The Roar at Crew Stadium

CREW (MLS) SOCCER

The roar heard at Crew Stadium:
Columbus Crew stage a memorial comeback, down Chivas USA, 2 – 1
By Mark Hofmann, Columbus Wired Contributor, Photos by Dave Liggett (Columbus Wired)

The roar heard Sunday afternoon coming from 12,658 fans at Crew Stadium was not for a long put sunk by Tiger Woods. It was a group hooray from the lucky fans that had come out and witnessed their defending MLS Champs (The Crew) over come an early deficit to win 2 – 1 and drum Chivas USA out of town.

Chivas, who lost Wednesday to Houston, had a short turn around before playing Columbus. “It’s not easy but these are professional athletes, it is what it is, and you see around the world players play Weds / Saturday, Weds / Saturday, Weds / Saturday for two to three months in a row and they don’t run out of gas, we certainly did run out of gas.” was Coach Preki’s remarks about his team’s second half overall play. He added that they will address it and hopefully correct the issue.

Coach Warzycha described the game as “The first half we were a little bit slow, it was a chain reaction, we were slow to pressure the ball, the first guy was slow, then the second guy… The second half was much different we were defending like the other team and we shifted better, we didn’t give them space to play and they couldn’t stick any passes past us …” This was his explanation to explain why the team gave up a goal in the first half but was able to overcome and be successful in the second half.

Hopefully Coach Warzycha’s game explanation will be a good metaphor for The Crew’s season to date. You can’t start any slower then The Crew did. Losing two of their first four matches of the 2009 season, and then not getting a win till the eighth game of the campaign, set a new Crew team worst start record as well as a Defending MLS champion worst start record.

“Today was a really big game for us in terms of which way are we (The Crew) going for the season” was sidelined Captain Frankie Hejduk’s description of the game. “It looked good, I (Frankie) don’t want to speak for the guys really that much, but as an outsider looking in it was a hump game.”

The match mathematically was the 13th of 30 season matches and not quite yet the middle of the season. However, the second half comeback against the leading team in the league is a statement. Chivas is arguable one of the most collectively skilled units at possessing and moving the ball, and equipped with explosive offensive capability.

The Crew came out and swarmed Chivas defensively the whole entire second half. Offensively the Crew were able to mount multiple dangerous attacks and score two goals on them which kept Chivas on their heels and off of their game the entire second period.

Tiger started four strokes off the lead the previous Sunday. The Crew trailed starting into the second half due to poorly constructed defensive play during the first period.

Gino Padula back headed an out going pass from around the midfield stripe. Eric Brunner was surprised by the pass and scrambled to try to shield off a charging Eduardo Lillingston from linking up with the bouncing back pass. Brunner stumbled and left Andy Gruenebaum in no man’s land.

“He (Padula) was heading it home and I didn’t expect it. And I was yelling to Brunner Away, Away, Away and I think he was so focused he didn’t hear me or I didn’t yell loud enough. I was backing up, in case he (Brunner) wanted to try to send it back to me, so I was caught when Eric fell and I tried to come out and take him (Lillingston) off the dribble.”

Lillingston made a great play for Chivas and a wiser decision of where to stand for his after goal celebration. Instead of running to the left Nordecke corner to taunt the rabid supporters he stayed to the west of the north goal mouth and did his flighted bird celebration move. Far enough from the Nordecke group that even the strongest armed fan could not pelt him with a soda or some other liquid libation. The 39th minute goal subdued the crowd for the remaining hand full of minutes of first half play

The Crew came out and started play in the second half behind in score, just as Tiger Woods started behind in score the previous Sunday at the Memorial.

Tiger birdied four of his first five holes to apply pressure to the leader board. The Crew challenged all Chivas passes whether a back, midfielder or forward was dribbling. The Crew wrestled away possession at every turn from the possession minded Chivas. The constant heat made Chivas wilt in the afternoon sun.

Tiger made a one handed pitch from the high rough on the 11th to sink a miraculous eagle to pull even with the leaders.

When asked if he was sending the ball to Schelotto Gruenebaum answer jokingly “He is my target man, all 5’3” of him, no I was just trying to get it in the mix there was a couple different targets in the area, Alejandro (Moreno), it just happed to fall right to Gee-Shay (Schelotto), and he is having a phenomenal year and I just knew he was going to finish it.”

The pass left the diminutive argentine Schelotto alone against formidable goal keeper, Zach Thornton. Schelotto first separated himself from would-be defender Carey Talley by bodying up and shielding Talley away from the ball at the point of the balls incoming trajectory.

Talley tumbled and left Schelotto unmarked. Having time and options Schelotto’s right foot proved to be the powerful sling that launched the rock (soccer ball) to the high left corner of his Goliath opponent’s goal and pulled the score even.

The Muirfield early front runners unraveled as cheers up ahead on the course allude to another patented Tiger Sunday attack. Tiger’s great play exerted pressure to their individual mental games.
The Crew stadium crowd lets out jeers at the referee, who missed multiple final third fouls that should have awarded The Crew one or more go ahead penalty kick opportunities. Some Nordecke fans may have been plotting to unravel the referee.

Tiger falters slightly on 16, but closes out with birdies on 17 and 18 to provide enough distance to take home his forth Memorial win and 67th overall tour win.

Schelotto receives a pass from his fellow countryman Gino Padula at the right side of the box and slots it near post past keeper Zach Thornton to secure The Crew’s forth win of the season.

Tiger makes a statement he is ready and in form to attack the US Open Course at Beth Page Black and battle to secure his 15th major title.

The Crew makes a statement the Black and Gold are back and ready to challenge for their second MLS Championship, and battle with anyone who dares to challenge them at their house on MLS Championship Boulevard.