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Red Bulls Beat Crew For Second Win In A Row
In a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup final the New York Red Bulls did just enough to stop the Columbus Crew as Dane Richards scored an unassisted goal to continue the Red Bulls' rehabilitation.
Aug 30, 2009 10:26:00 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--The Columbus Crew needed a win after an embarrassing 5-0 loss in CONCACAF play midweek versus Mexican side Cruz Azul and obviously thought it had come to the right place. The game fit the football lines of Giants Stadium as it was broken up by over 25 set pieces.
The New York Red Bulls only needed two more points to avoid the worst record in Major League Soccer history and three to avoid the worst record in club history. The team was without Kevin Goldthwaite through suspension and Albert Celades through injury.
Columbus came into the game riding a five game winning streak in the MLS and sitting atop the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 39 points from 22 games. The Crew had only Jed Zayner injured, but head coach Robert Warzycha rested Guillermo Barros Scheletto, Robbie Rogers, Alejandro Moreno, Will Hesmer and Danny O’Rourke. The first three saw second half action.
First Half
The game opened at a leisurely pace as both teams adjusted to changes in their line-ups. Mike Petke wasted a golden opportunity to put the Red Bulls ahead in the 10th minute. After a series of corners, Jorge Rojas collected the ball on the right wing and lofted a cross in to the back post where Petke could not react fast enough to Andy Gruenebaum’s missed interception.
Not to be outdone, Crew’s Jason Garey whiffed at the top of the six-yard box after some good work on the left wing by Eddie Gaven to set him up.
In the 19th minute, some very sloppy defending saw Eric Brunner get caught with the ball, allowing Jorge Rojas to play Juan Pablo Angel in on the right side of the box, but Gino Padula made a sliding save to deflect Angel’s shot out for a corner.
Six minutes later, Danleigh Borman saved the Red Bulls after Padula’s corner was met by Chad Marshall, who headed the ball down hard to the near post where Borman was on hand to stab the ball away. Garey collected the rebound but couldn’t keep his follow-up shot down.
Six minutes before halftime, the Crew’s failure to clear a corner gave Carlos Johnson an opportunity, but he fired high from close range.
Second Half
Columbus showed intent after only four minutes as Steven Lenhart headed over from the top of the box. Only a few minutes later, Richards picked up the ball after a Crew corner and dribbled straight at the last two Crew defenders. John Wolyniec and Rojas charged from box to box to give the Red Bulls numbers, but Richards opted for a shot from 25 yards out that deflected out.
Mac Kandji was brought on in the 59th minute for Rojas and wasted no time as he created space for himself on the left wing. He squared the ball to Wolyniec, who fired a one-time shot past Gruenebaum and off the near post.
In the 63rd minute, the Red Bulls made the most of their second counter after a corner. The Crew elected to play a corner short to Frankie Hejduk but Wolyniec and Richards combined to block his cross and spring the Jamaican. Hejduk and Wolyniec got tangled up leaving Richards alone with Brian Carroll. Carroll attempted to show him to his left, but Richards cut inside and slotted the ball inside the near post to give New York the lead.
Only two minutes later, an Emmanuel Ekpo cross found Eddie Gaven alone on the left side of the six. Gaven hit a bouncing volley back across goal past Bouna Coundoul, but Andrew Boyens was there with a diving header to clear the ball.
Warzycha responded by bringing Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Moreno in the 69th minute, and the move almost paid off as Moreno was fouled 40 yards out on the left of midfield. Ekpo hit a long cross to the back post where Marshall headed the ball across goal to Eric Brunner, but Brunner’s header just missed the top left corner of the goal.
Columbus kept the pressure on as Ekpo put in another good cross from a free kick on the left which missed everyone before reaching Brunner, but he could not react quickly enough as the ball deflected off his knee for a goal kick. Moments later another Ekpo free kick found Moreno in the center of the box, but his glancing header was well collected by Bouna Coundoul.
Gillermo Barros Scheletto made an appearance in the 88th minute, but he could only muster a few touches as the Red Bulls took all the points.
Terence Steed in the New York correspondent for Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
The New York Red Bulls only needed two more points to avoid the worst record in Major League Soccer history and three to avoid the worst record in club history. The team was without Kevin Goldthwaite through suspension and Albert Celades through injury.
Columbus came into the game riding a five game winning streak in the MLS and sitting atop the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 39 points from 22 games. The Crew had only Jed Zayner injured, but head coach Robert Warzycha rested Guillermo Barros Scheletto, Robbie Rogers, Alejandro Moreno, Will Hesmer and Danny O’Rourke. The first three saw second half action.
First Half
The game opened at a leisurely pace as both teams adjusted to changes in their line-ups. Mike Petke wasted a golden opportunity to put the Red Bulls ahead in the 10th minute. After a series of corners, Jorge Rojas collected the ball on the right wing and lofted a cross in to the back post where Petke could not react fast enough to Andy Gruenebaum’s missed interception.
Not to be outdone, Crew’s Jason Garey whiffed at the top of the six-yard box after some good work on the left wing by Eddie Gaven to set him up.
In the 19th minute, some very sloppy defending saw Eric Brunner get caught with the ball, allowing Jorge Rojas to play Juan Pablo Angel in on the right side of the box, but Gino Padula made a sliding save to deflect Angel’s shot out for a corner.
Six minutes later, Danleigh Borman saved the Red Bulls after Padula’s corner was met by Chad Marshall, who headed the ball down hard to the near post where Borman was on hand to stab the ball away. Garey collected the rebound but couldn’t keep his follow-up shot down.
Six minutes before halftime, the Crew’s failure to clear a corner gave Carlos Johnson an opportunity, but he fired high from close range.
Second Half
Columbus showed intent after only four minutes as Steven Lenhart headed over from the top of the box. Only a few minutes later, Richards picked up the ball after a Crew corner and dribbled straight at the last two Crew defenders. John Wolyniec and Rojas charged from box to box to give the Red Bulls numbers, but Richards opted for a shot from 25 yards out that deflected out.
Mac Kandji was brought on in the 59th minute for Rojas and wasted no time as he created space for himself on the left wing. He squared the ball to Wolyniec, who fired a one-time shot past Gruenebaum and off the near post.
In the 63rd minute, the Red Bulls made the most of their second counter after a corner. The Crew elected to play a corner short to Frankie Hejduk but Wolyniec and Richards combined to block his cross and spring the Jamaican. Hejduk and Wolyniec got tangled up leaving Richards alone with Brian Carroll. Carroll attempted to show him to his left, but Richards cut inside and slotted the ball inside the near post to give New York the lead.
Only two minutes later, an Emmanuel Ekpo cross found Eddie Gaven alone on the left side of the six. Gaven hit a bouncing volley back across goal past Bouna Coundoul, but Andrew Boyens was there with a diving header to clear the ball.
Warzycha responded by bringing Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Moreno in the 69th minute, and the move almost paid off as Moreno was fouled 40 yards out on the left of midfield. Ekpo hit a long cross to the back post where Marshall headed the ball across goal to Eric Brunner, but Brunner’s header just missed the top left corner of the goal.
Columbus kept the pressure on as Ekpo put in another good cross from a free kick on the left which missed everyone before reaching Brunner, but he could not react quickly enough as the ball deflected off his knee for a goal kick. Moments later another Ekpo free kick found Moreno in the center of the box, but his glancing header was well collected by Bouna Coundoul.
Gillermo Barros Scheletto made an appearance in the 88th minute, but he could only muster a few touches as the Red Bulls took all the points.
Terence Steed in the New York correspondent for Goal.com
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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