The Streak is Over
Lady Luck not a Fan of Crew

By Gary L. Moody Jr.

COLUMBUS, OH - All good things come to an end. A very good one came to an end Saturday night as the Columbus Crew were defeated by the Seattle Sounders by a score of 1-0. The Crew's record home unbeaten streak was now a thing of the past. It was not the end of the world by any means; Crew fans agree it is better to lose now than in the playoffs.

"It was disappointing; I know it's something we took a lot of pride in," Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer stated after the loss. "I am really disappointed for the fans. We've made this place a fortress."

It was a time for reuniting with old friends and new foes Saturday night. The Columbus Crew welcomed back three important figures from the Crew's past. Last year Sigi Schmid coached the Crew to a Cinderella season as they won both the MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield. Brad Evans started 18 games with the Crew in 2008, scoring 5 goals. Ezra Hendrickson, an assistant coach with the Sounders, spent three with Columbus as a defender. All would be welcomed back in the right way by Crew supporters.

Evans would have an impact on the match in the 36th minute as he delivered a short pass to striker Fredy Montero. Montero and Crew keeper Will Hesmer reached the ball at almost the same moment. Hesmer deflected the ball, but it landed at the feet of Roger Levesque. A shot by Levesque followed and it struck the back of the net before Hesmer was able to get to his feet. It would be the first MLS goal in Levesque's career and it would be an important one as Seattle makes a push for the playoffs.

However, this wasn't the first big moment of the match. The Sounders narrowly missed disaster in the 24th minute as defender Tyrone Marshall nearly converted an own goal. Robbie Rogers delivered a pass to Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who connected with Eddie Gaven with a nice backheel pass. Gaven would take the shot and it looked to narrowly miss the right post. The ball would change its course towards the goal as it deflected off Marshall's head. The Crew were literally a few inches away from scoring their first goal.

Halftime would come with no change in score as the Sounders entered the locker room with a 1-0 lead over the Crew. Opponents leading at halftime is not a common occurrence at the fortress known as Crew Stadium.

The Crew would come out firing and would have a shot on goal, only their second of the match, in the 47th minute. Schelotto would launch a header towards the Seattle goal, narrowly missing the right post. It was as they say very,very,very close indeed.

Tempers began to flare in the 51st minute as the referee, Ricardo Salazar, missed both a handball outside the box and a possible penalty in the box. Eddie Gaven was taken down hard near the Seattle goal and there was no call. Alejandro Moreno (simulation) and Danny O'Rourke (reckless foul) would earn yellow cards in the 55th and 62nd minutes respectively.

Crew Coach Robert Warzycha would bring in Steven Lenhart in the 64th minute in place of Jed Zayner. Zayner had played a solid game, but a spark was needed. As expected, Lenhart would quickly create some opportunities on the offensive side. In the 70th minute, a cross from Rogers made its way to Gaven and then onto Lenhart, who connected with a header. It was headed over the line before it was narrowly cleared away with a bicycle kick from Tyrone Marshall.

Seattle would come close to their own goal with a shot by Osvaldo Alonso in the 75th minute. Alonso's shot hit the right post before taking a weird reverse spin out of the goal. The Crew's Brian Carroll would create a chance of his own in the 80th with a hard strike that was saved by a diving Kasey Keller.

The biggest moment of the game would come in the 83rd minute as Columbus was awarded a penalty kick after a ruthless tackle of Eddie Gaven in the box. Schelotto would be the obvious choice as he is 8 for 8 on PKs over the past two seasons. The unthinkable would be a reality as Schelotto would miss the goal entirely as the shot sailed wide left. Even Superman has his kryptonite. "You know how many has Guillermo has taken for us and nailed it. You can't help

"It was kinda strange. You know it was strange when Guillermo misses a PK," Rogers added from the locker room.

The game would end with intense play from both sides. The Crew continued to push forward as they went for the draw in the closing minutes. It wasn't meant to be as Columbus just couldn't catch a break. All is not lost as the Crew have already qualified for the playoffs and are still the favorites for the Supporters' Shield. The Sounders have two decisive games left with Kansas City (away) and FC Dallas (home). Columbus has two road games with New England and D.C. United before coming home to face the Revolution once again.

International Soccer Network's Man of the Match: FWD Roger Levesque and DEF Tyrone Marshall, Seattle Sounders

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