Cruz Azul Have Crew’s Number, Again

By Robert Ivory

COLUMBUS, OH- Losing is always a tough thing to do. Doing it again is even tougher. For the second time in the Group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Columbus Crew were defeated by Mexican team Cruz Azul. The Crew fell 2-0 Wednesday night at Crew Stadium in Columbus, while Azul moves on into the Championship Round on the tournament.

“Obviously we played a great team,” the Crew’s head coach Robert Warzycha said after the frustrating defeat. “It’s something for us to learn from.”

Both squads had very different lineups from last weekend’s league matches; Cruz Azul had seven different changes and the Crew had four, including the addition of Steven Lenhart up top, Adam Moffat and Eddie Gaven in midfield and Duncan Oughton defending. 

The Crew were almost given a gift in the ninth minute when Azul defender Horacio Cervantes headed a Robbie Rogers centering pass just over the mouth of his own goal, giving the Crew supporters a glimmer of hope for the first goal of the match and getting them a step closer to the next round of the competition.

The advantage, however, would shift to Cruz Azul after sloppy defending by the Columbus back line. After the ball was worked over to the left side, Crew defender Eric Brunner had a tough time clearing the ball from under his feet, deflected it to Azul forward Pablo Zeballos, who dribbled the ball in and put it through Crew goalie Will Hesmer’s legs. Zeballos put the ball in the back of the net and the quite vocal Azul fan base erupted at Crew stadium as the Mexican side led, 1-0 in only 14 minutes of play.

“In the first half I think there was miscommunication (among the Crew back line),” Warzycha noted after the match.

Crew forward Steven Lenhart received a caution in the 34th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct, but tempers really flared in the ensuing moments. While the Crul Azul possessed the ball in the attacking zone, Crew defender Danny O’Rourke recklessly went in, studs up, and caught Azul defender Alejandro Castro. No card was issued, but tempers between the two flared and shoving ensued.

That emotion spilled over almost immediately as more action occurred during Cruz Azul’s ensuing corner. During the corner, Lenhart was elbowed, most likely intentionally since Horacio Cervantes really put some force into it, and connected squarely with Lenhart’s jaw. Lenhart went to the ground, but goalie Hesmer came to the aid of his player and gave a good shove to the Azul defender. Shoves were given and pushing ensured, but again, no cards were shown by referee Geoffrey Hospedales.

“It was an intense game, the field played fast, it was humid, but I don’t think there was anything out of the ordinary,” the Cruz Azul coach Enrique Meza said through a translator. “It was normal intensive play.”

Despite all the animosity, Cruz Azul was able go even further, as midfielder Ramon Nunez was able to pin point a pass through the Crew defense and  found Alejandro Vela, who put the tap over Hesmer’s head and into the net, give Cruz a two nothing advantage, which would be the score line at the half. Ironically, it was the same score (2-0) that the Mexican side held at the half during these two club’s first match in the competition on August 28, which Azul won 5-0 and the Chicago Fire had on the Crew only three days earlier.

When asked about the same score line at the half, but different results, the Crew manager replied, “(It was) the quality of the team. They know how to play with a lead. And we created more chances today then we did in Chicago, but luck was not on our side today.” 

Guillermo Barros Schelotto thought he had a goal in the 65th minute when he sent a 20 yard free kick just inches wide. The Azul keeper Yosgart Gutierrez was well screened and guessed the wrong way, but Schelotto was off the mark. Gutierrez play a brilliant game for Azul and got a stamp of approval from his head coach with his seven saves. “I think he played good, he did the job we asked him to and he did it effectively,” Meza said.

Despite being two down, the Crew kept looking for their offensive stride, which included a bright bit of soccer by subbed in Emmanuel Ekpo (in for Duncan Oughton, 54th minute). The midfielder dodged and weaved defenders to get Guiterrez one on one, but Ekpo put the left footed shot right at the keeper’s feet for an easy save. Crew went a stretch during the second half where they had seven of ten shots in a row, yet the barrage was not working. More inspiring soccer and a shot of energy came from the newest member of the Crew, Venezuelan Emilio Renteria, as he was brought in for Lenhart in the 58th minute.

“I thought we was chasing and trying to help the team, but I’d like to see him more in the box,” the Crew manager noted about his newest signing. 

The Crew chances kept coming in the waning minutes of regulation time, but the Azul keeper was well up to the task, with help from the cross bar. Midfielder Adam Moffatt scissor kicked a bouncing ball in the box from ten yards out, but it hit off the bar. In fact, four balls in total would ‘kiss the paint’ as the Crew could not get into the net.
Columbus was looking for a goal from the outside late, taking shots from 30 and 40 yards, but nothing would come close for the Crew. Even when the Crew had open shots, the Azul defense would step in and deflect them before the ball could get to Gutierrez.

With the win, Cruz Azul qualifies for the next round of the Champions League, but the Crew still have a mountain to climb. With two matches left, the Crew follow Cruz Azul by four points, but hold a two point lead on Saprissa for second, which come to Columbus next Tuesday, followed up by the final match in Puerto Rico.

International Soccer Network's Man of the Match: GK Yosgart Guiterrez, Cruz Azul

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