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Columbus Crew 2-0 Toronto FC: Gritty Win Opens Season For Hosts
Back to MLS action for both these sides.
Mar 27, 2010 8:06:00 PM
By Nicholas Rosano
The Columbus Crew started off their quest for a third consecutive Supporter’s Shield by earning a gritty 2-0 win over visiting Toronto FC in the MLS season opener for both teams. Andy Iro and Guillermo Barros Schelotto grabbed goals on either side of the half as the Crew shook off elimination from the CONCACAF Champion’s League and showed that they will be a team to be reckoned with once again.
First Half
Robert Warzycha and new Toronto FC coach Preki both opted for 4-4-2 formations to start the match out. Steven Lenhart partnered Guillermo Barros Schelotto up front and in the midfield Adam Moffat and Brian Carroll played centrally with Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers on the wings. Danny O’Rourke was preferred to Gino Padula at left back while Andy Iro stepped in for Chad Marshall, who remained sidelined with a hamstring injury. Eric Brunner partnered Iro while team captain Frankie Hejduk was at right back and Will Hesmer started between the posts.
Preki started brand new signing Martin Saric in the midfield along with Canadian international Julian De Guzman in the center. Sam Cronin and Gabe Gala manned the wings, tasked with providing service to the strike force of O’Brian White and Dwayne De Rosario. Jim Brennan paired up with Nick Garcia in central defense, with Nana Attakora and Ty Harden on either side. Swiss netminder Stefan Frei was preferred to the newly signed Jon Conway in goal.
The teams found it difficult to get into the match after the opening whistle with passes going awry on both ends. The home side started to settle in after the first 10 minutes with Lenhart winning some crucial aerial balls, one of them setting up Robbie Rogers, who couldn’t keep his volley down. The Toronto midfield looked nervous as Columbus started to tighten up their play and hone in on Toronto’s short passing game, with De Guzman being caught in possession by Crew players twice within a minute.
Despite Columbus stepping up in midfield, neither team looked keen on committing too many players forward, though both defenses had to be alert. Stefan Frei had to rush out to clear the ball from the path of an onrushing Robbie Rogers while De Rosario’s interchange with Gabe Gala gave the Crew defense something to think about.
The Crew’s breakthrough finally came in the 29th minute as Jim Brennan tripped Gaven near the corner flag. Schelotto whipped in the resulting free kick and the unmarked Andy Iro rose above the static Reds defense to score with a towering header at the far post. O’Brian White, who struggled to mark Iro on set pieces throughout the half, was at fault for losing track of Iro in the penalty area.
Although Toronto needed to come out and look for an equalizer, it was Columbus who continued to keep up the pressure in the midfield. Although they were able to keep possession from Toronto, the Crew midfield couldn't create any more clear chances for the forwards.
Toronto debutant Martin Saric, who had already picked up a booking for a tackle from behind on Eddie Gaven, provided Toronto’s first good chance of the match, taking advantage of good wing play from Gala to fire a shot from the top corner of the box. The shot was well handled by Will Hesmer. White’s play then started to turn more positive, along with that of his team, as he fired just wide of Hesmer’s goal after a giveaway from Eric Brunner. Gabe Gala continued to shine as his looping cross found Dwayne De Rosario, who couldn’t get enough on it to put it away. De Rosario in turn set up Jim Brennan, who fired over. Despite Toronto’s improved play, Schelotto nearly grabbed the Crew’s second, as an errant backpass from Ty Harden landed right at his feet, but Frei got down to sweep the ball away smartly.
The teams were evenly poised going into halftime – although Columbus had most of the possession and the better chances, Toronto started to pick up their game heading into the half with Gala, Nana Attakora and De Rosario providing most of the inspiration for the team's revival. Columbus, meanwhile, needed to look for more from the potent striking duo of Lenhart and Schelotto, neither of whom played their best in the first half.
Second Half
The second half commenced in more exciting fashion than the first, with Moffat firing right into the Toronto defense from six yards from a Schelotto corner. A minute later, Hesmer was forced to make a fingertip save after a strong run and shot from O’Brian White, who looked refreshed starting out the half.
Preki made the first change of the match, making a straight swap, removing the young Gabe Gala for new signing Nick LaBrocca. The game then turned rough with Frankie Hejduk catching the top of Saric’s boot with his studs, forcing the Argentine midfielder off the pitch for a few minutes, though it was a harmless challenge and Hejduk received no booking. 18 year-old Gambian midfielder Amadou Sanyang soon replaced Saric, ending a decent MLS debut.
Robbie Rogers had penalty appeals waved away in the 57th minute after he claimed a shirt pull in the box, but the referee ended up giving a foul against Steven Lenhart. Rogers troubled the TFC defense all game with his running and dribbling, but was largely wasteful with the space he created for himself.
Toronto created one of the best chances of the half in the 60th minute when De Guzman threaded a perfect ball through to De Rosario, who looked for Sam Cronin with a low cross, though Hejduk was there to clear and De Rosario probably should have taken a shot at goal himself. The play was indicative of Toronto’s improvement in the second half as they pushed forward to get a goal. The service forward wasn’t good enough though and Toronto’s frustration showed as Attakora was booked for a reckless challenge on Lenhart in the 77th minute.
The Crew sensed the urgency in their rival’s play as the minutes ticked away and Rogers fired right at Frei after being put clean through by Moffat on the break. Schelotto saved his teammate’s blushes minutes later, though. Danny O’Rourke collided with an onrushing Stefan Frei on the edge of the Toronto area and the ball fell kindly to the Argentine veteran, who easily curled it in the back of the net to seal a deserved win for the Crew.
Columbus were then happy to wind the clock down, though Adam Moffat was lucky to only get a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Nick Garcia. Gino Padula replaced Hejduk and Jason Garey replaced Lenhart during the four minutes of injury time for the Crew’s only two substitutions of the game.
For Columbus, the win represented a return to winning ways after struggling at home at the end of last season and showed that they do have enough quality to make the push for another Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup. For Toronto, Preki can be reasonably satisfied with his team’s performance in a game in which they were heavy underdogs. The team still needs time to gel, but Preki can be reasonably confident of making the playoffs as long as the squad is up to it.
Both teams now face a two-week layoff before returning to action, with the Crew traveling to FC Dallas and Toronto visiting New England on April 10.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
First Half
Robert Warzycha and new Toronto FC coach Preki both opted for 4-4-2 formations to start the match out. Steven Lenhart partnered Guillermo Barros Schelotto up front and in the midfield Adam Moffat and Brian Carroll played centrally with Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers on the wings. Danny O’Rourke was preferred to Gino Padula at left back while Andy Iro stepped in for Chad Marshall, who remained sidelined with a hamstring injury. Eric Brunner partnered Iro while team captain Frankie Hejduk was at right back and Will Hesmer started between the posts.
Preki started brand new signing Martin Saric in the midfield along with Canadian international Julian De Guzman in the center. Sam Cronin and Gabe Gala manned the wings, tasked with providing service to the strike force of O’Brian White and Dwayne De Rosario. Jim Brennan paired up with Nick Garcia in central defense, with Nana Attakora and Ty Harden on either side. Swiss netminder Stefan Frei was preferred to the newly signed Jon Conway in goal.
The teams found it difficult to get into the match after the opening whistle with passes going awry on both ends. The home side started to settle in after the first 10 minutes with Lenhart winning some crucial aerial balls, one of them setting up Robbie Rogers, who couldn’t keep his volley down. The Toronto midfield looked nervous as Columbus started to tighten up their play and hone in on Toronto’s short passing game, with De Guzman being caught in possession by Crew players twice within a minute.
Despite Columbus stepping up in midfield, neither team looked keen on committing too many players forward, though both defenses had to be alert. Stefan Frei had to rush out to clear the ball from the path of an onrushing Robbie Rogers while De Rosario’s interchange with Gabe Gala gave the Crew defense something to think about.
The Crew’s breakthrough finally came in the 29th minute as Jim Brennan tripped Gaven near the corner flag. Schelotto whipped in the resulting free kick and the unmarked Andy Iro rose above the static Reds defense to score with a towering header at the far post. O’Brian White, who struggled to mark Iro on set pieces throughout the half, was at fault for losing track of Iro in the penalty area.
Although Toronto needed to come out and look for an equalizer, it was Columbus who continued to keep up the pressure in the midfield. Although they were able to keep possession from Toronto, the Crew midfield couldn't create any more clear chances for the forwards.
Toronto debutant Martin Saric, who had already picked up a booking for a tackle from behind on Eddie Gaven, provided Toronto’s first good chance of the match, taking advantage of good wing play from Gala to fire a shot from the top corner of the box. The shot was well handled by Will Hesmer. White’s play then started to turn more positive, along with that of his team, as he fired just wide of Hesmer’s goal after a giveaway from Eric Brunner. Gabe Gala continued to shine as his looping cross found Dwayne De Rosario, who couldn’t get enough on it to put it away. De Rosario in turn set up Jim Brennan, who fired over. Despite Toronto’s improved play, Schelotto nearly grabbed the Crew’s second, as an errant backpass from Ty Harden landed right at his feet, but Frei got down to sweep the ball away smartly.
The teams were evenly poised going into halftime – although Columbus had most of the possession and the better chances, Toronto started to pick up their game heading into the half with Gala, Nana Attakora and De Rosario providing most of the inspiration for the team's revival. Columbus, meanwhile, needed to look for more from the potent striking duo of Lenhart and Schelotto, neither of whom played their best in the first half.
Second Half
The second half commenced in more exciting fashion than the first, with Moffat firing right into the Toronto defense from six yards from a Schelotto corner. A minute later, Hesmer was forced to make a fingertip save after a strong run and shot from O’Brian White, who looked refreshed starting out the half.
Preki made the first change of the match, making a straight swap, removing the young Gabe Gala for new signing Nick LaBrocca. The game then turned rough with Frankie Hejduk catching the top of Saric’s boot with his studs, forcing the Argentine midfielder off the pitch for a few minutes, though it was a harmless challenge and Hejduk received no booking. 18 year-old Gambian midfielder Amadou Sanyang soon replaced Saric, ending a decent MLS debut.
Robbie Rogers had penalty appeals waved away in the 57th minute after he claimed a shirt pull in the box, but the referee ended up giving a foul against Steven Lenhart. Rogers troubled the TFC defense all game with his running and dribbling, but was largely wasteful with the space he created for himself.
Toronto created one of the best chances of the half in the 60th minute when De Guzman threaded a perfect ball through to De Rosario, who looked for Sam Cronin with a low cross, though Hejduk was there to clear and De Rosario probably should have taken a shot at goal himself. The play was indicative of Toronto’s improvement in the second half as they pushed forward to get a goal. The service forward wasn’t good enough though and Toronto’s frustration showed as Attakora was booked for a reckless challenge on Lenhart in the 77th minute.
The Crew sensed the urgency in their rival’s play as the minutes ticked away and Rogers fired right at Frei after being put clean through by Moffat on the break. Schelotto saved his teammate’s blushes minutes later, though. Danny O’Rourke collided with an onrushing Stefan Frei on the edge of the Toronto area and the ball fell kindly to the Argentine veteran, who easily curled it in the back of the net to seal a deserved win for the Crew.
Columbus were then happy to wind the clock down, though Adam Moffat was lucky to only get a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Nick Garcia. Gino Padula replaced Hejduk and Jason Garey replaced Lenhart during the four minutes of injury time for the Crew’s only two substitutions of the game.
For Columbus, the win represented a return to winning ways after struggling at home at the end of last season and showed that they do have enough quality to make the push for another Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup. For Toronto, Preki can be reasonably satisfied with his team’s performance in a game in which they were heavy underdogs. The team still needs time to gel, but Preki can be reasonably confident of making the playoffs as long as the squad is up to it.
Both teams now face a two-week layoff before returning to action, with the Crew traveling to FC Dallas and Toronto visiting New England on April 10.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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