Crew Upset by Kickers in USOC

COLUMBUS, OH - June 28, 2011 - Cole Grossman’s first professional goal was not enough to propel the Crew into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals. Matthew Delicâte scored on a diving header in the 85th minute to lift the Richmond Kickers to a 2-1 upset of 10-man Columbus in a Round of 16 match Tuesday at Crew Stadium.

Richmond, of the USL Pro league, broke through first on a 20th minute strike by Nozomi Hiroyama. Former Crew forward Stanley Nyazamba started the scoring play for Richmond by shoving Dejan Rusmir off the ball and spotting Hiroyama near the top left of the penalty area. Hiroyama did the rest, curling a shot into the far upper netting from the top-left corner of the box.

Columbus equalized when Grossman completed a six-pass sequence after receiving a terrific ball from Justin Meram in the 37th minute. Grossman and Meram were among five rookies in the starting lineup for the Crew. The others were right back Korey Veeder, central defender Eric Gehrig and right midfielder Santiago Prim.

There was a veteran presence as well. Andy Gruenebaum, who backstopped the Crew to the final last season, was in goal while O’Rourke made his season debut after undergoing knee surgery in November. He was at left back until being sent off in the 67th minute for a retaliation foul on Ryan Heins.

The winner came off a perfect 35-yard pass from second-half substitute Edson Elcock to a diving Delicâte, who placed the ball into the upper-right netting from 6-yards out.

The Crew had a chance to tie on the final play of the game, when Bernardo Anor’s corner kick found the head of Tommy Heinemann. The ball appeared to deflect off the shoulders of both Delicâte and teammate Henry Kalungi on the goal line, but the Crew’s appeals for a handball were unsuccessful as the whistle sounded.

Now in its 97th year, the U.S. Open Cup has been contested since 1914 and is open to all teams at the pro and amateur levels. It was renamed in honor of Crew Founder Lamar Hunt in 1999. The Crew won the Open Cup in 2002 and was the runner-up in two other occasions. In 1998, the Black and Gold lost 2-1 in overtime to the Chicago Fire and in 2010 the Crew was defeated by the Seattle Sounders 2-1.

Crew Continue to Roll

COLUMBUS, OH - June 26, 2011 - Tommy Heinemann scored his first MLS goal and Andres Mendoza continued his hot scoring with goals in each half as the Crew rolled over the Colorado Rapids, 4-1, Sunday at Crew Stadium.

After Conor Casey staked the visitors to an early lead, Eddie Gaven leveled the score before Mendoza put the Crew ahead for good in the 18th minute. The Peruvian striker made it 3-1 in the 48th minute while the Rapids struggled after Casey was ejected in the first half.

Heinemann capped the scoring in the 57th minute with a one-timed left-footed effort. The win moves the Crew (6-4-6, 24 points) into second in the Eastern Conference, two points back of Philadelphia with their largest output since a 4-0 win against New England on Sept. 6, 2008.

Down 2-1 in the 29th minute, the situation got worse for the Rapids with Casey’s sending off. The forward got around defender Josh Gardner and lunged recklessly for a 50-50 ball near the right post as Hesmer went to the ground. Casey’s knee slid into the left jaw of Hesmer.

Although the Rapids brought on Jamaican striker Omar Cummings for his first action since May 4, there was no denying the Crew after the break.

Dynamo Downed by Crew in Dominating Fashion

HOUSTON, TX - June 18, 2011 - The Houston Dynamo fell to a 2-0 home defeat to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, slipping to fourth place in the Eastern Conference behind Philadelphia, New York, and Columbus. Crew rookie Bernardo Anor had a goal and an assist in his first career start to key the Columbus win.

After the Dynamo had two early chances stopped by Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer, the Crew took the lead before halftime. Bernardo Anor won the ball near midfield, dribbled into the attacking half, and slipped a pass through for forward Andres Mendoza, who converted his chance from the top of the penalty area for his fifth goal of the season.

Houston came out attacking after halftime but faced an uphill challenge after midfielder Lovel Palmer was ejected in the 52nd minute for his second yellow card. It was Palmer’s third red card in 40 career MLS starts and the first time he has come out of a game this season.

The Dynamo responded well to the one-man disadvantage, controlling possession and creating several good scoring chances. In the 60th minute, first Will Bruin and then Brad Davis ripped left-footed shots on goal that were palmed away by Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer.

Columbus then put the game away on the counterattack in the 77th minute, as substitute Justin Meram broke into the penalty area and reached the right side of the end line before crossing to the back post for Bernardo Anor. His initial shot was stopped by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall, but Anor converted the rebound for his first professional goal.

Houston had one more great chance to score in stoppage time, but Brian Ching’s goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Julius James.

Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis made the 200th regular season start of his MLS career, becoming the 50th player in Major League Soccer history to reach that milestone. Forward Brian Ching made his second straight appearance as a substitute, playing in his 150th career game for the Dynamo in all competitions.

Due to injury and national team duty, the Dynamo played without forward Calen Carr (concussion); midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson (Jamaica); and defenders Eddie Robinson (MCL sprain) and Jermaine Taylor (Jamaica).

Crew Get Burnt by the Fire

By Gary L. Moody Jr.

COLUMBUS, OH - June 12, 2011 - The Columbus Crew fell 1-0 to the visiting Chicago Fire (2-4-8) in heartbreaking fashion thanks to a Cristian Nazarit goal in stoppage time.

The Crew (4-4-6) struggled to find any sort of rhythm early, but luckily they weren't the only ones. There were a combined 0 shots on goal in the first half coupled with a total of 14 fouls and 0 saves. The best moments for the Crew attack came in the first moments of the match with Eddie Gaven's shot in the second minute. Gaven launched a shot wide left from the middle of the box, which was followed by a combination play from Josh Gardner and Andres Mendoza.

The well then went dry offensively for both clubs until halftime. Chicago would wield an edge in corner kicks (3 to 0) and shots (5 to 3) while Columbus led only in the unfortunate category of offsides (2 to 1).

The Fire appeared to have more energy and creativity going into the second half. Crew keeper Will Hesmer was kept quite busy as Chicago launched a barrage of 13 shots, 5 of which were on frame. His counterpart, Chicago's Sean Johnson did not feel too threatened considering he did not face a shot on goal the entire night from the home team.

It appeared that the game was headed for a scoreless draw until stoppage time rolled around. The Fire began an aggressive push into Crew territory a minute into extra time with striker Orr Barrouch, a second half substitute, leading the charge. Barrouch muscled past Gardner and Julius James, slipping a shot between the legs of Chad Marshall.

Hesmer would knock the ball away, but it would be rebounded by Nazarit, who scored his first MLS goal. It was a major moment for the Fire, ending their winless streak of 11 games and handing the Crew their first home loss of the season.

"Too many guys had a bad day today, at once," Crew head coach Robert Warzycha stated in a postgame press conference.

Hesmer agreed. "There are going to be nights when your touch is off and you're not hitting on all cylinders. But when that happens somebody's got to step up and take control of the game. We didn't have that."

Thankfully it was also a night of positive milestones for Crew players. Michigan grad Justin Meram made his first MLS start, while striker and Crew legend Jeff Cunningham made his 115th start for Columbus. Rookie midfielder Eric Gehrig made his second appearance in the Crew's final 18.

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Crew Rallies to Beat RSL in Dramatic Fashion

COLUMBUS, OH - June 8, 2011 - Josh Gardner’s first goal in a Crew uniform propelled Columbus to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake Wednesday at Crew Stadium. The Crew remained unbeaten at home (4-0-3) and improved to 4-3-6 overall. 

Gardner gave the Crew the lead in the 82nd minute when his shot from 22 yards hit the left thigh of RSL defender Chris Schuler then ricocheted past goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

RSL (6-3-2) had yielded only one goal in its previous four games and took a 1-0 lead on the strength of a Jamison Olave goal off a Nelson Gonzalez corner kick in the 7th minute. They held the one-goal advantage for nearly 70 minutes, but the Crew got the equalizer in the 76th minute on a penalty kick by Andres Mendoza after Justin Meram was tripped by Olave in the box. Mendoza buried his left-footed shot with authority into the upper-right corner. 

Real Salt Lake was denied an equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time when William Hesmer made a spectacular save on a Tony Beltran heel flick. 

Jeff Cunningham, who started at forward, had two good opportunities to score. The first came in the 20th minute, but a cross deep into the box from Emmanuel Ekpo hit his thigh and trickled to goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Then his 60th-minute header hit the crossbar.

Crew defender Josh Williams showed remorse for his violation of the league's substance abuse policy, which was announced prior to the match. “I take full responsibility for my actions and for what I put in my body, and I sincerely apologize to my coaches, teammates and the organization. I was devastated to learn that an honest mistake caused me to test positive for a banned substance. But as a professional athlete, I should have been more diligent in considering what I ingested. I hope others can learn from my mistake.”

The Akron, Ohio native received a 10 game suspension and a fine equal to 10% of his annual salary. Williams mistakenly took a banned substance while consuming an over-the-counter nutritional supplement purchased at a national chain store.

Rookies Save the Day

HARRISON, NJ - June 4, 2011 - The Columbus Crew (3-3-6, 15 pts.) drew the New York Red Bulls (4-2-7, 19 pts.) 1-1 in thrilling fashion at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. Defender Rich Balchan responded to an early goal by Mehdi Ballouchy with a well placed one-touch in stoppage time for his first ever professional goal. Forward Justin Meram assisted on the goal recording his first MLS point.

It only took nine minutes for the Red Bulls to get on the board. Red Bulls forward Luke Rodgers took received a long pass from defender Jan Gunnar Solli and played the ball to an oncoming Ballouchy who slotted it into the bottom left corner of the net.

The Crew responded with a bicycle kick by Julius James in the 18th minute only to see the ball go out wide. In the 24th minute Eddie Gaven also had a good look when he tried to chip the ball over New York goalkeeper Greg Sutton sending it a little too high. The half ended with the home team leading 1-0 but not before an attempted cross by Jeff Cunningham – who entered in the 41st minute to replace an injured Tommy Heinemann – only to see Sutton reach the ball before Andres Mendoza. 

The second half began with Crew not wanting to let up and trying to get the equalizer. A Gaven rocket from 40 yards out, in the 58th minute, was tipped over the crossbar and a few minutes later a header by Cunningham was called offsides. New York continued to attack looking for an insurance goal but William Hesmer -- who recorded four saves – and the Crew defense deftly shut down the Luke Rodgers/Thierry Henry combination.

The equalizer finally came in stoppage time with Meram making a run down the left side of the field and crossing the ball into the box to an open Balchan who one-timed it into the back of the net fixing the result at 1-1.

Andres is the Answer

COLUMBUS, OH - May 28, 2011 - Andres Mendoza made an impact Saturday night, scoring 2 goals in a 3-3 draw with Chivas USA. Mendoza, the Crew's lone Designated Player, was joined on the Columbus scoresheet by Emmanuel Ekpo, who finished with 1 goal and 1 assist.

Chivas USA (3-4-4) was quick to strike, landing a goal from Nick LaBrocca in just the fourth minute. Simon Elliott set up the play with a cross to Justin Braun in the box, who looped it over to LaBrocca, who sped past Crew defender Rich Balchan for the score. The Goats would start with a 1-0 lead, but that goal was one of many on the night.

The Crew (3-3-5) looked to still be in good shape in the 14th as a streaking Tommy Heinemann beat Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy. A last second clearance by Chivas defender Ante Jazic saved a goal with just an inch to spare, the ball having traveled 3/4 of the way over the line.

Mendoza would put Columbus on the board just three minutes later, bringing things even at 1-1. Called one of the most overpaid players in MLS by Brian Straus of The Sporting News, Mendoza would deliver a much-needed goal, one that put momentum back in the hands of the home team.

That momentum proved to be short-lived as Andrew Boyens launched a beauty of a header in the 37th past William Hesmer, who was outstretched in mid-air and looked to be a fingertip length away from a save. Heath Pearce claimed the assist off the swift corner kick. For what seemed to be the first time this season, Crew defender Chad Marshall had been beaten in the air. The visitors would take their 2-1 advantage into the locker room after over 45 intense and physical minutes.

Both teams came out with some serious intensity after halftime. Jorge Flores would threaten the Crew keeper with a rocket moments in, which was followed shortly after with a sprinting Mendoza who went 1 v1 with Kennedy, but his shot was just off target. Mendoza would get loose again down the right side before a swift tackle by Boyens ended his run. Mendoza would get a third chance off a breakaway and this time he would slot it past Kennedy, who was left alone to deal with the Peruvian striker. Mendoza finished with a celebration for the ages in the 52nd.

This wonder goal would never have happened without the mistake of Elliott, whose turnover turned into a breakaway which ended as a goal for Columbus. The Crew brought things even at 2-2, but that score wouldn't last long.

The Goats simply would not rest on the attack and would strike again in the 57th minute. Jazic and former University of Akron midfielder Ben Zemanski set up the shot from Jorge Flores, who slotted one past the outstretched hands of Hesmer. A 3-2 advantage belonged to Chivas for the time being.

The Crew would answer with an unassisted goal from Ekpo in the 64th minute, adding to the flurry of goals. Kennedy showed his frustration, along with Hesmer, for a difficult night in goal. Mendoza would get loose again in the 67th minute, but was taken down hard in the box with a no call on the potential PK situation. The Nordecke went wild with chants I can't repeat, but you get the idea.

Several moments later Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven engaged in some beautiful passing down the flank, including a magical backheel by Rogers before Gaven was taken down with a harsh tackle from Flores. It was the second of the night for Flores and Chivas found themselves down to 10 men after the automatic red.

Michigan grad Justin Meram would make his MLS debut, taking over for Mendoza in the 76th minute. Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha hoped that the rookie would provide a spark against Chivas, already a man down. Meram didn't disappoint, creating some opportunities for the Columbus attack.

"It was a good one, a tied game. Go in and maybe get a snip at goal," the rookie striker and Shelby Township, MI native stated. "It's good to get out there and get some touches."

Lady Luck completely abandoned the Crew in the final moments before stoppage time. A shot by Jeff Cunningham went just wide right, a ball bounced off nearly every player in the box before being cleared by the Chivas D, nothing seemed to be working. A 10 man Chivas USA squad bent, bent a lot, but didn't break.

Saturday marked the return of Alejandro Moreno to Columbus, where he won the MLS Cup as a member of the Crew in 2008. Now the captain for Chivas USA, Moreno still has a soft spot for the city, the fans, and the organization.

"It's always emotional; it's always meaningful," the veteran Venezuelan striker declared in a postgame interview with ISNSoccer.com. "I have a good relationship here with the fans and a special feeling about this organization. We achieved a lot of important things here in Columbus."

The match ended with no change in the 3-3 result. The Crew hit the road to face the New York Red Bulls on June 4 before returning home for a weekday match against RSL on June 8. Meanwhile, Chivas USA has little time to prepare for a pair of home matches against Pacific Northwest rivals: June 1st against Vancouver and June 4th against Portland.

Samantha Burton with former University of Akron midfielder Ben Zemanski (video)

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Brunner Goal Sends Crew Home with a Loss

PORTLAND, OR - May 21, 2011 - Defender Eric Brunner scored against his former club and midfielder Jack Jewsbury logged an assist in his fourth straight game as the Portland Timbers defeated the Columbus Crew 1-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 18,627 at JELD-WEN Field on Saturday night.

Brunner, an Ohio native, played the last two seasons with the Crew before being selected by Portland in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft last fall. He headed in the game-winning goal in the 46th minute on a play from a free kick to push the Timbers to their fifth victory in seven games and continue the club’s perfect record at home (5-0-0) in MLS play.

For a third straight match, it was a set piece that led to a goal by a defender which put the Timbers on the board. On a free kick in the opening minute of the second half, Jewsbury played the ball quickly down the right side of the penalty area to set up midfielder Kalif Alhassan for a cross in. Brunner was on the back post and nodded the ball back towards the right side past Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer for the eventual game-winner.

With the win over the Crew, the Timbers become the first MLS expansion side to win its first five matches at home and the first expansion club since 1998 to have a five-game winning streak at home during its inaugural season.

Brunner tallied his third-career MLS goal, Jewsbury recorded an assist in his fourth straight game, Alhassan logged his fifth assist of the season and goalkeeper Troy Perkins recorded three saves to earn his third shutout on the campaign in the win for the Timbers (5-3-2, 17pts).

Forward Tom Heinemann attempted a team-high four shots, including two on goal, for the Crew (3-3-4, 13pts). After a seven-match unbeaten streak, Columbus has lost two straight matches.

Heinemann’s two shots on goal each came in the first half, with the first being blocked by strike partner Emilio Renteria. He had a diving header in the 41st minute, off a cross by Andres Mendoza, tipped wide by the fingertips of Perkins, keeping the match scoreless heading into halftime. Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers had a shot in the 87th minute from near the top of the box hit off the right post; Columbus held a slight edge in shots 11-10.

Crew Fall Hard on the Road

SANTA CLARA, CA - May 14, 2011 - The Crew suffered its second loss of the season by dropping a 3-0 decision to the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night. Forwards Chris Wondolowski and Steven Lenhart as well as midfielder Khari Stephenson tallied one goal each within a span of 12 minutes.

After a physical scoreless first half that saw both teams record only two shots on target, San Jose came out swinging in the second stanza.

It only took five minutes for the home team to get on the board. Wondolowski snuck past Crew defender Rich Balchan after receiving a looping pass from Ryan Johnson and volleyed the ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Former Crew forward Steven Lenhart would double up just nine minutes later when he headed a corner kick from Joey Gjertsen into the near post for his first goal of the season.

Then, in the 62nd minute, Stephenson sealed the Black & Gold’s fate by drilling a 25-yard rocket past William Hesmer.

The Crew continued to attack but, despite playing a man up for the last 10 minutes due to the ejection of defender Brandon McDonald, saw their numerous attempts thwarted by former Crew and current Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Renteria Strikes Again

By Samantha Burton

COLUMBUS, OH - May 7, 2011 - More than 7,000 fans braved the Ohio weather’s downpour to see Columbus Crew (3-1-4) host Seattle Sounders (3-3-4) this Saturday. The match ended 1-1.

Seattle striker Fredy Montero flew in a header past the hands of Crew keeper Hesmer in the 7th minute to put the visitors up 1-0. The assist would go to Erik Friberg, who found Montero on the right side.

A penalty kick was awarded to the Black and Gold in the 67th minute when Chad Marshall and Patrick Ianni got tangled up inside the box. Emilio Renteria took it beautifully, tying up the match 1-1.

Columbus finished with a 16-7 advantage in shots (7-1 on goal). The Crew will now hit the road to face off against the San Jose Earthquakes on May 14.

Seattle Sounders Starting XI - Keller, Riley, Parke, Ianni, Gonzalez, Friberg, Alonso, Carrasco, Fernandez, Levesque, Montero

Columbus Crew Starting XI - Hesmer, Miranda, Marshall, James, Balchan, Duka, Burns, Rusmir, Rogers, Gaven, Renteria

The Streak Continues

COLUMBUS, OH - April 30, 2011 - Emilio Renteria scored a pair of goals to lead the Columbus Crew (3-1-3) over Vancouver Whitecaps FC Saturday night. 

The Whitecaps (1-4-3) entered their first-ever match with the Crew without several key players including defender Jay DeMerit (groin strain) and strikers Atiba Harris (meniscus tear) and Eric Hassli (suspension). The Crew wasn’t 100% either with Danny O’Rourke (knee surgery), Shaun Francis (hamstring strain), and Josh Williams (hip strain) all out with injuries. 

The first half was uneventful to say the least. Columbus would have the statistical advantage, but failed to convert those into goals.  Columbus would take 7 shots (only 1 on goal) and 7 corner kicks in the first half, significantly better than Vancouver’s 4 shots and no corner kicks. The Whitecaps led only in fouls by a 9 to 6 margin. Neither keeper was too threatened and each finished with 1 save in the first 45 minutes.  Only 1 caution was issued to Whitecaps defender Jonathan Leathers, who was involved in a violent collision that ended David Ferreira’s season just a week ago.

The University of Akron men's soccer team was honored at halftime. The defending National Champions were a hit with the hometown crowd. Crew President & GM Mark McCullers presented Akron Head Coach Caleb Porter with a special "NCAA Champs 10" Crew jersey.

The second half was a different story, a different game.  Both teams pressured the other with vibrant and physical attacks with Columbus being the first to strike successfully.  Renteria would be called upon to convert a PK in the 50th minute and did so with relative ease, slotting one past Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly.  The Venezuelan striker would score another goal, his third of the season, just 9 minutes later.  The goal was set up by slick passing from Dilly Duka and Dejan Rusmir and gave the Crew what appeared to be a comfortable 2-0 lead with a little over 30 minutes remaining. 

“It was good for us that we scored early in the second half,” Columbus Head Coach Robert Warzycha declared in the postgame comments to reporters.  “So the game had to open up and we followed with another one.”

Omar Salgado, a seventeen-year-old striker making his first MLS start, would make it 2-1 in the 69th with Terry Dunfield and Alain Rochat on the assist.  Vancouver would remain on the attack for the rest of the match.  Only a goalmouth block from Josh Gardner (73rd minute) and a brilliant save by Will Hesmer (77th minute) and preserved the victory and the 3 points for the hometown Crew. 

“Josh made a good, sliding save,” Crew captain and defender Chad Marshall stated.  “We were able to hold on, but we definitely need to play better towards the end of the game.” 

The win extended the unbeaten streak for Columbus to six and counting.  Columbus will face the always dangerous Seattle Sounders FC at home on May 7th before hitting the road against the San Jose Earthquakes just a week later.

Crew Top 'Caps

By Samantha Burton

COLUMBUS, OH - April 30, 2011 - Columbus met Vancouver for the first time in Crew Stadium and came out on top. The Crew hosted the Whitecaps at Crew Stadium this Saturday with a goal-filled match, winning at 2-1.

In a scoreless first half, the Crew played a solid possession game, with Columbus goalkeeper William Hesner not seeing much action. The ball was on a Black & Gold’s foot 66 percent of the time for the first 45 minutes.

The second half of the match told a much different story.

Just five minutes into the half a penalty kick was given to the Crew, after a foul from Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly. Emilio Rentera flew the penalty kick into the left corner effortlessly.

In the 59th minute, Rentera scored again, giving him his third goal of the season and making him the club’s current goalscoring leader.

With much offensive gusto from the Crew and Rentera looking hungry for a hat trick, it seemed the match was over for Vancouver. The tables were turned when 17-year-old Omar Salgado, Vancouver, scored his first professional goal with a header sneaking past Hesmer in the 69th minute.

Life was injected into the Whitecaps and the players were making many more goal-scoring opportunities. The game was nearly tied up twice, with a sliding save from Crew defender Josh Gardner in front of an open net in the 70th minute and a diving save from Hesner in the 77th minute.

Though there were many close calls for the Crew’s net, they claimed the 2-1 victory and will host Seattle Sounders FC on May 7 at 7:30 p.m.

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Omar Salgado with Derrick Smith Postgame Audio

Dilly Duka with Derrick Smith Postgame Audio

Josh Gardner with Derrick Smith Postgame Audio