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Scoreless In Chicago Between Fire And Crew
Both the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew earn their first scoreless draw of the season. The result means that Chicago remains first in the East, while the Crew remains in second.
Jul 12, 2009 12:43:17 AM
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – It was a battle for first place in Chicago on Saturday night. It could’ve been more dramatic, however, had somebody won. Still, a scoreless draw kept the Chicago Fire (6-3-7, 25 points) in first place and the Columbus Crew (5-3-9, 24 points) in second.
With the draw, the Fire earned its fourth shutout of the season. Columbus earned just its third shutout. Both teams played to their first scoreless draw.
Both clubs were short-handed for the match due to international call-ups: Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica) and Logan Pause (USA), and Columbus’ Chad Marshall (USA) and Robbie Rogers (USA). In the injury department, the Fire was missing defenders Brandon Prideaux and Wilman Conde, with hamstring injuries. The Crew was without midfielder Adam Moffat and forwad Alejandro Moreno, both who suffered hamstring injuries as well.
First Half
The two teams came out pressuring in the first half. In the fourth minute, Cuauhtemoc Blanco shot the ball toward goal. Hesmer easily made the save. The Crew’s Emmanuel Ekpo blasted an attempt wide right in the sixth minute.
Columbus had the first dangerous attempt in the 13th minute when Eddie Gaven found an open Guillermo Barros Schelotto. With Fire defender C.J. Brown on Schelotto’s heels, he spun and shot the ball toward goal. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch grabbed it.
Chicago defender Daniel Woolard miss-cleared an attempt in the 19th minute. This time Gaven forwarded the ball to Garey, who attempted a shot. Busch again grabbed it for the save.
Brown broke up a Schelotto run in the 21st minute, lifting his right leg high and blocking the ball.
The Fire had its best chances int eh 25th and 26th minutes. Marco Pappa sent the ball off Hesmer for a corner kick. Blanco sent the ball into the box, where Brian McBride headed it dead center. Hesmer again made the save. Blanco took a shot of his own in the 26th minute. Hesmer went three-for-three.
In the 39th minute, Chicago took one of its best shots of the half. McBride beat Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, ran toward goal and crossed the ball to Pappa in the box. Pappa made it to the ball, dribbled, saw an opening and shot. Hesmer again smothered it.
In the 46th minute, the Crew almost got lucky. Schelotto blasted the ball off the left post. Ekpo shot the attempt back toward goal, but it deflected off the Fire’s defense.
Second Half
After a scoreless first half, both teams looked to tally in the second. Gaven sent a shot high in the 48th minute for the Crew. Then back-to-back Blanco shots in the 55th and 56th minutes forced Hesmer to again make saves. Fire defender Tim Ward sailed an attempt high in the 59th minute.
But then the Crew turned up the heat. Columbus brought on the fresh legs of Steven Lenhart in the 64th minute for Garey. Three minutes later, he nearly got the Crew ahead. Hejduk sent the ball to Lenhart, who tapped it back to Hejduk The Crew captain shot the ball toward goal, forcing Busch to make the save. In the 70th minute, Lenhart sent the ball wide right. And then in the 73rd minute, Lenhart beat the defense, collided with Busch and headed the ball into goal. The play was ruled offside. Four minutes later, he sent the ball wide right.
Chicago took one more shot with Brian McBride heading it high in the 87th minute. The Crew pushed in the three minutes of added time with Ekpo sending the ball wide right and Gaven forcing Busch to make his final save of the night.
Kathryn L. Knapp, Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, go to Goal.com’s MLS page.
With the draw, the Fire earned its fourth shutout of the season. Columbus earned just its third shutout. Both teams played to their first scoreless draw.
Both clubs were short-handed for the match due to international call-ups: Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares (Costa Rica) and Logan Pause (USA), and Columbus’ Chad Marshall (USA) and Robbie Rogers (USA). In the injury department, the Fire was missing defenders Brandon Prideaux and Wilman Conde, with hamstring injuries. The Crew was without midfielder Adam Moffat and forwad Alejandro Moreno, both who suffered hamstring injuries as well.
First Half
The two teams came out pressuring in the first half. In the fourth minute, Cuauhtemoc Blanco shot the ball toward goal. Hesmer easily made the save. The Crew’s Emmanuel Ekpo blasted an attempt wide right in the sixth minute.
Columbus had the first dangerous attempt in the 13th minute when Eddie Gaven found an open Guillermo Barros Schelotto. With Fire defender C.J. Brown on Schelotto’s heels, he spun and shot the ball toward goal. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch grabbed it.
Chicago defender Daniel Woolard miss-cleared an attempt in the 19th minute. This time Gaven forwarded the ball to Garey, who attempted a shot. Busch again grabbed it for the save.
Brown broke up a Schelotto run in the 21st minute, lifting his right leg high and blocking the ball.
The Fire had its best chances int eh 25th and 26th minutes. Marco Pappa sent the ball off Hesmer for a corner kick. Blanco sent the ball into the box, where Brian McBride headed it dead center. Hesmer again made the save. Blanco took a shot of his own in the 26th minute. Hesmer went three-for-three.
In the 39th minute, Chicago took one of its best shots of the half. McBride beat Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, ran toward goal and crossed the ball to Pappa in the box. Pappa made it to the ball, dribbled, saw an opening and shot. Hesmer again smothered it.
In the 46th minute, the Crew almost got lucky. Schelotto blasted the ball off the left post. Ekpo shot the attempt back toward goal, but it deflected off the Fire’s defense.
Second Half
After a scoreless first half, both teams looked to tally in the second. Gaven sent a shot high in the 48th minute for the Crew. Then back-to-back Blanco shots in the 55th and 56th minutes forced Hesmer to again make saves. Fire defender Tim Ward sailed an attempt high in the 59th minute.
But then the Crew turned up the heat. Columbus brought on the fresh legs of Steven Lenhart in the 64th minute for Garey. Three minutes later, he nearly got the Crew ahead. Hejduk sent the ball to Lenhart, who tapped it back to Hejduk The Crew captain shot the ball toward goal, forcing Busch to make the save. In the 70th minute, Lenhart sent the ball wide right. And then in the 73rd minute, Lenhart beat the defense, collided with Busch and headed the ball into goal. The play was ruled offside. Four minutes later, he sent the ball wide right.
Chicago took one more shot with Brian McBride heading it high in the 87th minute. The Crew pushed in the three minutes of added time with Ekpo sending the ball wide right and Gaven forcing Busch to make his final save of the night.
Kathryn L. Knapp, Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, go to Goal.com’s MLS page.
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