advantage of their opportunities.
A 1-0 home victory over a poorly performing team reduced to nine men is not a sign that Colorado will be a threat in the postseason. TFC will be looking for redemption next week as they host Colorado in a rematch.
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Fire Can't Seize Top Spot
- Sun Aug 30 2009, 5:34pm GMT
The Chicago Fire's struggle for points at home continued last night as they fell 1-0 to DC United.
United scored only their second MLS goal this month when Bryan Namoff headed in a free kick from Christian Gomez in the 11th minute. That lone goal was enough to secure three road points for DC and dash Chicago's hopes of moving up in the table.
Although they are only one point out of first place with 38 total, the Fire trail the defending MLS Champion Columbus Crew. The Crew will be on the road tonight against New York, who currently boast the worst record in the league. Columbus are still smarting from a 5-0 loss to Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League, and they haven't won at Giants Stadium since April of 2003.
If the champions can get past their performance in Mexico City, they will extend their lead over Chicago to four points.
United sorely needed last night's victory and again placed them in playoff contention. The middle of the Eastern Conference is up for grabs and DC are making their move.
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