Opportunities Abound, but No Goals

By Gary L. Moody Jr.

COLUMBUS, OH - August 28, 2010 - The stellar performances of Brek Shea and Emilio Renteria were the talk of Saturday's matchup between FC Dallas (9-2-10) and the Columbus Crew (12-5-5), even though the result was a 0-0 draw. Both players displayed playmaking abilities, good speed, and solid technique. Danny O'Rourke of the Crew and Zach Loyd of FC Dallas were given the arduous task of marking and containing Shea and Renteria, respectively.

The Crew's first opportunity came in the 10th minute as FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman mishandled the ball off a potential save. The ball fell to the Crew's Chad Marshall for what looked to be a sure goal. Quick thinking by midfielder Atiba Harris saved the day for Dallas as the St. Kitts native scrambled to get the block.

FC Dallas threatened just six minutes later as Shea made a run and laid down a bullet of a shot, but it was wide left. Harris would take a shot of his own in the 24th, but it was also off target. Shea would challenge the Crew defense again in the 35th minute, but he would come up empty after his shot went just left of the goal.

Renteria would set up one of the best opportunities of the match four minutes later, delivering a beautiful cross near Jason Garey, who wasn't able to convert it into a goal. Renteria would take his own shot in the 40th from outside the area, but suffered a hard foul from Loyd.

Seconds later, a Guillermo Barros Schelotto free kick looked to be another good chance, but the shot deflected off the Dallas wall. A quick breakaway for FC Dallas would follow with Shea getting yet another chance at goal, but nothing would come of it. A physical first half would end in a 0-0 score, but there was promise for a more interesting second half.

"Once again for some reason we played a little better in the second half," Crew striker Jason Garey continued. "We got to try to figure out how we can do that in the first half. I thought we definitely were better in the second half, trying to create some more chances."

The first big moment of the second half came off a beautiful Shea cross, which landed at the feet of David Ferreira. The striker's shot was high, but a good opportunity nevertheless. Renteria would then get the ball after a Schelotto free kick, but his kick was also high.

Renteria would be manhandled yet again in the 60th, resulting in a Crew free kick just outside the area. Iro would connect with the cross, but couldn't convert it into a Columbus goal. Hyndman hoped for a spark in the 61st and 62nd, sending in veteran striker Jeff Cunningham and young midfielder Eric Avila.

The 68th minute provided the Crew with another opportunity and another brilliant play by the Dallas defense. A solid shot by Schelotto would be blocked by Loyd, ending the Crew advance.

Ten minutes later yellow cards would be handed out to captains Schelotto and Daniel Hernandez. Dallas would go on to use their final sub in the 72nd minute with Jackson Goncalves entering the match. Steven Lenhart would find his way onto the field in the 82nd, taking over for a battered and beaten Renteria.

"Probably the guy who caused us the most trouble today was Renteria," FC Dallas Head Coach Schellas Hyndman commented in the post-game press conference. "He was just a handful. Physical and caused us to be back on our heels a lot. That was one player we were not ready for."

The scary thought is that Renteria has only been with the Crew for roughly a year. "I think he has room for improvement. I think he is going to be a better player," Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha explained. "He got called for the (Venezuelan) national team and that is an indication that he is getting better on the field."

Schelotto himself would come out in the 90th, making the way for Kevin Burns in a tactical move by Warzycha. Burns was asked to fortify the Crew defense for the final minutes of stoppage time, keeping the match scoreless. The game would indeed end with little drama in a 0-0 draw.

The Crew now hit the road for two games against D.C. United on September 1st and 4th, while Dallas heads home for a match against Toronto FC on September 4th.

Columbus Crew Starting XI- GK William Hesmer, DEF Danny O'Rourke, DEF Andy Iro, DEF Chad Marshall, DEF Shaun Francis, MID Eddie Gaven, MID Brian Carroll, MID Adam Moffat, MID Emilio Renteria, FWD Guillermo Barros Schelotto (C), FWD Jason Garey

FC Dallas Starting XI- GK Kevin Hartman, DEF Heath Pearce, DEF George John, DEF Zach Loyd, DEF Jair Benitez, MID Atiba Harris, MID Eric Alexander, MID Daniel Hernandez (C), MID Brek Shea, FWD David Ferreira, FWD Milton Rodriguez

Columbus Crew Bench- GK Andy Gruenebaum, DEF Eric Brunner, DEF Kevin Burns, MID Dilly Duka, MID Leandre Griffit, MID Duncan Oughton, FWD Steven Lenhart

FC Dallas Bench-GK Dario Sala, DEF Edson Edward, DEF Jackson Goncalves, MID Eric Avila, MID Martin Chavez, MID Bruno Guarda, FWD Jeff Cunningham

Facebook Match Photos

Coppermine Match Photos

More News

The View from Our Crew Home