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Crew Remain Winless Following 1-1 Draw With Rapids
The season hasn't started the way the defending champs would have liked as they continued their poor start to the season with a 1-1 draw with Colorado.
Apr 11, 2009 11:01:51 PM
By Shane Evans
With Columbus starting the season so poorly, Colorado came into Crew Stadium with the hopes of snatching some points from the defending champions. When it was all said and done, that is exactly what they did as the Western Conference team managed a 1-1 draw with the Crew.
First Half
The first half opened up with the home side hungry for possession of the ball and a they played with determination in the early stages. For a team that has yet to record a victory, this was the exact type of playing style they needed to come out with and for practically the entire first half, they kept it up.
Chances were scattered in the early going with the strongest coming from Eddie Gaven in the 5th minute. The ball was played across to the winger by Guilermo Barros Schelotto and he took it on the volley. Rapids keeper Preston Burpo made the save and the match continued from that point in the Crew’s favor.
The defending champions used their midfield to dominate the flow of play and because of this the ball stayed mostly in the Rapids end. Without stars Robbie Rogers, Frankie Hejduk and Chad Marshall, the Crew didn’t miss a beat as the game really kicked into gear.
Hejduk’s replacement Jed Zayner latched onto a bouncing loose ball in the 17th minute and fired a curling side volley just over the crossbar, a chance that was the Crew’s best to that point of the match.
It looked more and more like the Crew were going to end the deadlock as in the 27th minute they were awarded a free kick outside the box after some quality play on the ball forced the Rapids to intervene with a cheeky foul. The league’s reigning MVP, Schelotto, stepped up and ripped a shot off the cross bar, almost putting his team ahead.
The match stayed scoreless until the 41st minute when just after a near missed header from Adam Moffett, the Crew used some well-placed balls, particularly from Emmanuel Ekpo, that ended at the foot of Schelotto who slotted home Ekpo’s neat cross on the half-volley from about 10 yards out.
Going into half time it was obvious who the better side was and if the Rapids wanted to take anything from the match, their head coach Gary Smith would have to change things during the break.
Second Half
The tempo began to change as the second half opened up. The Rapids seemed determined to see more of the ball, and the back and forth start to the final stanza proved that.
In the 52nd minute, the Rapids created their best chance of the game when Omar Cummings was able to wriggle his way to the touchline inside the box and shot a nice pass cross the area to Conor Casey who was unmarked. Unfortunately for Colorado the ball was a bit behind the hulking striker and he wasn’t able to finish what would have been an easy tap in had the pass been a tad bit better.
Columbus came right back after Casey’s chance and almost doubled their lead as Gino Padula played in a deep cross from the right onto the head of rookie Eric Brunner, who connected with his head, only to bounce the ball off the crossbar.
The play exchanged between the two sides for the next twenty minutes or so with no real chances being generated. Contrary to the first half, Colorado actually saw big portions of the ball and looked to press the Crew who were taking their lead a bit for granted.
Finally, in the 82nd minute Conor Casey was able to net the game-tying goal, much to the dismay of Crew Stadium. A lovely deep over-the-top ball from Pablo Mastroeni saw Casey with the ball behind the defense. He skipped over one racing Crew back-liner and was in on goal. A cool touch later and the game was 1-1.
Late sub Steven Lenhart brought the fireworks in the game’s closing minutes as the bouncy-haired forward had two sparkling attempts on goal that went over the crossbar on both occasions. A line drive shot and a well fought header could have seen Crew snatch the win at the death, but it was not to be and the defending champions remain winless after five matches.
Colorado improved their record to 2-1-1 after the match and are in the thick of things at the top of the Western Conference as the 2009 season gets fully underway.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com
With Columbus starting the season so poorly, Colorado came into Crew Stadium with the hopes of snatching some points from the defending champions. When it was all said and done, that is exactly what they did as the Western Conference team managed a 1-1 draw with the Crew.
First Half
The first half opened up with the home side hungry for possession of the ball and a they played with determination in the early stages. For a team that has yet to record a victory, this was the exact type of playing style they needed to come out with and for practically the entire first half, they kept it up.
Chances were scattered in the early going with the strongest coming from Eddie Gaven in the 5th minute. The ball was played across to the winger by Guilermo Barros Schelotto and he took it on the volley. Rapids keeper Preston Burpo made the save and the match continued from that point in the Crew’s favor.
The defending champions used their midfield to dominate the flow of play and because of this the ball stayed mostly in the Rapids end. Without stars Robbie Rogers, Frankie Hejduk and Chad Marshall, the Crew didn’t miss a beat as the game really kicked into gear.
Hejduk’s replacement Jed Zayner latched onto a bouncing loose ball in the 17th minute and fired a curling side volley just over the crossbar, a chance that was the Crew’s best to that point of the match.
It looked more and more like the Crew were going to end the deadlock as in the 27th minute they were awarded a free kick outside the box after some quality play on the ball forced the Rapids to intervene with a cheeky foul. The league’s reigning MVP, Schelotto, stepped up and ripped a shot off the cross bar, almost putting his team ahead.
The match stayed scoreless until the 41st minute when just after a near missed header from Adam Moffett, the Crew used some well-placed balls, particularly from Emmanuel Ekpo, that ended at the foot of Schelotto who slotted home Ekpo’s neat cross on the half-volley from about 10 yards out.
Going into half time it was obvious who the better side was and if the Rapids wanted to take anything from the match, their head coach Gary Smith would have to change things during the break.
Second Half
The tempo began to change as the second half opened up. The Rapids seemed determined to see more of the ball, and the back and forth start to the final stanza proved that.
In the 52nd minute, the Rapids created their best chance of the game when Omar Cummings was able to wriggle his way to the touchline inside the box and shot a nice pass cross the area to Conor Casey who was unmarked. Unfortunately for Colorado the ball was a bit behind the hulking striker and he wasn’t able to finish what would have been an easy tap in had the pass been a tad bit better.
Columbus came right back after Casey’s chance and almost doubled their lead as Gino Padula played in a deep cross from the right onto the head of rookie Eric Brunner, who connected with his head, only to bounce the ball off the crossbar.
The play exchanged between the two sides for the next twenty minutes or so with no real chances being generated. Contrary to the first half, Colorado actually saw big portions of the ball and looked to press the Crew who were taking their lead a bit for granted.
Finally, in the 82nd minute Conor Casey was able to net the game-tying goal, much to the dismay of Crew Stadium. A lovely deep over-the-top ball from Pablo Mastroeni saw Casey with the ball behind the defense. He skipped over one racing Crew back-liner and was in on goal. A cool touch later and the game was 1-1.
Late sub Steven Lenhart brought the fireworks in the game’s closing minutes as the bouncy-haired forward had two sparkling attempts on goal that went over the crossbar on both occasions. A line drive shot and a well fought header could have seen Crew snatch the win at the death, but it was not to be and the defending champions remain winless after five matches.
Colorado improved their record to 2-1-1 after the match and are in the thick of things at the top of the Western Conference as the 2009 season gets fully underway.
Shane Evans is an Associate Editor of Goal.com
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