April 2, 20178 yr - GAME #5 RECAP (aka "día de los inocentes"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/1/15150740/columbus-crew-sc-notches-shutout-third-straight-win-behind-merams-brace-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-01-columbus-crew-sc-vs-orlando-city-sc/recap No April Foolin': The Crew just knocked off their second straight unbeaten team to get a third straight win! Meram gets a brace! Meram's first goal came in the 13th minute off a long ball forward from Artur. Meram found himself alone with a single defender and the keeper to beat with a left-footed(!) shot. Meram's second goal came off a counter-attack in the 77th minute. Orlando turned the ball over to Higuain, who picked out Meram on the left side. Meram cut back to the middle and right-footed it past the keeper. Columbus finds itself atop the East with a 3-1-1 record. Crew SC travels to Chicago next Saturday to take on the Fire and a newly acquired Schweinsteiger (who scored in his MLS debut this weekend).
April 4, 20178 yr Columbus Crew SC lands 4 new corporate sponsors, including Kahiki and Wendy’s Columbus Crew SC has added to its roster of corporate partners as the 2017 season gets into full swing. The first-place Major League Soccer club says it has landed new sponsorship deals with Wendy’s Co., Kahiki Foods Inc., Turkey Hill Dairy and Corona. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/04/04/columbus-crew-sc-lands-4-new-corporate-sponsors.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 7, 20178 yr Injury update on Crew roster players and updates on Crew players on loan - including midfielder Rodrigo Saravia, on loan to the Swedish League, who had surgery on a broken toe: http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/4/15185108/columbus-crew-sc-injury-update-jonathan-mensah-rodrigo-saravia-mls-2017 http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/4/15167458/loanee-lookout-week-2-columbus-crew-sc-pittsburgh-riverhounds-mls-2017 http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/6/15211452/lalas-abubakar-goes-on-loan-to-pittsburgh-riverhounds-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017
April 9, 20178 yr - GAME #6 RECAP (aka "Bolloxed in Bridgeview"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/8/15231204/three-game-winning-streak-snapped-as-columbus-crew-sc-fall-in-chicago-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-08-chicago-fire-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap Higuain and Afful weren't in the starting 11 due to injuries (hopefully minor). Jimenez replaced Afful at right back and Artur stepped into Higuain's role - Abu stepped into Artur's midfield spot and Crognale again started for the injured Mensah in central defense. The impressive scoreless start of Crognale ended when both he and Steffen got beat on the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute. After that, the game took on a decidedly defensive flavor and the Crew struggled to gain any decent scoring chances. Chicago had some good counters that Steffen saved to keep the game close, but Columbus couldn't equalize.
April 16, 20178 yr - GAME #7 RECAP (aka "Trillium Cup - Part I"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/15/15316314/columbus-crew-sc-see-off-toronto-fc-for-a-2-1-victory-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-15-columbus-crew-sc-vs-toronto-fc/recap Higuain and Afful returned to the starting lineup and rookie 2016 1st-round draft pick Niko Hansen started in place of Finlay at right forward. Toronto got off to a good start and scored the first goal in the 21st minute with an Altidore header off a corner kick. But the Crew rebounded with a two-goals in seven-minutes flurry later in the first half. In the 37th minute, Higuain led Hansen with a pass down the right side. Hansen broke toward the goal, drawing the keeper and defenders to him, and crossed a pass through the 6-yard-box for an easy Kamara tap-in. Then, off a corner-kick in the 43rd minute, Crognale headed the ball to an unmarked Meram, who deftly redirected it into the net. Then, the Crew did in the second half what it couldn't do last year -- hold that lead. The Crew defense generally stymied and frustrated the Toronto offense for the final 45' to gain the 2-1 victory. In doing so, Crew SC knocked off another unbeaten team (okay TFC was 1-0-4, but it still counts) and sits at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
April 23, 20178 yr - GAME #8 RECAP (aka "Hurtin' in Harrison"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/22/15396666/columbus-crew-sc-fall-to-new-york-red-bulls-2-0 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-22-new-york-red-bulls-vs-columbus-crew-sc/details/video/101239 Things started badly for the Crew in Red Bull Arena and never got better. In the very first minute, dazzling rookie midfielder Artur suffered a game-ending injury when an aerial clash caused him to fall backward. His left arm hit the ground first and caused a broken wrist. NYRB kept the early pressure on and got their first goal in the 11th minute. In the 35th minute, NYRB striker Bradley Carter-Williams broke open into the Crew 18-yard-box. Rookie defender Alex Crognale went for the ball with a sliding tackle, but got his right cleats caught in the turf. This caused Crognale to barrel into BCW, which awarded a penalty kick to NYRB. It also wrenched Crognale's ankle, causing him to leave the game. The Red Bulls converted the PK to go up 2-0. Crew SC attempted a second half comeback. But with two subs already used for injury replacement, Coach Berhalter could only make one offensive change to spur a comeback. Plus, NYRB has yet to give up a goal at home this season. Steffen made some quality saves to keep the game from getting out of hand and the Red Bulls took that 2-0 lead to the final whistle.
April 26, 20178 yr Injury update on Artur: http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/24/15417122/crew-sc-eye-quick-return-for-artur Promising rookie midfielder Artur underwent surgery on Monday for the broken left wrist he suffered in Saturday's game. Crew management is saying that he will miss the next three home games from April 29 to May 6, and is shooting for his return on May 13 at Montreal. There hasn't been any update on rookie defender Alex Crognale's ankle injury. Although Coach Berhalter did say after Saturday's game that it was "nothing major". If Crognale can't go for next Saturday's home game with NYCFC, look for DP defender Jonathan Mensah to return from his hamstring injury. If Mensah still isn't ready, veteran Josh Williams would start.
April 26, 20178 yr While we're on the injury topic, an update on Ben Swanson: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170418/crew-sc--injury-deals-swanson-another-setback Swanson signed with the Crew as a homegrown player two seasons ago as a 17-year-old. He made his MLS debut as a sub in June 2016, then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in July 2016. After undergoing right shoulder surgery and working his way through six months of rehab, he started this season with the Crew's USL-affiliate in Pittsburgh. On April 8, Swanson suffered a fractured ankle on a hard tackle against Charleston. So it's another potentially season-ending injury for a second straight year for Swanson. At 19, he still hopefully has a long career ahead of him. But losing a second straight season of development time is disappointing for someone the Crew has high hopes for.
April 30, 20178 yr - GAME #9 RECAP (aka "New York New York"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/29/15489156/designated-player-less-new-york-city-fc-come-into-columbus-and-leaves-with-a-win - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-04-29-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-york-city-fc/details/video/101880 NYCFC was without two of their big name DP's - David Villa and Andrea Pirlo. But it didn't stop them from taking an early 1-0 lead in the 8th minute with their remaining DP Maxi Moralez and some inattentive play by Columbus left back Jukka Raitala. Raitala turned the ball over in midfield to start the run-up to this goal and was caught ball watching at the finish of it. Raitala atoned for that in the 29th minute with a crossing pass to the edge of the 6-yard box that Higuain skillfully finished for the Crew's first goal of the night. Raitala nearly got a second assist only four minutes later when Kamara sent a cross on net, but was saved by the NYCFC keeper. The Crew didn't get its second goal until four minutes into the second half. In the 49th minute, Finlay pressured a NYCFC keeper-to-defender pass to cause one of the more egregious turnovers you'll see. Finlay then crossed the ball toward Higuain in the middle of the 18-yard box, who deftly let the ball roll to an unmarked Kamara to blast it into the back of the net. But it was all NYCFC after that. The tying goal was given up in the 64th minute off a fine cross-and-header play by NYCFC. However, the losing goal was given up on a defensive blunder by the Crew. In the 76th minute, an Afful-to-Naess pass on the edge of the 18-yard box got intercepted and converted into a goal that gave a 3-2 win to NYCFC.
May 6, 20178 yr 20-year-old Crew midfielder Cristian Martinez is being loaned to USL club FC Cincinnati. Martinez had a promising 2016 season, featuring starts for his home country Panama in their World Cup qualifying matches, and getting one goal in five MLS games for Crew SC. But for 2017, Martinez is buried behind multiple midfielders in the Crew depth chart and is needing some playing time: http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/5/15565052/columbus-crew-sc-loans-cristian-martinez-to-fc-cincinnati-mls-2017
May 8, 20178 yr - GAME #10 RECAP (aka "Rev it up"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/6/15570580/columbus-crew-sc-return-to-winning-ways-2-0-over-the-new-england-revolution-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-06-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-england-revolution/details/video/102646 Berhalter's defensive lineup featured four roster changes from last week. Naess moved from the back line into the defensive midfield to replace Abu (which also allowed Trapp to play a more forward position ala Artur); Williams filled in Naess' center back spot; Francis took Raitala's left back spot and Jimenez took Afful's right back spot. -- But it was the New England defense that looked shaky to begin the match. In the first part of the first half, the Crew generated four quality scoring chances and cashed in at the 13' mark on a Meram to Kamara assist to the left of 6-yard box that Ola finished into the right side of the net. The Revs generally had the better play in the second part of the first half, controlling more possession and generating shots. But the new-look Crew defense was able to limit those shots to the less dangerous outside the 18-yard box variety. Still, a Nguyen long-range blast in the 21st minute that hit the crossbar came close the equalizing the score. The beginning of the second half saw Crew SC get back to generating more quality scoring chances. Columbus netted their second goal in the 53rd minute on a nice give-and-go between Higuain and Kamara. Higuain found Kamara one-on-one breakaway, Kamara then held up the ball and passed it back to an oncoming Higuain, who right-footed a beautiful blast past the Revs keeper. Unlike last week's game that featured a blown second half lead, the Crew did a much better job of maintaining possession and not retreating into a defensive shell. The Revs were lucky to not go down one player in the 77th minute when 2nd-half sub Hansen got "clothslined" by a Rev defender to stop a breakaway. The dangerous play only received a yellow card, which incensed Coach Berhalter so much he got ejected for remainder of the match. (Video of the clothsline play: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-06-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-england-revolution/details/video/102614 ) Despite a few dicey moments, the Crew held on to the clean sheet for a 2-0 win. A well-needed complete performance by the Crew, who had lost 3 of their last 4 games going into this weekend. The win gains importance with red-hot Toronto FC coming to Columbus on Wednesday. TFC is currently at the top of the East, riding a four-game winning streak. The last TFC loss was back on 4/15 at Columbus.
May 10, 20178 yr After Coach Berhalter got ejected late in the second half of the previous game for arguing this clothsline tackle - https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-06-columbus-crew-sc-vs-new-england-revolution/details/video/102614 - I wondered if that ejection would carry over to tonight's match against Toronto. When MLS players get red-carded, they are automatically suspended for the following game. Turns out, its the same for MLS coaches too: http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170508/crew-sc--suspended-berhalter-will-be-spectator-vs-toronto
May 10, 20178 yr Breaking out the 3-5-2 vs. Toronto. Bold move by Berhalter - or whoever is setting up the lineup tonight: :wink:
May 11, 20178 yr - GAME #11 RECAP (aka "Win/Tie/Loss"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/10/15618842/columbus-crew-sc-crumbles-late-ricketts-brace-pushes-trillium-cup-to-third-leg - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-10-columbus-crew-sc-vs-toronto-fc/details/video/103087 A 3-5-2 formation battle between Toronto and Columbus saw both clubs struggle to generate quality scoring chances early on. It was Crew SC that struck first in the 27th minute off a sweet pass from Trapp to Kamara into the 18-yard box. Kamara got pulled down by a TFC defender to earn a penalty kick. Pipa cheekily chipped in the PK to give Columbus a 1-0 lead. That lead was almost erased when Altidore draw his own PK in the 37th minute. But Altidore's penalty shot was spectacularly saved by Steffen to retain the one-goal lead. In the second half, the Crew looked like the better side and saw some decent scoring chances. But those chances only generated near-misses, not an insurance goal. If last night's match had ended at the 80 minute mark, the Crew would have gotten a well-earned victory over the hottest club in MLS. But the game of soccer has a running clock that counts up to 90 minutes. And those final minutes saw the game turn on its head when Toronto struck for goals in the 81st minute and the 90th minute - turning a Crew home win into a Crew home defeat.
May 14, 20178 yr - GAME #12 RECAP (aka "Tour Du Chapeau"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/13/15636508/merams-mothers-day-miracle - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-13-montreal-impact-vs-columbus-crew-sc/details/video/103382 This match had it all: A tremendous first half that saw the Crew lead 2-0 at halftime; an awful second half that saw Columbus give up that two-goal lead; a very late goal to regain the lead. Oh, and a Meram Hat Trick!!! With the Crew playing its third game in eight days, the lineup carousel saw Jahn replace Kamara at striker, Manneh make his starting debut at right forward, Raitala return to left back, and saw Artur return at midfield (wearing a giant soft cast) after missing three games with a broken wrist. But it was the Iraqi Iron Man - Justin Meram - who made the difference. Meram buried his own deflected pass for his first goal in the 14th minute. Then in the 28th minute, Meram edged a deflected ball past the Montreal keeper for his second goal of the match. He nearly added a third goal off a header in the 32nd minute. However, Montreal came out strong for the second half and starting pouring on the shots. They cashed in on a scramble in the box for their first goal in the 52nd minute. Then added a second goal on a header off a free kick in the 77th minute. But in the 91st minute, the Crew got a 3-on-2 breakaway with Meram leading the way. With Kamara on the left and Hansen on the right, Meram passed it to Hansen, who immediately returned it to Meram, who mashed it for his third goal of the game!!!
May 15, 20178 yr This has been an interesting season so far. Its been far from perfect but theres a lot of promising things happening. We brought in a lot of good young players this year. For once we had what I would consider a successful draft. Niko Hansen is already a solid contributor. From what little ive seen of him, Abubakar looks very capable as well. Then theres homegrown Crognale. I knew we would be signing him from his performances with Maryland. Most people knew he had potential, nobody knew he would hit the ground running the way he has. Lastly, Artur has been a freakin revelation and we absolutely must buy him at the end of his loan. Dude is legitimately the future of this club. At first I thought the whole big Ghanaian contingent on the team was a neat thing. Unfortunately Abu and Mensah havent delivered as well as we probably hoped for. I expected Abu to claim Tchanis starting role but he hasnt shown well and instead Artur grabbed the brass ring. Mensah was a strange signing in my opinion. He hadnt made many appearances at his last few clubs and wasnt a top choice defender for Ghana. When i heard he would be a DP i didnt think too much of it because i figured most of that money was just his transfer fee and not his salary....and Gregg needed to make sure his defense was solid with Sauro on the shelf. It was obviously a panic purchase which I understand but damn was a big fluke. Dude is on 840k a year. Highest paid defender in the league now (excluding GK Howard). Crognale has performed better with zero professional experience for 1/10 the price. I dont hold it against Gregg though. Our D was abysmal last year and he dsperately had to shore it up and you couldnt count on Crognale being so ready, so soon. Hopefully both Abu and Mensah can adjust to the team and league within the next month or two otherwise ill be wishing for their release. Another swing and miss has been the Tchani for Manneh trade. The writing was on the wall for Tchani as it was obvious he was trade bait since he went from being a starter to not seeing the field at all. I was fine with this as I thought it was a good position for us to upgrade at. I definitely feel like we got the bad end of the deal. Vancouver got Tchani, whos been a useful asset for them, and a boatload of allocation money, and we got Manneh who had sunk down the depth chart and was out of favor in Vancouver. Hes only now getting some playing time with our busy schedule but it feels like Greggs hesitant with him. Hes a good asset to have on the roster, as he will push for Finlays role on the team but I dont think hes any better than Finlay. He may have a higher ceiling than Finlay being only 22 i think but he doesnt seem to be progressing that well for already being a pro for a few years. Dukas seems to be a bust. Gregg seemed high on him initially but seems to have changed his mind as Duka has barely seen the field this season. He was brought in as depth for Higuain who was fighting through injury most of last season. Hes looking fairly dispensable at this point. That brings me to Higuain. Over the offseason I was hoping to god we would either find a new talented playmaker in their prime, to replace him immediately....or at least find a young dude with big potential (like Artur) to be his understudy and possible successor if Pipa were to fail to regain his old form this season. We can at least temporarily put that on hold though. Higuains been a stud so far this season. It seems the magics back. And while the Crew should definitely be actively searching for good candidates for the future as hes 32 and not getting any younger....were probably okay in the short term. I would like to see Martinez get any available minutes if Higuain is rested or out injured or anything though, as opposed to Duka. I think he has some potential. Lastly, Meram is on a f'ing roll. I wouldnt say MVP candidate yet, but All-Star team candidate, for sure. When i heard we were going to spend TAM on Trapp and Meram to give them substantial raises I thought it was a little excessive for the level of their prior performances. Im eating crow now. Both have earned their raises this season with performances exceeding at least my expectations, especially hat trick hero, Meram. A few positions I would like to see us address in the summer window are in the attack. I would like to see us make a DP, or at least TAM level upgrade at right winger. I dont want to see Finlay go due to his long standing tenure here, but I think Manneh is just about as capable and Hansen will get there soon, too. So somebody is dispensable. I just think both Finlay and Manneh are both very one dimensional players. Theyre fast but not reliable for much more than that. Finlay is a tireless worker at least. Manneh, not so much. Im personally kind of hoping we keep Manneh moving along to another team in exchange for maybe a decent backup striker more in the mold of a target forward. Thats another spot i would like an upgrade at. Ola Kamara is doing great and looks to probably be able to replicate last seasons success this year. Jahn looked servicable with 5 or 6 goals last year but im not comfortable with him being the only real go-to option if Kamara is on the shelf for any amount of time. Hes acceptable as an occasional sub and maybe even a starter against open cup competition, but if Ola was out of commission for a season, i would not have faith in Jahn to lead the line all year. It would be good to have like a Will Bruin or Alan Gordon on hand. And as I mentioned we could use a better backup #10 option. Dukas insufficient and Martinez while having some potential is still quite young and raw. I wish we could swap out Duka for someone like Harry Shipp maybe. A solidly capable playmaker, whos still young-ish and will tolerate not starting, but who I could tolerate getting a run of games if Pipa was out. Okay im done with that rant.
May 15, 20178 yr Also....has there been any stadium talk around Columbus? Figure people on this site would be hip to any planning or development rumors or news more than anywhere else. I keep coming across conversations about lackluster attendance for the Crew and how do we cure that.... Theres so many factors at play really. Winning makes people more interested but theres only so many people who are all of sudden going to show up to games because the teams awesome all of a sudden....who arent already attending at least occasionally. Big name signings can help attract soccer fans who just arent MLS fans but I dont think thats a worthwhile investment for just that reason. Those people arent a large enough segment of the market to justify spending millions of dollars in player wages and transfer fees on. What we need to be doing is creating new soccer fans. Theres plenty of sports fans ripe for the picking, we just need to learn how to lure them in. Obviously the juggernaut that is OSU is major sports competition as far as attention goes but that should not be insurmountable. The problem is were not one of the hot new teams joining the league at the current or future peak of its hype and popularity. We are MLS 1.0. People just view us as some minor league team akin to the Columbus Clippers but more expensive, in which case why not just go spend that money at baseball game and have just as much fun more affordably. We have to figure out how to deliver more of a MAJOR league experience so the perception changes. At this point, i think the missing piece, and its a tremendous piece, is a new stadium. Its how we can reinvent the image of this team. The brand/badge revision was a popular success with fans but probably had no effect on the casual public. A modern pro stadium with great amenities, design, accessibility, and atmosphere will resonate with everybody and anybody though. Look at Sporting Kansas City to see how such a reinvention via a rebranding and new stadium can lift a team up. Has there been any talk of a stadium lately? Obviously the team doesnt speak about anything until they are well and ready too and thats understandable. Just curious if anybody has heard anything from the rumor mill/grapevine whathaveyou.
May 15, 20178 yr Also....has there been any stadium talk around Columbus? Figure people on this site would be hip to any planning or development rumors or news more than anywhere else. There hasn't been anything more since the announcement last year that Crew SC was looking at other locations for a possible new stadium. Multiple articles were posted over in a separate development thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7699.msg824544.html#msg824544
May 17, 20178 yr http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/16/15648976/justin-meram-named-mls-player-of-the-week-columbus-crew-sc-2017 Getting a hat trick is hard to beat for MLS Player of the Week honors. :-)
May 21, 20178 yr The 2017 U.S. Open Cup is coming up for the Crew: http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/18/15658294/columbus-crew-sc-on-the-road-to-start-u-s-open-cup-run This tournament has been a real mixed bag for the Crew. They've had some success in winning the Open Cup in 2002, plus being runner-up in 1998 and 2010. But they've also had some recent struggles in losing to lower-level clubs Richmond in 2011 and Dayton in 2012, plus losing Eddie Gaven to a season-ending (and as it turned out) career-ending injury against Dayton in 2013. Crew SC has advanced over their lower-level opponents since then, but been eliminated by other MLS teams in the next round. This year, the Crew will be on the road to begin the Open Cup. Crew SC will face the winner of the Cincinnati/Louisville match at their home venue in June.
May 21, 20178 yr After playing 3 matches in 8 days last week, the Crew get an extra day off with a Sunday afternoon match against the Revs at Gillette Stadium. And with today's matchup at New England, it seems appropriate to re-examine the Kei Kamara trade with the Revs that occurred one year ago: http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/17/15655856/the-kamara-trade-one-year-later One year ago, Crew SC traded their 2015 MVP to New England after some well-documented on and off-field clashes with management and teammates in 2016. The Crew received the Revs 2016 1st round draft pick (9th overall) and a bunch of league allocation money. It turned out that Crew SC had a spare Kamara (Ola) to replace Kei at the striker position. Ola was arguably the 2016 MVP for the Crew and is looking good in 2017 as well. With the Revs 1st-round pick, the Crew picked Niko Hansen, who has been a productive sub and spot starter in 2017. With the help of the extra allocation money, Crew SC acquired central defender Johnathan Mensah, midfielders Mohammed Abu and Artur, plus Kekuteh Manneh in the Tchani trade from Vancouver. Artur has been the most impactful of these deals in 2017 so far. Mensah will play a key role in 2017 going forward. And Abu and Manneh are decent role players for 2017. Meanwhile, Kei Kamara hasn't really fit in and helped New England. The Revs finished out of the 2016 playoffs and are currently 9th out of 11 teams in the East this year. At the time of the trade, losing Kei Kamara seemed like a huge disappointment for Crew fans. And the disappointing 2016 season only seemed to confirm that feeling. However, looking at where the Revs are with a highly paid and soon-to-be 33-year-old Kei - and looking at where the Crew are with Ola, Artur, Mensah, Hansen and the rest of the 2017 team - last year's Kei trade now looks like a big win for the Crew.
May 22, 20178 yr - GAME #13 RECAP (aka "Fagundez'd"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/21/15672682/new-england-revolutions-first-half-rally-sends-columbus-crew-sc-home-empty-handed - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-21-new-england-revolution-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap Artur was a late scratch for the starting lineup. Abu filled in for him while Manneh and Jimenez started on the right side (where is Afful?). The Crew's lineup worked out well to start the match. Crew SC generated a bunch of possession and scoring chances. But the opening goal came off a lightning strike in the 20th minute. Wil Trapp launched a 50-yard pass from behind midfield to Ola Kamara, who had a step on the deepest Rev defender. The ball bounced once on the turf and then Ola blasted a 22-yard precision blast into the side netting. But it was two goals in a 10-minute stretch after Ola's dazzler that did the Crew in, set up by Crew defensive turnovers in their own half. The first came in the 24th minute, when the ball was turned over on the right side and finished with a cross to Diego Fagundez left of goal. The second came on a turnover to Fagundez on the left side that he outran the Crew defense and then outshot the Crew keeper. For the rest of the game, Crew SC out-processed and out-shot the Revs. There were a few close calls - at 60' a Meram header hit the frame and a hard Jahn shot was saved at 78'. But the search for an equalizer - and a road point - came up empty
May 23, 20178 yr Affuls been out on paternity leave. I think he might be back in training already though....so i could see him playing against Toronto.
May 23, 20178 yr Affuls been out on paternity leave. I think he might be back in training already though....so i could see him playing against Toronto. That's good to hear. There hadn't been any official announcement from the team on his status. Some fans were getting concerned that Afful was injured or even if Afful's child was having some health issues that was keeping him away.
May 26, 20178 yr Yeah they havent said much about it but thats at least what ive read on Twitter. In other speculative news, Club Tijuana has supposedly offered 1.5 million for Ola Kamara. Im not opposed to selling but we need more money than that. Hes a vital player who we dont have a good replacement for.....and after the league keeps whatever percentage of the transfer fee they take.....it may barely cover the costs of acquiring a good new striker.
May 26, 20178 yr ^ If the Crew ever sold off Ola, it would be for alot more than $1.5 mil - if he's not deemed untouchable because Ola is just about the perfect striker for Berhalter's system. Also, although I previously pointed you to the late 2016 new stadium discussion in the Crew Developments thread, I thought I'd post this recent article I came across in this thread: http://www.columbusmonthly.com/lifestyle/20170417/sports-end-of-mapfre-stadium It's not an update from the 2016 news. More like a recap of that news plus a remembrance of Crew/Mapfre Stadium's significant place in MLS and U.S. soccer history.
May 27, 20178 yr Holy crap. This game was unforgivable. I was willing to give Gregg til the end of May or so to prove he could turn this team around from 2016. We havent been bad but weve been terribly inconsistent and I think its the fault of Gregg, his system, and player selections. Theres not enough indication of progress or that things can get better. I think we have talented players. Its the system thats failing them. Playing attractive soccer and dominating possession doesnt mean crap though if we can never hang on to a win. The risk isnt justifying the reward nowadays. If Gregg doesnt field a good lineup and perform well next game......then i think he doesnt have the answers and we need to move on.
May 27, 20178 yr ^ Definitely a "burn the tapes" game: - GAME #14 RECAP (aka "Trillium Tragedy in Toronto"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/26/15703368/crew-sc-pounded-by-toronto-5-0 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-26-toronto-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap
May 31, 20178 yr Crew SC is getting close to the midpoint of their up-and-down 2017 season. Despite being more down than up lately, Columbus still holds 6th-place in the East and is above the playoff line. Going forward, the Crew has two games in the next four nights before a two-week MLS break. That's more stress on an already fragile lineup. However, both games are against Western teams below their playoff line. The Crew hosts Seattle, last season's MLS Cup winner, tonight. Then travels to Colorado for a late Saturday night match. If the Crew play well, six points are available for the taking. One lineup note: It was initially reported that Justin Meram had been called up by Iraq for a game against Jordan on June 1 - and would make him unavailable for tonight's game. But apparently Meram turned down the call-up to play for Columbus instead. So look for J9 in tonight's lineup (and hopefully he doesn't get subbed out in the 40th minute like the Toronto game).
June 1, 20178 yr - GAME #15 RECAP (aka "Now That's More Like It"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/5/31/15722544/columbus-crew-sc-rebounds-with-convincing-win-over-seattle-sounders - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-05-31-columbus-crew-sc-vs-seattle-sounders-fc/recap Big rebound win for the Crew after the drubbing in Toronto. The Crew's "Big Three" of Higuain, Meram and Ola really showed up for this one. Higuain got it started in the 10th minute when he was the fortunate recipient of the Crew high-pressing and forcing a Seattle turnover at the edge of the 18-yard box. Higuain gathered the turnover and, before the Seattle defense could close in, popped a pinpoint shot into the left side panel. Meram made it 2-0 in the 21st minute with a central run that Seattle's defense didn't shut down. Meram duplicated Pipa's goal with another shot into the left side panel past the diving keeper. The Big Three combined for the game's final goal in the 59th minute. Higuain and Meram quickly traded possession at midfield until Meram broke toward goal and then gave a beautifully weighted pass that Ola Kamara gathered inside the 18-yard box. Ola's fine finish gave the Crew a 3-0 lead. Steffen finished out the game with a couple of athletic saves to keep the clean sheet. Williams replaced Naess as Mensah's partner in central defense (likely for roster rotation due to the upcoming Saturday game at Colorado) and helped stabilize the backline. Mensah looked much better than his Toronto performance and the Trapp/Artur midfield combo looked as good as in earlier wins. If they can duplicate this effort at Colorado, the Crew might get some road points.
June 4, 20178 yr - GAME #16 RECAP (aka "Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory"): http://www.massivereport.com/2017/6/3/15735914/columbus-crew-sc-fall-late-colorado-rapids - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-06-03-colorado-rapids-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap Road wins are hard to achieve in MLS. And its even more difficult in the mile-high air of Colorado. But with the Rapids sitting at the bottom of the West and missing some key defenders, this was a golden opportunity for the Crew. And it looked like a road victory was achievable after Higuain scored a goal in the 61st minute. It was a deflection off a nice 22-yard blast from Pipa, but it looked like the Colorado keeper could have saved it, if not for his defender deflecting it away from him into the open net. Then the Crew nearly put the game away on a 20-yard free kick by Meram in the 74th minute. Meram's shot lofted over the wall but was headed away at the goal line by a Colorado defender. That save would loom large because the Crew couldn't hold their 1-0 lead. Colorado rallied for two goals within six minutes at the 80' and 86' mark to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So no road win and no road draw for the Crew, who continue their up-and-down Jekyll-and-Hyde performances from game to game.
June 15, 20178 yr - U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round (aka "Hell is Real"): https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-06-14-fc-cincinnati-vs-columbus-crew-sc/boxscore FC Cincinnati pulled off a massive upset with a 1-0 win tonight at Nippert Stadium. This had all the hallmarks for the Crew of a "good-match-but-still-a-loss" type game you sometimes see in the Berhalter-style. Crew SC dominated in possession and shots. But FCC was able to keep the Crew away from quality scoring chances. Then in the 64th minute, FCC had their moment of magic. A crossing pass came in front of the 6-yard box to FCC striker Djiby Fall. Although double teamed by Crew defenders, Djiby headed the ball straight up, then headed it over Stuver for the goal. But perhaps as big a story as the game was the great atmosphere and attendance for this mid-week match. Just over 30,000 saw this Open Cup match in an electric environment. If this was an MLS audition - as some were calling it - Cincinnati passed with flying colors! So congrats to FCC on the upset and advancing in the Open Cup.
June 15, 20177 yr Berhalter (and possibly Meram) mixed it up with some fans after the match....CrewSC fans, that is. Very Stable Genius
June 15, 20177 yr Adam Cairns' tweeted photo: "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
June 18, 20177 yr - GAME #17 RECAP (aka "Mid-season Malaise"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/6/17/15825366/columbus-crew-sc-literally-fall-under-the-atlanta-united-pressure-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-06-17-atlanta-united-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/details/video/107281 Crew SC started strong with some decent chances. But watch out for Atlanta's high press and transition game. The high press forced a Crew defensive turnover at the 18-yard-box which got Atlanta's first goal in the 16th minute. The Crew equalized in the 26th minute on a nice pass from Afful to Kamara at the edge of the 6-yard-box. Ola knocked the ball down to Higuain, who kicked it past the keeper. But it was the transition game and a 10-second span in the second half that decided the outcome. In the 67th minute, second half sub Hansen was lining up for a shot at the edge of Atlanta's 18-yard box. Instead, the ball was tackled away and quickly moved upfield to a forward. The Atlanta forward dribbled from midfield to the Crew's 18-yard box and uncorked a low driving shot that went between the legs of Josh Williams and past Zach Steffen for the goal. Atlanta's high press stuck again for a late goal in the 88th minute to set the 3-1 final score. At 2017's midway point, Crew SC sits at 7-9-1 on the year. After a 3-1-1 start to the season, Columbus has gone 4-8-0 over their last 12 games, including losing four of its last five MLS matches.
June 25, 20177 yr - GAME #18 RECAP (aka "Manneh from Heaven"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/6/24/15869236/three-second-half-lead-columbus-crew-sc-to-three-points-montreal-impact-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-06-24-columbus-crew-sc-vs-montreal-impact/details/video/108312 Crew SC got a desperately needed win at home last night. Higuain got the scoring started in the 17th minute on a nicely shot free-kick just outside the 18-yard box that skipped over the Montreal wall and under the crossbar. But Pipa giveth and Pipa taketh away, when in the 19th minute, Higuain committed a bad turnover in the Crew's defensive half that Montreal quickly converted into an equalizing goal. The decisive part of the match came during a two-minute stretch midway through the second half. In the 70th minute, Higuain hit a nice leading pass to 2nd-half sub Kekuta Manneh, who moved the ball into Montreal's 18-yard box. Despite having three defenders in the area, Montreal couldn't clear the ball. A fortunate deflection left the ball at Manneh's feet 10 yards from goal and with an open net that he buried. In the 72nd minute Manneh was speeding down the left side and hit a long crossing pass into the box about 12-yards from the Montreal goal. Ola then brilliantly left-footed the pass from the air into the right side panel to give the Crew a 3-1 lead. The final goal came in the 88th minute, when goalkeeper Zach Steffen drove a goal kick 70 yards straight downfield. 2nd-half sub Adam Jahn headed the ball forward into Montreal's 18-yard box and onto the path of Higuain. Pipa settled the ball forward and left-footed a fine strike past the keeper to set the final score at 4-1.
June 29, 20177 yr Cross-posting this from the FC Cincinnati thread: The FC Cincinnati situation is fascinating to me for a number of reasons. First of all, this run through the U.S. Open Cup is impressive, particularly with the amount of enthusiasm it has generated in the Queen City in just a few years of existence. In terms of Cincy's chances of being elevated to MLS, it's looking more and more like there's a really strong chance of that happening. I read a piece in Sports Illustrated recently that details how many of the other potential MLS locales are much weaker than previously imagined and that the list of 12 may only consist of 5-6 legitimate bids. MLS should and probably does realize, however, that Cincinnati's bid doesn't exist in a complete bubble. The franchise just down the road in Columbus is struggling for attendance and some have argued that the city should be exploring building a new stadium for the team. Further, it was just three years ago that MLS Commissioner Don Garber, when asked about a potential expansion team in Cleveland (an idea that almost came to fruition a decade ago), stated, "What I would say to folks that are living in Cincinnati, the folks that are living in Dayton, folks that are living in Cleveland: Support the [Columbus] Crew." In looking at the bigger picture, it's hard to imagine that an expansion team in Cincinnati won't cannabalize at least some fans from the Crew, though to what extent is hard to know for sure. Worst case scenario, I don't think it's a stretch to believe it's possible that expansion to Cincinnati might be the first step towards the Crew folding or moving to another city.
June 30, 20177 yr ^^^ To your point about Cincinnati expansion spelling the end for the Crew, I think that's a bit overstated. First, the Crew aren't all doom and gloom like everyone has made them out to be. The attendance has not been good so far this season, but it's always a struggle in the first half of the season (and not just in Columbus). We have to deal with crappy weather almost every game and we even got stuck with two mid-week games before the kids even got out of school for the summer. On top of that, we play in the worst stadium in the league (ok, DC is probably worse but they are building a new one) in a crappy part of Columbus where we have to pay $15 to park and it takes an hour to get out of the freaking parking lot after the game. With all that being said, Columbus has seen an increased average attendance every season since 2011 when our attendance bottomed out. Last season we averaged over 17k people per game. Not only have some argued that the team needs a new stadium, but the front office is actively working on a new stadium plan. When that stadium is built (assuming they actually put it in a nice area) there is no doubt in my mind that the team will sellout every game if the capacity is 18-19k. On top of all of that, FCC is still a minor league team and the tickets are priced accordingly. I know this argument gets thrown around a lot and it makes Cincy people a bit upset (understandably), but it's an important fact to keep in mind. The final point of my rambling post is that there is no need for MLS to relocate or fold the Crew. They have plenty of spaces available for more teams, in-state rivalries are great for TV ratings, and relocating/folding the team before they can build a new stadium is gamble because they could end up missing out on something great. Columbus is consistently a top-5/top-10 city in the country in terms of national TV ratings for soccer broadcasts. The demographics are obviously there in the city, people just don't want to waste their money going to a high school football stadium with metal bleachers where they have to pay $15 to park in dirt in sit in traffic for an hour before they even get on 71.
June 30, 20177 yr ^^^ On top of all of that, FCC is still a minor league team and the tickets are priced accordingly. I know this argument gets thrown around a lot and it makes Cincy people a bit upset (understandably), but it's an important fact to keep in mind. I truly wish that wasn't the case. I much preferred the idea of USL and NASL being competitors to MLS. As much as I like MLS, I think some of their league rules are limiting or unnecessary. An interleague rivalry would showcase which league was making the smarter moves. Anyhow, I'm optimistic about the future of the Crew. I never liked their stadium locale. A venue that's more part of the urban fabric would be a huge improvement.
June 30, 20177 yr USL has such a close relationship with MLS that I don't think it will ever be a direct competition. NASL (and any league that attempts to compete for a first division league) is struggling financially. There just isn't enough money to throw around between sponsorships, tv deals, attendance, etc. If MLS ever declares they are finished expanding and no one else will be admitted, that is the only time I believe a second top division soccer league can be successful. And the only way they can do that is by offering a very different structure. FCC will not spell the end to Crew just like LAFC won't end LA Galaxy, NYCFC won't end NY Red Bulls, and Miami won't end Orlando. If anything, I think it makes people more excited to support their cities since there is actually a close rival. That is the biggest thing Columbus needs. The closest teams are Toronto, Chicago, and DC.
June 30, 20177 yr FCC will not spell the end to Crew just like LAFC won't end LA Galaxy, NYCFC won't end NY Red Bulls, and Miami won't end Orlando. If anything, I think it makes people more excited to support their cities since there is actually a close rival. That is the biggest thing Columbus needs. The closest teams are Toronto, Chicago, and DC. I just find it interesting that it was barely three years ago that Garber was insisting that the rest of the state should be rallying behind the Crew. I'm curious what has changed? There has to be a reason why he made that comment in the first place. Is Cincinnati a more viable candidate? Does Columbus seems to have stabilized its support? Regardless, I will say that the gigantic coastal markets, with large Hispanic populations, are more likely to realistically be able to support multiple franchises. Though Southern California could end up with three franchises by the start of the next decade if San Diego can land its expansion team. I'm also not sold on two teams being sustainable in Florida long-term, but I have nothing to base that on. Hopefully Columbus can get a new stadium built soon.
July 2, 20177 yr Hopefully Columbus can get a new stadium built soon. FYI, there is a separate thread at https://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,7699.msg824545.html#msg824545 that has been looking at last year's relocation study. When MLS started playing in 1996, the teams basically played wherever they could get space. Mostly in larger football stadiums (Crew played at Ohio Stadium) or smaller converted facilities. That was MLS 1.0. The Crew needed to vacate Ohio Stadium by 1999 because OSU was starting a major renovation during the summer. Lamar Hunt and his Hunt Sports group (which owned the team at the time) negotiated a lease deal with the Ohio State Fairgrounds for some excess fairground property. It has been reported that it was a 25 year lease for only $50,000 a year, adjusted for inflation every five years and that the team had an option to renew the lease for an additional 25 years." Hunt then built Crew Stadium for a reported $28.5 million ($41 million in 2016 dollars). When Crew Stadium was completed in 1999, it was the first soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and kicked off an MLS 2.0 stadium phase. MLS 2.0 saw teams build soccer-specific stadium in outlying locations. Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, L.A., Colorado, Salt Lake City, Kansas City and NYRB are among these. Now, MLS is seeing a new batch of soccer-specific stadiums located in more urban or downtown locations. These MLS 3.0 locations include Portland, Toronto, Montreal, San Jose, Houston and Orlando - plus a few larger football stadiums that work well for soccer in Seattle, Vancouver and Atlanta. Although the Crew's current stadium works reasonably well, the location is sub-par. Plus, with the league moving toward more active urban locations, the current Crew owner has said he wants that kind of new stadium for the Crew. With the Crew's state fairground lease coming up in seven years, this is the right time for the team to look at a new (most likely) downtown location.
July 2, 20177 yr - GAME #19 RECAP (aka "At Least There Were Fireworks After The Game"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/1/15909550/columbus-crew-sc-swept-aside-by-atlanta-united-in-2-0-loss - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-07-01-columbus-crew-sc-vs-atlanta-united-fc/recap Accidentally deleted my previous recap of this 2-0 loss. Oh well, it wasn't a great game anyway!
July 5, 20177 yr - GAME #20 RECAP (aka "Red White & Crew"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/4/15920578/columbus-crew-sc-enters-gold-cup-break-with-a-win-minnesota-united-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-07-04-minnesota-united-fc-vs-columbus-crew-sc/recap The Crew traveled to Minnesota for their first and only 2017 meeting with the new expansion team. After playing on Saturday, Berhalter unveiled a new-look lineup with a three-man backline of Naess, Crognale and Abubakar (making his season debut). Williams came on for Naess in the 34th minute after Naess injured his ankle. Higuain got the day off from playing on Minny's artificial turf. Instead, Raitala, Trapp, Abu and Jimenez filled out the midfield. Manneh, Ola and Finlay filled out the forward spots with Meram coming off the bench. The Loons looked every bit the team that was last in the West going into this match. They bunkered defensively for the first half, limiting any decent scoring chances. The Crew did much the same until the second half. In the 58th minute, Manneh's took a pass from Trapp at midfield and Minnesota didn't close out his run up the middle. Manneh uncorked a low strike about 24-yards for the goal to give the Crew a 1-0 lead. That goal forced Minnesota to open up and look for an equalizer. Meram replaced Manneh in the 63rd minute and the Crew offense had at least 3 great scoring chances go just wide later in the second half. Despite the Crew not putting the game away with another goal, Minnesota's offense never really threatened to tie it, generating only one shot-on-target (which was off a free kick in the first half). Despite the up-and-down season, this win at Minnesota guaranteed the Crew will maintain the 6th and final playoff spot going into the league's Gold Cup break: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings
July 8, 20177 yr No matches for the Crew this weekend and the next, due to a league break for the Gold Cup. Crew SC is off until July 17th when they play an international friendly match with the German Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt. But Crew SC might have some player news before their next match if they make a deal during the upcoming summer transfer window that opens on July 10th. They've already been linked to one player: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/6/15932726/report-crew-sc-willing-to-spend-big-for-jhon-murillo http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170707/crew-cuts-as-transfer-window-opens-gregg-berhalter-has-decisions-to-make-about-ethan-finlay-and-right-wing
July 11, 20177 yr Some player news during the break. But its not an addition, its a subtraction: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/10/15949836/columbus-crew-sc-waive-dilly-duka
July 17, 20177 yr Notwithstanding the international friendly match with the German Bundesliga's Eintracht Frankfurt, Crew SC remains idle until Saturday, when they restart MLS play. The Crew currently hold the 6th and final Eastern playoff spot. But they are only two points ahead of the 7th-place Red Bulls, are five points ahead of 8th-place Philadelphia and seven points up on 9th-place Montreal. All of those teams hold multiple games-in-hand over the Crew (two for NYRB and Philly, three for Montreal). All of those teams have matches this Wednesday and could gain ground on the Crew. If NYRB wins they would vault the Crew in the standings: https://www.mlssoccer.com/standings Which makes the next three matches that finish out July critical to the Crew's playoff hopes. Crew SC has a home-and-away series with Philadelphia on Saturday (7/22) and Wednesday (7/26). Then a road trip to Real Salt Lake on Saturday (7/29). Two wins in the home-and-away series would give Philly a great opportunity to pass the Crew in the standings, or the Crew could open up alot of distance from Philly. A road win or draw at altitude in RSL would help the Crew - or a road loss against one of the weaker teams in the West would hurt the Crew in the standings.
July 17, 20177 yr Here are Massive Report's mid-season player grades by position: - Strikers: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/16/15947886/columbus-crew-sc-mid-season-progress-reports-strikers-mls-2017-ola-kamara-kekuta-manneh-adam-jahn - Midfielders: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/14/15950792/columbus-crew-midseason-progress-reports-midfielders-grades-soccer-mls-2017 - Defense: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/13/15948506/columbus-crew-sc-mid-season-progress-reports-defenders-mls-2017-jonathan-mensah-nicolai-naess - Goalkeeper: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/11/15952194/columbus-crew-sc-mid-season-progress-reports-goalkeeper-zack-steffen-mls-2017
July 19, 20177 yr No Crew players were selected for the upcoming MLS All-Star Game: https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/18/15993680/columbus-crew-sc-snubbed-from-the-mls-all-star-game-real-madrid-2017 This despite having three worthy offensive candidates. Which prompted Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt to tweet this: But lately the All-Star Game selection process has been a popularity contest that is won by MLS players with USMNT or international celebrity. Which prompted Justin Meram to tweet this:
July 24, 20177 yr - GAME #21 RECAP (aka "Justinho and the three-man backline"): https://www.massivereport.com/2017/7/22/16015656/columbus-crew-sc-downs-philadelphia-union-returns-to-playoff-picture-mls-2017 - VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2017-07-22-columbus-crew-sc-vs-philadelphia-union/recap Federico Higuain was out with a right knee strain, so Berhalter broke out the three-man backline against Philadelphia on Saturday. Rookies Abubakar and Crognale along with DP defender Jonathan Mensah formed that three-man line to go along with a standard group of starters in a 3-4-2-1 formation. The Crew had trouble generating any quality scoring chances in the first half. But after halftime, the Crew offense started to get some better looks at the Philly goal. In the 65th minute, Justin Meram drove into the 18-yard-box and blasted a shot (that was likely an attempted pass to Ola) that deflected off a Philadelphia defender past their keeper into the net. Meram nearly got another deflected goal three minutes later off a free kick, but this one got barely saved with a fine reaction from the Philly keeper. Despite the Crew not being able to add a second goal to put Philadelphia away, the Union's offense didn't threaten a tying goal. The Crew's three-man defensive backline stifled Philly's offense all game long - holding them to only 3 shots and zero shots-on-target. The 1-0 victory vaulted Columbus back above the eastern playoff line. Columbus and Philly play a rematch Wednesday at Philadelphia's home stadium.
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