World Cup Hopefuls Faceoff in Columbus

By Gary L. Moody Jr.

COLUMBUS, OH - May 15, 2010 - The Crew's Chad Marshall and Robbie Rogers will be seeing Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein a lot in the coming days. All four have been named to Bob Bradley's preliminary roster of 30 for the World Cup in South Africa. However, tonight they would find themselves leading their respective teams in an important matchup that ended in a 1-0 Crew victory.

The Columbus Crew were literally 100% healthy with no injuries reported. Chivas was a different story and would be without the services of defender Ante Jazic (knee sprain), goalkeeper Dan Kennedy (hip strain), defender Yamith Cuesta (oral surgery), striker Maykel Galindo (ankle sprain), and midfielder Cesar Zamora (U.S. U-20 national team).

The match started quickly with a shot from the Crew's Adam Moffat in just the 2nd minute. It was high, but it set the tone for the match. The first half was much like a rollercoaster with lots of ups and downs. The Crew's Eddie Gaven had a breakaway in the 12th minute and was able to connect with Steven Lenhart, whose header was just off target. Jesus Padilla of Chivas USA, who impressed many with his speed and precision, would have moments of his own. His shot in the 22nd was a narrow miss to the left of the goal, just outside the reach of Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer. Padilla would get another breakaway in the 24th, but nothing other than a corner kick came of it.

Moffat would send a rocket from forty yards out in the 26th off a Crew free kick. Three minutes later Lenhart connected on another header, but still no goal. Halftime would come with a 0-0 score. Chivas and the Crew both had scoring opportunities, but most would say the visitors had a better first half. Little did we know that a bit of luck would swing the way of the home team.

Things continued to heat up as the teams left the locker room. Chivas had easily the best opportunity of the night in the 58th minute. There was quite a sequence of events, but it ended in two goalmouth blocks by Gino Padula. The visitors were literally inches away from a goal.

Chivas striker Justin Braun would go on the attack in the 84th minute, getting into space with two Crew defenders in pursuit. Hesmer would make two good moves, lunging forward to take away the chance of another shot. The Crew defense has been tested early and often, but had somehow held firm through a strong performance from Chivas USA. Some might even call it a dominating performance from the Goats.

Lady Luck smiled on the Crew in the 90th as a penalty kick was awarded to the Crew. Marshall was pulled down in the box by Braun just minutes away from a potential 0-0 draw. The legendary Guillermo Barros Schelotto came forward and cooly converted the PK to the cheers of the home crowd. This is just another instance of the Argentine striker winning it for the Crew.

The Goats tried to make a comeback in the final minutes, but to no avail. A victory was just not meant to be for Chivas despite a "lights out" performance by Zach Thornton and some fiery, passionate play from Sacha Kljestan. There was a bit more energy coming from Kljestan, fresh off the news of the World Cup roster."Obviously I was very excited. It has been a goal of mine for a very long time to play in a World Cup," Kljestan commented. "Camp is going to be very tough and very competitive. I will do everything in my power to make the 23 man roster."

Kljestan may have been the best player on the field Saturday night despite playing a bit out of position as a third forward. This change provided him with the opportunity to roam the field, creating opportunities along the way.

The statistics didn't tell the true story of the play on the pitch. The visitors had an advantage in shots (14), corner kicks (6), and saves (5). The hometown Crew had a slight advantage in just one category: shots on goal (5). Chivas USA put together a hands down, dominant display at Crew Stadium and still came away with nothing. There is something to be said for homefield advantage, a little luck, and a lot of hard work.

The atmosphere in the locker rooms couldn't have been more different. You could hear a pin drop in the visitors' locker room. "It's disappointing to come out of here with nothing after playing 85 or 86 minutes of good soccer,"Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein commented.

The Crew locker room was quite light hearted and jovial as expected. "They were a good team. They keep the ball and possess it well," midfielder Adam Moffat said of the opposing squad. "We never gave them too many chances. Just working hard you know."

The unbeaten Crew (4-0-2) now head out on a a short road trip, facing the New York Red Bulls (May 20) and the Kansas City Wizards (May 23). Chivas USA (3-5-1) returns home to face the defending MLS Champions Real Salt Lake on May 22nd before two road games against D.C. United (May 29) and the New York Red Bulls (June 5).

Columbus Crew Starting Lineup: GK William Hesmer, DEF Frankie Hejduk (C), DEF Eric Brunner, DEF Chad Marshall, DEF Gino Padula, MID Eddie Gaven, MID Brian Carroll, MID Adam Moffat, MID Robbie Rogers, FWD Guillermo Barros Schelotto, FWD Steven Lenhart

Chivas USA Starting Lineup: GK Zach Thornton, DEF Mariano Trujillo, DEF Michael Umana, DEF Dario Delgado, DEF Jonathan Bornstein, MID Ben Zemanski, MID Blair Gavin, MID Michael Lahoud, FWD Sacha Kljestan (C), FWD Jesus Padilla, FWD Justin Braun

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