What a Relief!

Crew Earn First Win in a Challenging 3-2 Victory over the Wizards

COLUMBUS, OH - May 9 , 2010 - The Columbus Crew were hoping the 10th anniversary of Crew Stadium would be a good time to get back to their winning ways. The match started with an energized, attacking Crew squad. Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman proved to be a major obstacle, punching away several shots. Hartman provided a key defensive stop with a spectacular save in the 24th minute, keeping a Robbie Rogers shot from falling to the back of the net.

The Crew's reign of bad luck came to an end in the 38th minute with a goal by Emmanuel Ekpo that bounced off almost the entire team before Ekpo put it past Hartman. It was surprising to see a shot go by Hartman, who is widely regarded as one of the league's best keepers. The aggressive style utilized by the Crew in the first half was very effective against a sometimes hapless Wizards defense.

The Wizards looked to take back the momentum by sending in star striker Claudio Lopez after halftime. The move seemed to be the right one as Lopez scored in the 51st minute, bring the score to 1-1. Lopez turned a free kick into a goal, taking advantage of a disoriented Andy Gruenebaum. The shot took an awkward bounce before getting past the keeper. A recent illness caused Onalfo to use Lopez as a substitute, instead of taking his usual place in the starting eleven.

Fortunately, the Crew were able to respond with a goal of their own in the 55th minute. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, assisted by captain Frankie Hejduk, was able to turn a header past Hartman to make the score 2-1, advantage Columbus Crew. Some tense moments after a hard challenge of Ekpo resulted in yellows cards to Roger Espinoza (67th minute) and Hejduk (68th minute). Eddie Gaven made the score 3-1 with a goal assisted by Robbie Rogers in the 78th minute. Kansas City brought the score closer with a goal by Josh Wolff in the 79th minute. The goal by Wolff, assisted by Jack Jewsbury and Herculez Gomez, was his fourth of the season. The last minutes of the match tested the nerves of Crew players, coaches, and fans alike. No one wanted to see a victory slip away in the final moments. The 3-2 lead for Columbus proved to be enough for the no longer winless Crew.

This match was marked by exemplary performances from both sides. The return of Hejduk brought many things to the table for the Crew. His leadership, positive attitude, and sense of confidence was clearly seen by all. Midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo, easily the team's fastest player, looked to be a rising star in Major League Soccer. Ekpo, who is speedy and aggressive with the ball, has now scored goals in consecutive games. Schelotto proved to be "a magician with the ball" once again and might actually be getting better with age. However, the positive performances were not limited to the Crew squad. Forwards Lopez and Wolff played exceptionally well. Lopez, once a Designated Player for the Wizards, was very dangerous every time he touched the ball. The Crew defense was fortunate that he only scored one goal; it could have been much worse. Wolff, a veteran in the international game, was a leader on the field and only got better with the entrance of Lopez.

Onalfo quickly dismissed the possible reasons for the loss by saying, "We don't make excuses. We find solutions. We weren't good enough tonight." Onalfo continued to praise the work of the Crew and its players. "Schelotto has his hands in everything. He showed the class that he is tonight. He scores a crucial goal right after we tied up."

"We have been waiting for this since the beginning of the season." These words show the great burden that has been lifted off the shoulders of Head Coach Robert Warzycha. The same feelings were echoed by Hejduk who said, "It has been a grind. At different points in the season every team goes through times. Unfortunately for us it was the first few games. Now hopefully this win will get us over the hump and get the monkey off our back so we can start fresh again." The Crew, armed with a positive attitude and a change in perspective, look to build off this victory as they go west to face the Los Angeles Galaxy on May 17. The Galaxy, led by Landon Donovan, are currently 1-1-6 in the standings.

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