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Chivas USA Grind Out Columbus Win
Yet another MLS game saw yet another red card, as an Andy Iro expulsion helped Chivas USA grind out a 2-1 win over the visiting Columbus Crew.
Apr 5, 2009 11:01:29 PM
Absences were the name of the game heading into the Sunday night encounter. Columbus, playing their second game in four days, was missing captain Frankie Hajduk. The California-native still hadn't recovered from his exploits for the U.S. national team midweek.
Chivas USA picked up where it left off in 2008 in regards to injuries. The club had a grand total of 18 fit players, including Chukwudi Chijidu, who had only signed the day prior. An injury to Mariano Trujillo in training meant that Jim Curtin played his first game of the season, and Gerson Mayen continued in the midfield.
Even the attendance was lacking. A slim 12,827 showed up on a lazy Sunday in the Home Depot Center. They watched a stuttering match in which Chivas USA once again showed a penchant for grinding out the points. Goals from forwards Atiba Harris and Eduardo Lillingston and a red card to Andy Iro paved the way for a narrow 2-1 victory.
First Half
The diminished squads showed early on, as the teams started off sluggishly. Neither side carved out a chance for 15 minutes, in a slow paced opening.
That's when Chivas USA livened up the game with two quick-fire chances. First, Eduardo Lillingston volleyed a ball through the defense which Atiba Harris ran onto, but couldn't manage to sidefoot past William Hesmer. Next, Harris bundled through the Crew backline, but couldn't get off his shot before Hesmer smothered.
The Crew 'keeper was quickly making amends for his howler midweek against Real Salt Lake, and proved that his form had returned by fingering a 25-yard Sacha Kljestan blast that looked destined for the corner of the goal narrowly away.
From there, Columbus enjoyed its first real chance. A counterattack started by Guillermo Barros Schelotto had Robbie Rogers sprinting down the pitch. He stopped and played Emmanuel Ekpo through, whose cross found the head of Eddie Gaven. However, Zach Thornton in the Chivas USA goal batted it away.
Chivas USA found a breakthrough midway through the half. Excellent work by Gerson Mayen down the left saw him get off a low cross, which Harris managed to push into the net from between two defenders.
It was only after the initial goal that Columbus settled into its rhythm. The team started pressing the ball better on defense and create chances on offense. One of those chances was converted in the 37th minute. Schelotto's long corner was chased down by Ekpo, whose cross was nicked on by the head of Alejandro Moreno. Defender Andy Iro jabbed it past Thronton.
The rest of the half went the Crew's way, with the team's tight pressure squeezing Chivas out of the game.
Second Half
That momentum changed quickly in the second stanza, as two major events happened within ten minutes of the restart. Five minutes into the half, Chivas USA scored its second. A Carey Talley free kick was headed into the ground and off the post by Shavar Thomas, and Eduardo Lillingston smashed the rebound into the net from among a swarm of players.
Then, four minutes later, the Crew were down to ten men. Talley cut in from the right flank, but was brought down by an atrocious tackle from Andy Iro. The lanky defender caught Talley's ankle with a studs up challenge for a deserved red.
Columbus didn't let those events deflate the team. Instead it was the yellow-clad team that had the better of the play and chances as the game wound down. After the hour mark, a Gaven cross found Schelotto unmarked in the box. However, the league's 2008 MVP agonizingly put his downward header inches wide.
Both teams spurned half-chances in the remaining minutes, as the substitutions poured in. But it was coach Preki's Chivas USA who ground out the result in gritty fashion.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
Chivas USA picked up where it left off in 2008 in regards to injuries. The club had a grand total of 18 fit players, including Chukwudi Chijidu, who had only signed the day prior. An injury to Mariano Trujillo in training meant that Jim Curtin played his first game of the season, and Gerson Mayen continued in the midfield.
Even the attendance was lacking. A slim 12,827 showed up on a lazy Sunday in the Home Depot Center. They watched a stuttering match in which Chivas USA once again showed a penchant for grinding out the points. Goals from forwards Atiba Harris and Eduardo Lillingston and a red card to Andy Iro paved the way for a narrow 2-1 victory.
First Half
The diminished squads showed early on, as the teams started off sluggishly. Neither side carved out a chance for 15 minutes, in a slow paced opening.
That's when Chivas USA livened up the game with two quick-fire chances. First, Eduardo Lillingston volleyed a ball through the defense which Atiba Harris ran onto, but couldn't manage to sidefoot past William Hesmer. Next, Harris bundled through the Crew backline, but couldn't get off his shot before Hesmer smothered.
The Crew 'keeper was quickly making amends for his howler midweek against Real Salt Lake, and proved that his form had returned by fingering a 25-yard Sacha Kljestan blast that looked destined for the corner of the goal narrowly away.
From there, Columbus enjoyed its first real chance. A counterattack started by Guillermo Barros Schelotto had Robbie Rogers sprinting down the pitch. He stopped and played Emmanuel Ekpo through, whose cross found the head of Eddie Gaven. However, Zach Thornton in the Chivas USA goal batted it away.
Chivas USA found a breakthrough midway through the half. Excellent work by Gerson Mayen down the left saw him get off a low cross, which Harris managed to push into the net from between two defenders.
It was only after the initial goal that Columbus settled into its rhythm. The team started pressing the ball better on defense and create chances on offense. One of those chances was converted in the 37th minute. Schelotto's long corner was chased down by Ekpo, whose cross was nicked on by the head of Alejandro Moreno. Defender Andy Iro jabbed it past Thronton.
The rest of the half went the Crew's way, with the team's tight pressure squeezing Chivas out of the game.
Second Half
That momentum changed quickly in the second stanza, as two major events happened within ten minutes of the restart. Five minutes into the half, Chivas USA scored its second. A Carey Talley free kick was headed into the ground and off the post by Shavar Thomas, and Eduardo Lillingston smashed the rebound into the net from among a swarm of players.
Then, four minutes later, the Crew were down to ten men. Talley cut in from the right flank, but was brought down by an atrocious tackle from Andy Iro. The lanky defender caught Talley's ankle with a studs up challenge for a deserved red.
Columbus didn't let those events deflate the team. Instead it was the yellow-clad team that had the better of the play and chances as the game wound down. After the hour mark, a Gaven cross found Schelotto unmarked in the box. However, the league's 2008 MVP agonizingly put his downward header inches wide.
Both teams spurned half-chances in the remaining minutes, as the substitutions poured in. But it was coach Preki's Chivas USA who ground out the result in gritty fashion.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
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